Programme Mental Health Week 2026

Japanese walking is an interval-based walking method where you alternate between three minutes of brisk walking and three minutes of slower walking for approximately 30 minutes. The method has been studied in Japan, and research has shown positive effects on, among other things, fitness, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health.

Denize Dargahi teaches social pharmacy at Uppsala University and also has training in coaching. Denize is passionate about people’s well-being and about how small changes in everyday life can contribute to better health and quality of life. Denize believes in the power of community, movement, and meaningful habits for sustainable well-being, and therefore invites you to a Japanese walking session.

Register to the walk by filling in this form.

Time: Monday 5 October, 12:00–12:45. Gathering at 12:00. We start the walk exactly at 12:10.

Location: Meeting outside Rosendalsymnasiet, and from there we will walk to Stadsskogen. Address: Husargatan 8 752 56,Uppsala

Take a break from your studies and share a bowl of mindful tea with others. During this session, you will be guided through a tea meditation practice where we sit in silence together and learn to tune in to the present moment. Tea is a wonderful focusing tool that can help calm the senses and provide a moment of rest amidst the stress of everyday life.

During this session, we will be drinking what is referred to as “bowl tea”. This means we will drink small amounts of tea brewed in multiple steepings over an extended period of time.

Elizabeth Carlyon has practiced tea ceremonies for over five years and currently hosts regular sessions in tea, voice and breathwork. During her time as a postgraduate student at Uppsala University, she found this practice was highly useful for reducing stress and helping retain focus on her studies. During Mental Health Week Elizabeth will introduce you to this practice at the Student Health Service.

Maximum 12 participants.

Register by emailing Elizabeth Carlyon.

Time: Tuesday 6 October, 12:30–14:00

Location: the Student Health Service, Övre Slottsgatan 7, Uppsala

Today, a lot of people are feeling worse mentally than ever before. Research suggests that our digital lifestyles and social media may be contributing to the rise in poor mental health. So, how can we all stay connected with friends, set up dates online, and yet stay okay?

During this session we’ll discuss problems and solutions to how to be well and online at the same time. There will be a discussion on stage, but everyone’s encouraged to join in, so come by and give us your opinion!

Leaders: Victoria Awortwe, PhD student in medical science at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health and Mike Andersén, PhD student at the Department of Women’s and Children’s Health and Lic. Psychologist. Moderated by Anna Westergren, counsellor at the Student Health Service.

No registration required, drop-in.

Time: Tuesday 6 October, 13:15–14:15

Location: The Ångström Laboratory, the event area in Building 10, floor 0, Uppsala

Feeling overwhelmed by your studies or constantly putting things off? Join us for an interactive group guidance session in which you will participate in exercises and discussions to broaden your perspective, increase your self-awareness, and learn from fellow students. Together, we’ll discover strategies for more motivated and sustainable study habits!

The study and career guidance counsellors at Ångström Student Service unit.

Register to the group guidance by filling in this form.

Time: Tuesday 6 October, 15:15–16:15

Place: Place: Ångström Laboratory, 101172, in Building 10, Uppsala

Talking in front of others, giving speeches, presenting group work or being active at seminars can make many of us very anxious. In this workshop, we will explain what happens in the mind and body when pressure to perform strikes. You will get some strategies to cope and have the opportunity to practice speaking in a supportive environment.

The workshop will be held by Counsellor Anna Westergren and Senior Lecturer Sarah Schwarz.

No registration required.

Time: Tuesday 6 October, 2026, 16:45–18:15

Place: Segerstedt Building, room Nornan, Uppsala

Note: To get in to this building you may need your campuscard/student id and code for the entrance door.

Welcome to a short hike in the dusk and dark toghether to a cozy campfire in Södra hällarna. Bring something to barbecue over the fire and a story to tell! The activity is organised by the Student Health Service at Uppsala University as part of the program during Mental Health Week

Meet at the car park at the entrance to Södra hällarna at 16:30 to approximately 19:00.

• Wear comfortable shoes, warm clothes and something to sit on.
• Bring your own headlight or borrow one at sight
• Bring something to barbecue over the fire and to drink. Barbecue skewers are available to borrow.

Maximum 12 participants.

Register to the hike by filling in this form.

Time: Tuesday 6 October, 17:00–20:00

Location: The parking lot at the north entrance to Södra hällarnas nature reserve, Gotland.

Warmly welcome to a fun and nourishing open cook-along event! As part of Mental Health Week, you are warmly invited to CEMUS “Food for the Body, Mind and Soul”. This gathering focuses on the powerful connections between food, cooking, community, and mental well-being.

Participants can join the session in CEMUS Library or participate online, where you can cook-along with us from your own kitchen. The culinary focus of the session will center around vegan, vegetarian, and rescued food, offering a meaningful way to connect with others while preparing wholesome meals.

CEMUS is an interdisciplinary, student-initiated centre across all of Uppsala University, focusing on student-led sustainability courses and collaborative activities. The event is co-organised with the Bruised Food Club, an organisation that rescues food locally here in Uppsala.

Sign up for the cook-along event in this form.

