Your Mental Health Matters
October 2022
A Note From CSW's Assistant Director, Mental Health & Wellness
Hi! My name is Cassidy Gallegos, and I am so grateful that you are here and reading this introduction to our new mental health campaign! Here at CSW, we acknowledge and believe that mental health is health, and we are committed to ensuring that all students have access to adequate mental health education and resources. We have many initiatives planned to engage you in important discussions about how we can better take care of ourselves and our peers. This month's newsletter is dedicated to exactly that!
It is my hope that this newsletter allows you time to reflect on your own journey with mental health and sparks curiosity about what our new mental health campaign is all about. I'm so passionate about empowering each student to know this to be true: your mental health matters. We have to care for our mind, body, and soul! We can't begin to address and deal with some of the challenges we're facing if we're not able to openly discuss them. We need to connect with people who can honor our vulnerability and meet it with compassion and empathy. We can't get rid of the uncomfortable emotions by avoiding them; we have to learn how to move through them. And we all deserve to know, to believe, that we will move through them. So let's talk about it!
Recognize When You Need Help
Sometimes when we talk about mental health, we forget to address the fact that it exists on a continuum. We don't hear enough that it is normal to experience dips in our mental health, and that we are not supposed to handle it alone.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts, there are things that you can do: 1) look around for someone to talk to. If you're in crisis, or reach the national suicide & crisis lifeline by calling or texting '988'; 2) say that you need help; 3) find a safe or comforting spot with someone and stay there, 4) explain what is happening and the urgency. For more, make sure to stop by the "Let's Talk About It" booth at Fresh Check Day on October 27th.
TRY THIS: Choose one of the grounding exercises from the following list to try. [Hint: these exercises (or “nervous system reset” techniques) are most helpful when you build them into your regular routine.] Try one or a few each day, and do them when you don’t need them - this will make it easier for you to implement the practices when you do need them.
Take Care Of Yourself
To take intentional care of yourself is to invest in things that fill your cup. This investment could keep you grounded, calm you down, wake you up, bring you joy, or keep you steady during challenging times.
Consider: what are the things that you're already doing to take care of yourself? How can you continue doing these things when life gets challenging?
TRY THIS: Read through this list of self-care activities. Pick two activities that you have found useful in the past. This week, commit to engaging in these self-care activities at least once.
If You're Concerned About A Friend
It can be hard to talk to a friend about their mental health. Remember: it is not your job to "fix it". There are resources on- and off-campus that you can lean on for support.
Here are some things to keep in mind when you have a hard conversation with a friend: 1) if you're expressing concern, point out specific changes you've noticed using "I" statements ("I've noticed that...", "I'm worried about...", "I feel like..."; 2) Make it clear that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness; 3) If you have immediate concerns for this person's safety or wellbeing, you can contact University Counseling Services at 617-552-3310, or walk them to Gasson 001 during business hours. You can also call or text '988' to speak with a trained crisis counselor who can help walk you through what to do. You're never alone in this, please reach out for help
TRY THIS: For 3-5 minutes, talk about a topic you really love, starting every sentence with an "I" statement. You can do this with a friend, partner, family member or in front of a mirror. Starting a sentence with ‘I’ helps us talk about difficult feelings, say how the problem is affecting us and stops other people feeling blamed.
Resources
Announcements
Fresh Check Day: A Mental Health Awareness Event
Join us on Thursday, 10/27 from 11am-1pm for an uplifting mental health promotion and suicide prevention event that emphasizes the importance of mental health and builds a bridge to the resources available for support.
Enjoy peer-run booths, free food, live music, and exciting giveaways.
Wellness Kits
Stop by Gasson 013 or 025 at any time during the work day for a free wellness kit that contains wellness tips, sleep mask, silly putty, stress ball, tea and more.
KORU Mindfulness Groups
Koru Mindfulness is the only evidence-based mindfulness
curriculum designed for college-aged adults. Throughout the four week curriculum, students will learn practical skills that help them manage stress and open their minds. Each Koru session consists of four, 75-minute sessions. Register at the links below!
The first session is on Tuesdays, 10/25-11/15 from 3:30pm-4:45pm.
The next session is remote on Wednesdays, 10/26-11/16 from 9:15am-10:30am.
QPR Suicide Prevention Training
QPR is a 1.5 hour evidence-based suicide prevention training developed by the QPR Institute. QPR teaches how to recognize the warning signs of a suicide crisis and to follow the 3 simple steps of QPR - question, persuade, and refer. QPR helps save lives, and you can be part of this important movement to reduce stigma and offer hope to those in crisis.
Visit our office to stay up to date with when training workshops will be available to all members of the BC community. If you are curious or want to learn more, reach out to Cassidy Gallegos at gallegoc@bc.edu or 617-552-6973.
LGBTQ+ Support
Check out some of the programming for LGBTQ+ support through the Dean of Students Office.
PRISM: A weekly casual discussion and support group for all LGBTQ+ students on Tuesdays at 5pm in Maloney 445.
QBIPOC: A weekly group for queer Black, Indigenous, and people of color on Mondays at 6pm in Maloney 445.
Transcend: A group for trans, nonbinary, gender, agender, and genderfluid students. Day and time TBD.
Rooted: A CSW Podcast
Did you know that CSW has a podcast?
Rooted documents the wisdom of community leaders who foster an integrative and inclusive understanding of wellness. Podcast guests include Meghan Sweeney, Belle Liang, Tim Klein, Rev. James Hairston and many more!
Rooted season 2 is premiering this fall!
Grads AND Undergrads: Schedule a meeting with a peer wellness coach!
Schedule a meeting with a peer wellness coach to learn more about how you can take better care of your mind, body, and soul this semester and beyond.
If you're a grad student, make sure to sign up for Graduate BeWell sessions to be paired with a graduate student wellness coach.
Not Sure Where To Start?
If you've ever considered wellness coaching, but you're not quite sure where to start, take a look through our website or take one of our three wellness screenings to identify your wellness strength and growth areas.
University Counseling Services (UCS)
University Counseling Services (UCS) offers students a variety of mental health services to help BC students address and understand a wide spectrum of concerns. These services – free to all BC students – include: individual counseling and psychotherapy, psychiatric consultation, group counseling, online resources and more. Visit UCS’ website to learn about additional support available and information about setting up an appointment.
Download WellTrack to access evidence-based tools that can help you make progress in changing thoughts and behaviors that are not working for you.
