Wellness Corner: Tips for Summer 2020

From Susan Rahauser, M.S., NCC, LPC, Director of Student Counseling Services 

Here are some ideas for continuing with your health and wellness over the summer:

• Guided Meditation for Sleep: Listen to this recording if you are having trouble sleeping
• Yoga with Adrienne: Great free yoga and meditation classes
• Shelter in Poems: Poems to inspire and support 
• The Happiness Lab offers excellent podcasts on coping with the coronavirus, including “Coach Yourself Through a Crisis” and “Beat Your Isolation Loneliness.”
• How Compassion and Empathy Can Help You Through the COVID Pandemic: An article about the research behind the benefits of empathy and compassion as well as some practical applications 

If you are coping with stress and anxiety, the following resources may be helpful:

• Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty: Some really helpful tips and resources for staying connected to what helps you feel safe, connected, and as much in the present moment as possible. There are also good resources toward the bottom of the page for if you’re feeling alone and struggling.
• MindShift CBT: Free content, including cognitive behavioral therapy strategies to address general worry, social anxiety, and panic.
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation
• Advice for Dealing with Uncertainty from People Who’ve Been There

Please don’t hesitate to reach out to a trusted adult and/or utilize the following resources if you are struggling with a mental health crisis:

• Call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) offers crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to disasters and infectious disease outbreaks. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. 
• Call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255
• Call the Trevor Project Lifeline: Call 1-866-488-7386 or live chat at www.thetrevorproject.org, which provides crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ young people ages 13–24.
• Text the Steve Fund: Text STEVE to 741741 to receive help if you are a young person of color in crisis or emotional distress.
• Call 911 or access this list of International Emergency Numbers
• Text the Crisis Text Line: Text Talk or HOME to 741741