With substantial evidence linking a healthy lifestyle with mental health, the academic medical enterprise at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences has launched an ongoing Mental Health and Lifestyle Initiative. (Additional events and resources are available through the GW's university-wide well-being program GWell.)
Sponsored jointly by the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center (R&WC) and the GW Lifestyle Medicine Clinic at the GW Medical Faculty Associates (MFA), the purpose of the intiative is to:
- Highlight the connection between lifestyle and chronic disease including mood and brain health.
- Provide information and tools for students, faculty, and staff to improve their own lifestyle in addition to, perhaps, helping the lifestyles of patients.
- Offer resources to help prevent and manage chronic disease by optimizing health habits.
In May and June, following the formal launch of the Initiative at the May 8, 2024 SMHS/MFA Town Hall at Noon, we will focus on the following four topics for two weeks each:
- Mindfulness and Stress Management (May 8-21)
- Healthy Eating (May 22 - June 4)
- Restorative Sleep (June 5-18)
- Physical Activity: Improving Movement and Exercise (June 19 - July2)
Check back for updates, recordings, new resources, and our Fall Challenges!
Learn more about the Resiliency & Well-being Center services or request a free, personalized consultation with the R&WC team by completing the Consultation Request Form.
Request a consultation from the GW Resiliency & Well-being Center so we can meet with you or your team, discuss your needs, and give you a summary of the services we have available to meet them. The initial consultations is free for any GW unit.
Learn more information about Lifestyle Medicine or schedule an appointment in the GW Lifestyle Medicine clinic.
Lifestyle Medicine is the use of evidence-based lifestyle therapeutic intervention—including a whole-food, plant-predominant eating pattern, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances and positive social connection—as a primary modality, delivered by clinicians trained and certified in this specialty, to prevent, treat and often reverse chronic disease.