For many students, the start of a new academic year brings new possibilities, but also new pressures. Between coursework, social expectations, financial concerns and major life transitions, it can be easy to view mental health as dependent on reducing stress or addressing challenges before you can move forward. Rather than focusing on limitations, diagnoses or what’s standing in the way, Egan’s work encourages people to identify what matters most to them and find ways to stay connected to those things.
“The things that are important for us to do help us connect with ourselves, help us connect with other people and help us connect with what we believe is our purpose in life,” says Egan. “In that way, they support our mental health.”
Meaning comes before motivation
Many students arrive on campus carrying expectations about what university life is supposed to look like. Egan believes those expectations can sometimes distract from a more important question: What actually matters to that student?
She encourages students to find activities that align with their own values, interests and ambitions instead of measuring themselves against an idealized version of student life. What feels meaningful is deeply personal and can look different for everyone. For some, meaningful participation might come through academic achievement, for others, it might mean athletics, creative pursuits, community involvement or new friendships.
According to Egan, this reflection is more than an exercise in self-discovery. It’s often the first step towards protecting and strengthening mental health.
Focus on the goal, not the obstacle
One of the ideas that blocks real progress towards well-being is the idea that people must “fix” themselves before they can participate in meaningful activities.
Whether she’s working with a student experiencing anxiety or someone recovering from a stroke, Egan says the traditional approach often focuses on deficits, such as attention difficulties, memory problems, stress or physical limitations. Her research on occupational performance coaching, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, suggests another path.
“Spend time thinking about your goal and what it would look like for you to achieve it. Then, make plans to get there, experiment with those plans and refine them along the way.”
Mary Egan
— Full Professor, Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Health Sciences
For students overwhelmed by challenges such as anxiety or ADHD, starting with a reflection on what activities are most important to them can be especially powerful. A diagnosis can explain some difficulties, but it doesn’t determine what a student can achieve. Egan explains that focusing on the doing rather than the diagnosis provides hope. Instead of asking, “How do I eliminate every obstacle?” students might ask, “How can I keep moving towards what matters to me, even with those obstacles?” or “When I experiment with different ways of doing things, what am I learning about what works best for me?”
Well-being is a shared responsibility
Mental health doesn’t exist in a vacuum. While personal reflection, goal-setting and experimentation are important, Egan stresses that environments and communities are also critical in supporting well-being. Meeting basic needs such as food security, housing and safety remains fundamental. Beyond that, students benefit from spaces and opportunities that help them participate in meaningful activities and build connections with others.
Many services are available to students at the University and beyond, alongside formal mental health supports. For example, quiet study spaces, collaborative learning opportunities, campus activities and clubs can help students pursue what matters to them and build a sense of belonging.
For Egan, that sense of participation is at the heart of well-being. Rather than waiting for challenges to disappear, students can focus on identifying what matters most to them and finding ways to stay engaged with those activities. They might relate to learning, socializing, fitness, creativity or other pursuits. The process may involve planning and small steps with trial and error, but each experience offers valuable insight into what works, what does not and how to move forward.