It’s easier to acknowledge you’re in trouble rather than actively taking the steps to get out of trouble. With health—mental health in particular—this is especially true. With stress snowballing out of control in combination with other life factors, knowing your options is important and getting help is essential. Here are five resources that you can access:
Student Groups and the University’s Resources
Especially here at the U, there are multiple student groups that work with students to either teach stress managing techniques, allow room for conversation regarding mental health and more. These clubs, like Active Minds and the Underserved Mental Health Association, serve the students on campus and aim to provide resources that assist these students in getting the help they need. These groups are run by students, allowing students who are seeking these mental health services to have a conversation with their peers. Other resources that the university provides are emails that remind students of the services here on campus, such as the University’s Crisis Connection, a number you can text or call that is open for 24 hours, a mental health website and more.
Counseling or Therapy
Having a conversation about mental health is important. Counselors are trained professionals who seek to assist people to find strategies to help achieve healthy and happy lives. Here, you can establish a relationship with someone who is nonjudgmental and who’ll always make your health and wellness a priority. The advice a counselor or therapist can offer can be helpful and remind you that you aren’t alone. Here at the University of Minnesota, Boynton provides counseling services, Student Health Services provides counseling services, and there is a new online therapy resource as well. These three resources are defined in more detail here.
De-Stressing Activities
Finals, relationships and other stressors in our lives can negatively affect our moods and behaviors. A way to reduce stress is to engage yourself in de-stressing techniques or activities. On campus, there is the student group De-stress that has pop-up workshops to teach students about some of these stress relieving methods. From breathing techniques, to coloring, to even yoga, anyone can join an activity or learn how to successfully relax to lessen the hardships of stress. Many of the colleges here at the university often have events for students to de-stress, such as Yoga and Yogurt provided by UHSA and PAWS, an event held on both East and West bank, where students can come and pet animals.
Online Resources
On campus isn’t the only place where you can access help. There are a variety of organizations you can contact that can offer immediate help, depending on the severity or type of problem. From phone numbers where you can talk to someone whenever need be, to chat rooms where you can vent and ask for advice, there are a multitude of resources that you can engage with people and peers that want to help you in any way they can. The American College Health Association lists many of the organizations and informational centers you can access, a number that has aided many is the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and one of the online group chat websites is Healthfulchat.
Family and Friends
An immediate resource is to talk to your family and friends. You are never burdening the people you love if you need to talk to them regarding a problem with any aspect of your health. Your friends and family want you to be your most healthy and positive self, and will provide you any resource you need to achieve that. The people that you have chosen to be in your life are there to support you, as you would do for them if they came to you. There’s a reason you have chosen to love and respect them, and it’s because they love and respect you. When you have a problem, let them be a resource to you.
Never invalidate the way you’re feeling. If you’re struggling, ask for help. Life can get bogged down by worries and stressors that are sometimes inescapable. Your mental, physical and emotional health are important, not just to you, but for the people who care about you. Overall, know you aren’t alone and that your life is irreplaceable.