Mental Health Resources
Compiled by your OC Counseling Department
A Note to the OC Community
As we are continuing the stay-at-home orders given to us, we find at times, that being at home can cause us to feel stressed for a number of reasons. Therefore, we decided to create a newsletter to allow you to gain access to various resources to assist in helping you release your stress in positive ways! We hope this will help you. Should you need to, you can always reach out to us. Stay safe!!
STUDENT RESOURCES
8 Strategies for Staying Healthy During Quarantine
Starting a Mental Health Journal
https://www.thepositiveauthor.com/journaling-techniques-for-mental-health-10-prompts/
Bingo for Calm & Connection
Play a game of bingo w/friends to see who wins!
Stress relief coloring pages to help you unwind and relax instantly
Here's some art therapy for those of you who like to doodle/color to unwind!
5 Breathing Exercises for Beginners
https://www.takingcareofyou.co.uk/5-breathing-exercises-to-help-reduce/
PARENT RESOURCES
Parent/Caregiver Guide to Helping Families Cope w/Coronavirus
How to Deal with Stress: 33 Tips That Work
Here's a great article on things you can do to reduce your stress level.
10 Ways To Help A Depressed Teen
https://www.westchesterhealth.com/blog/10-ways-to-help-a-depressed-teen/
TEACHER RESOURCES
Practice Good Mental Habits
Avoid Guilt
Try not to feel bad about experiencing negative emotions. When you allow yourself to notice your feelings without judging them as good or bad, you dial down the stress and feel more in control. When you feel less stressed, you’re better able to thoughtfully choose how to act.
Notice The Positive
When you take the time to notice positive moments in your day, your experience of that day becomes better. Try writing down one thing each day or week that was good. Even if the positive thing is tiny (“It was a sunny day”), it’s real, it counts and it can start to change your experience of life. Start a gratitude journal. We're great at telling others to do this but we really should reap the benefits as well.
Gather Strength From Others
Talking about your experiences with other professional school counselors can help. The idea that you can, or should be able to, “solve” things by yourself is false. Often the people who seem like they know how to do everything are actually frequently asking for help; being willing to accept help is a great life skill. If you’re having trouble managing your day, know that you are not alone. You may feel you don’t have the time to stay in touch with friends or grow a new relationship.
Focus on the long-term.
Meet up with a friend via a phone call or do a socially distanced "drive by". This helps keep you connected.
On a recent webinar, Dr. Bruce Perry discussed the fact that educators are having a much harder time "letting work stay at work" during this time of distance learning. We don't have the drive home time to decompress and to be alone with our thoughts. He spoke of the difficulty that we are having, as a society, because we miss basic social interaction. We must take the time to think "out of the box" in order to connect with others and maintain a sense of normalcy.
"The most powerful buffer in times of stress and distress is our social connectedness; so let's all remember to stay physically distant but emotionally close. Reach out and connect; even a short text or a smiling fcae on Zoom can help. Regulate, Relate, Reason" - @BDPerry (3/17/20)
Reduce Student Anxiety (and Your Own) During Uncertain Times
Tips and resources for news literacy, media balance, and healthy communication.
Mindful Meditation Exercises
https://mindfulnessforteens.com/guided-meditations/
https://www.mindful.org/a-mindful-breath-counting-practice-for-teens-and-tweens/
50 Self-Care Ideas for Stressed Out Teachers
https://www.upperelementarysnapshots.com/2019/04/50-self-care-tips-for-stressed-out.html