Supporting Your Well-being
During Times of Difficulty — April 10th, 2020 Edition
Dear community,
At the end of a week full of learning and adapting to change, you may be feeling a little drained. Take this weekend to recharge and celebrate yourself for any of the small victories you accomplished this week, whether that was learning to use a new feature in Zoom, making your own cloth mask, or simply getting out of bed each day and caring for yourself. This newsletter features resources and virtual events to help you feel emotionally well, socially connected, energized, healthy, and uplifted. We hope you have a relaxing, restorative weekend!
Wishing you wellness,
The Skorton Center for Health Initiatives at Cornell Health
Thrive Inside with Smiling Mind
Smiling Mind, Australia's leading free mindfulness app, has started an initiative called Thrive Inside, designed to help individuals "remain inspired, stay connected and foster good mental habits" while remaining inside their homes to slow the spread of coronavirus. It features a number of mindfulness-based resources, including tips for ensuring your basic wellness needs are met, tools tailored specifically for parents and employers, questions to guide your everyday well-being, and information from psychologists.
Zoom at Noon: Monday Chats
Join staff from the Offices of the Dean of Students, Cornell Health, and other guest panelists (hopefully including students) as we chat about how our work and lives are changing in the face of the pandemic. Send in your questions via the chat feature. Questions we hope to cover each week include: What is working for you? Where are you finding joy? This and more each Monday, starting April 13th through the beginning of May!
Use this link to join the sessions: https://cornell.zoom.us/j/971767307
Why You May Feel So Tired Working or Learning from Home
Even if you've maintained or gotten back into a regular sleep schedule, you may find that you're still feeling fatigued throughout the day. This article provides expert insight into why this massive disruption to our routines may be leaving us a bit more sluggish than usual and offers tips for boosting energy while adapting to working or learning from home.
Movement for Energy
A key part of keeping your energy up through this big change is to make daily movement a part of your routine. This can be anything from a few gentle midday stretches to a virtual HIIT class, depending on what you enjoy and what feels right for your body. Virtual fitness classes can be a wonderful way to incorporate physical activity into your day while also maintaining a sense of social community.
Cornell Fitness Centers and
Cornell Wellness are offering numerous virtual fitness classes via Zoom, as well as other virtual resources pertaining to overall wellness, mindfulness, and nutrition.
Easy No-Sew Pleated Face Mask
The CDC now recommends wearing non-medical cloth face coverings when leaving your home for essential reasons. Enjoy this easy-to-follow tutorial (in both picture and video format) on folding your own cloth mask using household items. All you need is a simple piece of fabric such as a handkerchief or bandana and elastics like hair ties or rubber bands; no sewing required!
See-Through Masks Allow Deaf and Hard of Hearing Individuals to Communicate While Staying Safe
Ashley Lawrence, a senior studying deaf and hard of hearing education at Eastern Kentucky University, is creating see-through masks so that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing can still read lips and facial cues while safely following CDC guidelines. She is also creating accessible solutions for those who wear hearing aids or cochlear implants that would make wrapping the mask loops around their ears difficult. As long as she is able, Ashley intends to supply her masks for free to those who contact her at dhhmaskproject@gmail.com.
Talk/Text Resources
If you find yourself struggling or in need of someone to talk to, know that you are not alone.
The following resources are here to support you:
Cornell Resources
- Cornell Health phone consultation (24/7): 607-255-5155
Ithaca Resources (24/7)
- Ithaca Crisisline: 800-273-8255
- Advocacy Center (sexual/domestic violence): 607-277-5000
National Talk-Lines (24/7)
- Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255
- Trevor Project hotline (LGBTQ+): 866-488-7386
- LGBT+ National Hotline: 888-843-4564
- TransLifeline: 877-565-8860
National Text/Chat Services
- National Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741
- Steve Fund crisis text line: Text STEVE to 741741 (connects you to a crisis counselor of color)
- Trevor Project text line (LGBTQ+): Text START to 678678
- National Suicide Prevention "Lifeline CHAT" service: suicidepreventionlifeline.org/chat
Get in Touch
- Contact Catherine Thrasher-Carroll, Mental Health Promotion Program Director, at ct265@cornell.edu.
- Contact Amber Pasha, Public Health Fellow, at amp336@cornell.edu.
- All Cornell students, regardless of location, can access medical and mental health services through FREE telehealth appointments with Cornell Health (appointments may be offered by video, phone, or online, depending on your location and need). Our in-person services are currently limited to pre-screened COVID-19 testing and select pharmacy services. As always, please refer to the Cornell Health website for the most up-to-date information regarding our services.