Time: Tuesday 6 October, 18.15–20:00

Location: CEMUS Library, Geocentrum, Villavägen 16, Uppsala, see map. A link to the event will be emailed to those who will participate online.

This is not a body hack. It is not a superpower or a quick fix. It’s about giving your body time and space to do what it is naturally created to do. Breathe.

• Wake your body up.
• Stimulate the natural flow.
• Create space for new energy.

With soft movement, conscious breath and easy techniques, Morning Lymph Flow is a 30-minute morning routine to help you start your day with more energy, a feeling of presence and ease in your mind and body.

With Rebecca Liljefors, body therapist, breath coach and Optimum Trainer (postural practice).

Workshops are given in Swedish and/or English as needed.

Maximum ten participants per workshop.

Register to Morning Lymph Flow, (under "Gruppbokningar")

Time: Wednesday 7 October, 8.30–9.00 and 12.15–12.45

Location: Uppsala Yogamassage, Rundelsgränd 6D, Uppsala. You will receive a door code after booking.

Join the Student Health Service outdoors is for those who need to recover from mental health issues. We humans benefit from spending time in nature, and this can be part of regaining and maintaining mental health. So come out with us!

A low-pressure and accessible activity where, for a couple of hours, you can join the Student Health leaders out in the woods to barbecue and relax together in a small group of like-minded students.

This activity is for anyone who’s feeling a bit down and is looking for a sense of community and connection without any pressure. Join our group and recharge your batteries in the great outdoors.

You’ll need to dress for the weather. No no previous outdoor experience is required.

Maximum eight participants.

Register by emailing Jens Lindquist.

Time: Wednesday 7 October, 11:30–14:00

Location: The parking lot at the north entrance to Södra hällarnas nature reserve, Gotland.

When we leave to study, a new chapter in life begins. This comes with challenges concerning our identity, sense of home and belonging. We are starting something new and exciting, but sometimes we long for old and safe. This workshop combines environmental psychology, art therapy and psychodrama. We will be exploring positive and negative aspects of being far from the home we grew up in. You might be surprised how many share similar feelings. Join us and explore it with others.

Atina Jernström is a facilitator combining environmental psychology, psychodrama and art therapy. She is well acquainted with the challenges explored in this workshop as she has moved across countries, learned languages and cultures, and studied in Sweden while searching for a place to call home.

Max 15 participants.

Sign up for the workshop in this form.

Time: Thursday 8 October, 13:15–15:00

Location: The Student Health Service, Övre Slottsgatan 7, Uppsala

Welcome to a cosy evening by the campfire. Bring something to cook over the fire and maybe a story to share! You go there on your own and can drop in whenever between 17:00 and 18:00.

The activity is organised through a partnership between Campus1477 and the Student Health Service at Uppsala University.

Leader is Jens Lindquist, Student Sports Coordinator at the Student Health Services.

Maximum 12 participants.

Register to the campfire evening by filling in this form, by 6 October.

Time: Thursday 8 October, 17:00–20:00

Location: The campfire down below Sten Sture Monument

Aikido is a Japanese martial art that emerged in the early 20th century. Aikido can be translated as "the way of harmonising life energy". Aikido offers a lot of variation and is non-competitive. Central to Aikido are posture, breath and non-confrontation. Movements are circular and practice is mainly done in pairs.

On the 9th of October, we’d like to invite you to an hour-long Aikido session where we will be connecting to our life force, “ki”. The session will focus around “Kokyu” (breath), flowy movements, posture and proprioception.

You will be joining us in our dojo which is located in Ekeby Bruk. We will be training on tatami mats, so we advise you to wear soft clothes, long sleeves and pants. After Aikido, we’ll gather for a cup of tea for those who want to.

Leaders are Sofia Aslanidou och Sofia Lundgren, KFUM Uppsala Aikido.

Maximum 30 participants.

Register to the Aikido session by filling in this form.

Time: Friday 9 October, 13:00–14:30

Location: Budohuset, Ekeby Bruk 6E, 2nd floor, Uppsala

Together with experienced leaders, you’ll have the chance to head out into the forest for a magical night’s sleep in a hammock. We’ll leave the hustle and bustle of the city behind for a night amidst the sounds of the forest. Together, we’ll head to a nearby forest area where we’ll set up camp, light a campfire, and hang up our hammocks for the night. In the morning, we’ll cook breakfast over the fire, pack up and make our way home by lunchtime at the latest.

You don’t need to have spent the night outdoors before, but it helps if you’re used to being out in the forest.

Equipment: sleeping bag, sleeping mat, rucksack. If you don’t have your own, or can’t borrow from a friend, you’ll likely find most of what you need at Fritidsbanken. You can borrow a hammock and tarp (tent fabric). See information about other equipment needed on Campus1477’s website.

Leaders are Karin Borg, Priest at the University Chaplaincy and Jens Lindquist, Coordinator for Student Sports at the Student Health Service.

Maximum 8 participants.

Register to the outdoor night's sleep by filling in the form.

Date: Friday 9–Saturday 10 October, from 4:30 pm until 12 noon at the latest

Location: Outdoors near Uppsala (exact location to be announced later)