York College of PA to host April 25 events recognizing Mental Health Awareness Month

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and York College will host two free, public events on April 25 to recognize the importance of mental health. Those interested in attending should register here.

The day will begin at 9 a.m. with a virtual Mindfulness Moment provided by Jakki Williams, an associate professor in North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University’s Department of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. She will present and discuss Sura Flow, a three-step (Relax. Listen. Intend) meditation practice that may be used to reduce stress. Williams has more than 20 years of higher education experience. Her teaching, research, grant-writing, and service has flourished during appointments at North Carolina A&T, Russ Berrie Institute for Professional Sales at William Paterson University, the University of Arizona, and Florida A&M. Her academic research appears in case studies, book chapters, conference proceedings, and academic journals in the marketing, management, and education disciplines.

Kelly McGonigal, health psychologist, author, and Stanford University lecturer, will present “The Upside of Stress” virtually at 7 p.m. In January 2020, Oprah Winfrey named McGonigal the first O! Magazine Visionary for her “unabashed belief in human potential” and her ability to “transform scientific data into wisdom.” Forbes also named her one of “20 Inspiring Women to Follow on Twitter." 

McGonigal’s 2013 TED talk, “How to Make Stress Your Friend,” is one of the 20 Most Viewed TED talks of all time, with over 23 million views.

As a pioneer in the field of “science-help,” her mission is to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities. She is the author of several books, including the international bestseller The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. McGonigal’s newest book is The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage.

Through the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism, she co-authored the Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training and studies how social connection can promote health, happiness, and resilience. McGonigal has consulted for a wide range of nonprofit organizations and industries to bring evidence-based strategies for well-being into the workplace, healthcare, education, technology, and community outreach. In her free time, she is a passionate advocate for animal rescue and volunteers as an adoption counselor for Best Friends Animal Society.