October 10 marks the World Health Organization’s World Mental Health Day, a day aimed at raising awareness of mental health issues around the world. If ever there was a year to commemorate World Mental Health Day, it is 2020.
The state of the world, including the realities of a global pandemic, can be unsettling and cause a sense of loss of control. It is completely normal to feel stressed, sad, confused, scared, and/or worried.
The mental wellbeing of our students is one of our top priorities. For that reason, we were pleased to have been able to launch our Introduction to Personal Health and Wellbeing course this fall. This course, which provides a broad introduction to the principals of personal health and wellbeing with an emphasis on student health, is required as part of our Kinesiology program, but can also be taken as an elective by students in other programs.
We also previously shared some tips for taking care of your mental health. These were:
- limit the time you spend on social media or consuming news stories – and seek credible information (there is a LOT of misinformation being circulated. Fact checking is important)
- eat healthy foods
- stay active
- get enough sleep
- reach out to friends and family through video chats, or phone calls (this can be beneficial to your mental health – and theirs!)
- practice relaxation, mindfulness or meditation
- be kind to yourself
Sometimes even the best self care practice doesn’t feel like enough. In those circumstances, we encourage you to reach out. Current College of the Rockies students have access to book virtual appointments with our Counselling and Wellness team. We also have compiled a list of other resources on our website – for both students and community members.
Having access to trained professionals when they are needed is so important. If helping others with their mental health and wellness is important to you, we have a few programs that might be of interest, including:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing
- Health Care Assistant
- Human Service Worker
- Practical Nurse
- Social Work Pre-Major
This World Mental Health Day, we hope you take some time to do something that sparks joy in your life, and which connects you with others (safely), with nature, or both.
Take care and be well.