VU Elevenses wellbeing

The Victoria University (VU) Elevenses program is a unique initiative to support the safety, mental health and wellbeing of staff, students and the general public. It provides meaningful ways to help people feel supported, connected and validate our life experiences, especially those extraordinary challenges that were brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The hugely successful program has been supporting the mental health and wellbeing of staff and students since March 2020. Initially run through online meetings it is now available on demand to members of the public around the world through recorded sessions on YouTube.

YouTube playlists of sessions

Physical activity

You can do these physical activity sessions in your home whatever your level of fitness or mobility. Sessions include strength training, stretching and cardio workouts.

Healthy eating

Food fuels our bodies. What we eat can have a big impact on our health and wellbeing.

Managing stress

There are many different ways to deal with stress. These sessions will introduce you to a variety of mindfulness and relaxation strategies.

Healthy relationships

Healthy social connection is extremely important for our wellbeing. We discuss ways to stay in touch and manage relationships during tricky times.

Reducing alcohol intake

Although there's nothing wrong with having a drink now and then, sometimes alcohol use can negatively affect us.

Connecting with nature

Getting out and appreciating nature is proven to help us reduce our stress and improve our overall sense of happiness.

About VU Elevenses

A team of university experts in the field of psychology, physical activity, and mental health developed the VU Elevenses program. The team is led by Professor Alex Parker, a clinical psychologist and researcher in the Institute for Health and Sport.

For part of 2020, the VU Elevenses sessions were held live on weekday mornings from 11–11.15am. Favourite sessions are now available on demand on a number of platforms. The sessions focus on a range of topics with only one aim: to improve the wellbeing of participants.

The topics most often address one of six lifestyle medicine areas:

healthy eating
healthy relationships
improving sleep
physical activity
reducing alcohol intake
stress management.

The name, Elevenses, was inspired by Michael Bond’s famous Paddington Bear, who enjoyed daily 11am chats with his friend Mr Gruber. While the title of the program is whimsical, the initiative impacts its audience in profound ways.

"We know that the program has significantly reduced participant’s experience of depression, anxiety and stress."

"The sessions are made up of mini-interventions and strategies to help people manage and maintain wellbeing during this pandemic. We focus on ways to nurture ourselves and our loved ones, how to better manage such a massive disruption and most importantly, how to avoid being overwhelmed during the COVID-19 pandemic", said Professor Parker.