Our once vibrant campus that bustled with activity now rests in the quiet stillness that pervades many colleges across the nation. There is no denying the effects that the pandemic has had on our lives. Yet, there is little attention on the invisible toll that has been taken; the mental health of our friends, coworkers, students, and communities. Denise Walker, Counselor and Director of Student Services at Northeast State, sat down to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened stress, anxiety, and depression and provided tips about how we can maintain optimal mental health during such uncertain times.
“Anxiety is the number one issue that college students report…Coming to college itself is stressful – the change, adapting to it, and maybe you’re working,” Walker stated. However, “we’re all kind of impacted. We try to have Zoom meetings, but people from home might feel disconnected.” Denise explained that “anxiety is worrying about the future and depression is looking back. It’s just there’s a mental lack of concentration, can’t focus, lack of motivation.” It also appears as “negative thoughts…somebody knows I shouldn’t worry or knows I shouldn’t feel hopeless, but it’s so ingrained. It’s hard to overcome that.”
Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, or depression, Counseling Services is available to assist online, on the phone, or in-person. You can “just drop in and talk sometimes. If you’re having a bad day, you can talk about it….You don’t have to have a serious problem, you can just talk to somebody. That’s what we’re here for.” Walker also recommends checking in with people we may be concerned about through texting and calling. “We have to be intentional,” she stated, “we have to work harder at it….you have to do more to stay connected, to check in. I think people have to make that intention that they’re going to reach out to people.”
When you’re working or studying from home, Denise reminds us that “it’s all about the intention. I’m going to do this. I’m going to reach out. I’m going to take care of my mental well-being and my physical well-being. It’s all about intention.” If you enjoy exercising, “YouTube has a wealth of information about different exercises for different people and what they need. Just taking 10-minute walks around campus or 10 minutes walks around your house. Some people love yoga. Tai Chi breathing really can make a difference.”
As well, Denise recommends writing for 15 minutes a day. “Just set aside 15 minute a day, that’s all. You don’t have to write all day. If a thought comes to your head, you can say ‘I’m not going to think about that right now. I’ll write about that tomorrow.’ So instead of those thoughts dwelling, you’re not letting them take over.”
We should also live with gratitude. Walker tells students to list three things every day for which you are grateful. It can be “something you saw or something that happened. We focus on the negative and we really have to work to focus on the positive.”
Her last piece of advice? Be pro-social. Studies have “found that when we do something for someone else, that helps us. So in what ways can we do random acts of kindness? What can we do right now to make sure we are helping another person in some way? Donate something, drop something off, write a card to somebody, but do something for somebody else and that helps us and I’m sure it will help the person that’s receiving it, too.”
For more information about counseling resources available or to contact Denise Walker, visit Counseling Services https://www.northeaststate.edu/Campus-Resources/Counseling-Services/
Our once vibrant campus that bustled with activity now rests in the quiet stillness that pervades many colleges across the nation. There is no denying the effects that the pandemic has had on our lives. Yet, there is little attention on the invisible toll that has been taken; the mental health of our friends, coworkers, students, and communities. Denise Walker, Counselor and Director of Student Services at Northeast State, sat down to discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has heightened stress, anxiety, and depression and provided tips about how we can maintain optimal mental health during such uncertain times.
“Anxiety is the number one issue that college students report…Coming to college itself is stressful – the change, adapting to it, and maybe you’re working,” Walker stated. However, “we’re all kind of impacted. We try to have Zoom meetings, but people from home might feel disconnected.” Denise explained that “anxiety is worrying about the future and depression is looking back. It’s just there’s a mental lack of concentration, can’t focus, lack of motivation.” It also appears as “negative thoughts…somebody knows I shouldn’t worry or knows I shouldn’t feel hopeless, but it’s so ingrained. It’s hard to overcome that.”
Whether you’re dealing with stress, anxiety, or depression, Counseling Services is available to assist online, on the phone, or in-person. You can “just drop in and talk sometimes. If you’re having a bad day, you can talk about it….You don’t have to have a serious problem, you can just talk to somebody. That’s what we’re here for.” Walker also recommends checking in with people we may be concerned about through texting and calling. “We have to be intentional,” she stated, “we have to work harder at it….you have to do more to stay connected, to check in. I think people have to make that intention that they’re going to reach out to people.”
When you’re working or studying from home, Denise reminds us that “it’s all about the intention. I’m going to do this. I’m going to reach out. I’m going to take care of my mental well-being and my physical well-being. It’s all about intention.” If you enjoy exercising, “YouTube has a wealth of information about different exercises for different people and what they need. Just taking 10-minute walks around campus or 10 minutes walks around your house. Some people love yoga. Tai Chi breathing really can make a difference.”
As well, Denise recommends writing for 15 minutes a day. “Just set aside 15 minute a day, that’s all. You don’t have to write all day. If a thought comes to your head, you can say ‘I’m not going to think about that right now. I’ll write about that tomorrow.’ So instead of those thoughts dwelling, you’re not letting them take over.”
We should also live with gratitude. Walker tells students to list three things every day for which you are grateful. It can be “something you saw or something that happened. We focus on the negative and we really have to work to focus on the positive.”
Her last piece of advice? Be pro-social. Studies have “found that when we do something for someone else, that helps us. So in what ways can we do random acts of kindness? What can we do right now to make sure we are helping another person in some way? Donate something, drop something off, write a card to somebody, but do something for somebody else and that helps us and I’m sure it will help the person that’s receiving it, too.”
For more information about counseling resources available or to contact Denise Walker, visit Counseling Services https://www.northeaststate.edu/Campus-Resources/Counseling-Services/
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