Mental Health & Self Care |
By: Let’s Go Team
An important factor in mental health is knowing what help you need and where you can find it. During this time of uncertainty, you might find yourself anxious, overwhelmed, and/or discouraged. They are all valid feelings. If these feelings continue for a long period of time, you might find some security in taking an online mental health assessment. By taking a mental health screening/ assessment, you are opening yourself to resources and support that will help you throughout your college career and after.
Mental health screenings are short quizzes that tally up your score and give you a quick analysis of what you might be feeling and if they are symptoms of a mental health condition. Below are some sites that do free online screenings:
- Mental Health America: features online mental screening tests in English and Spanish regarding anxiety, depression, postpartum depression, psychosis, eating disorders, and PTSD.
- American Mental Wellness: a hub of different screening tests where you can take multiple screenings from different medical sites regarding depression, anxiety, addiction, eating disorders, abuse/dating violence/ domestic violence, and more.
Once you complete the screenings, both sites provide information regarding where to find resources corresponding to your results. Whether you find out you have symptoms of a condition or not, therapy is something students, especially first-generation students can partake in and take advantage of.
- CCC Health & Wellness Program: contains mental health resources for students attending community college, all across California, includes different articles, podcasts, and programs all accessible to students attending a CC
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- Your College’s Wellness Center: Your college possibly offers mental health services at your Student Health/Wellness Center. Some colleges offer up to three sessions. Take advantage of them, their services are included in the tuition and fees you already pay for!
There are several resources out there to support your needs and you are worthy of all of them! Any step you take towards the betterment of your mental health is a big win for yourself, your mind and body, and those who care for you. We are ready to support you.
Mental Health & Self Care |
By: Let’s Go
The holiday season is upon us! While this can be a time of celebration with family and friends, this can also be a stressful time for college students and their families. A lot of money and time goes into these celebrations that not everyone has the means for. In addition, for vulnerable students like low-income, houseless, and queer students this can be a time of stress and uncertainty.
However, in times like these, we can depend on community and mutual aid because we have each other’s back. Below we have listed different resources college students and their families can hopefully benefit from.
Food Banks: Offers free food such as non-perishables, fruits, and vegetables.
Find a Food Bank
California Food Banks
Shelters: If you are seeking emergency shelter or a safe place to stay during the holiday/ winter season, here is CA’s shelter directory:
Emergency and Homeless Shelters – United Way 211
California Homeless Shelters – California
COVENANT HOUSE CALIFORNIA – Serving homeless youth in Los Angeles County and the San Francisco Bay area
Queer Resources: For some queer students, college is the perfect escape to find and embrace who they are without the fear of rejection. This can sometimes make going back home difficult. Below are LGBTQ resources like CSU centers, self-care guide, and county and statewide resources you can access.
LGBTQIA Centers | CSU
County Resources
Statewide Resources
Holiday Gifts- Have a young child in your life? Here are some centers and organizations that host toy drives:
Get FREE Christmas Gifts & Food In California!
Free Christmas and holiday assistance Los Angeles County
Mental Health & Self Care |
By
MONICA AGUILERA
Boba-drinking, Zelda-playing, Horror-watching brown girl from Oaxacalifornia.
A lot of our daily routines have halted like driving to work or school, meeting up with friends, and working out. While some of these are still not yet safe to do, there are ways to shift these activities into our new reality. Gyms will most likely be one of the last public spaces in California to open but we have gathered some tips for you to stay fit at home!
Tips:
- Youtube workouts: There’s plenty of workout videos on Youtube that you can follow along to. Try searching for what fits your environment! For example workouts in small spaces, backyard workouts, low impact workouts, no equipment workout, etc.
- Outdoor Workouts: While gyms are not open, outdoor activities are still open for you to safely participate in. This includes going for a walk, running, hiking at your local trails. Just make sure to follow the CDC guidelines of staying 6 feet away from others and wearing a mask. Find your local open state park here: State Parks COVID-19 Resource Center
- Working out with others: Feeling lonely? Don´t feel too down, you can still work out with others without having to leave your home. Set up a time for you and your friends to work out together via facetime, zoom, etc. Follow an online video or influencer, or switch it up and have someone in your group lead!
- Daily routine: Little activities like dancing, cleaning, taking your pet for a walk all count as a fitness activity, add fitness into your daily routine and you’ll forget you’re even working out.
Staying fit is not only good for your body but your mental health as well. It allows you to destress and get away from the overwhelming amount of news that is currently happening. But at the same time, we also understand that what’s going on in the world might make it difficult to do things like getting up and being active. Remember to be patient with yourself, you are doing the best you can. Taking a break and just staying in bed, is taking care of yourself and your body just as much.
