College is stressful. We as students are constantly bombarded with stigma from every area, and it can be overwhelming whether you're living with a mental illness or not. As a college student myself who lives with anxiety and depression, I thought I'd pass along a short list of stress/crisis management tools I use and find extremely helpful. I hope you find them as useful and grounding as I do!
1. A worksheet for cognitive restructuring.
It helps with working through unhelpful thoughts, and leads to a place where you can deconstruct why something isn’t worth worrying about.
2. A cute comic that has Winnie the Pooh in it.
It has brief reminders about self-care, and cute pictures. It makes me happy to look at, and I hope it does the same for you!
http://blogs.disney.com/oh-my-disney/2014/07/10/11-steps-to-a-better-you-by-winnie-the-pooh/?cmp=SMC%7Cblgomd%7COMDNovember%7CFB%7Cbetteryou-WTP%7CInHouse%7C110214%7Crepost%7C%7Cesocialmedia%7C%7C%7C
3. A poem entitled, “You are not a mess.”
To remind yourself that you don’t have to have it all together all the time. And just because you may not at any point it time, it DOES NOT make you a mess, or any less of not only a person, but a good person.
4. This Interactive Flowchart
****THIS ONE IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND AMAZINGLY HELPFUL****. It’s an interactive flowchart that is ESPECIALLY HELPFUL during panic/anxiety attacks. It works with you through your attack and is full of helpful tips, methods, etc. It’s also great for whenever you’re feeling stressed, down, alone, or helpless in any way. Please utilize this, it is absolutely fantastic.
http://philome.la/jace_harr/you-feel-like-shit-an-interactive-self-care-guide/play
Lastly, please remember that you are more than your stress, more than your mental illness, more than your grades, and more than your failures. You are worth the time it takes to be your best self. Never forget that.
Love, Marlena <3
