Mental Health & Well-Being
At Watertown High School, students have access to their school counselor, the school adjustment counselors, the school social worker, the PUSH counselor, and the school psychologist. Students are encouraged to seek out their school counselor for support and resources. WHS continues to grow our Social Emotional Learning programming through classroom lessons and Advisory. For local and national mental health resources, click here. In addition, we hope these electronic resources will provide students with extra tools for their mental health "toolkit".
Mindfulness
What is mindfulness? According to Mindful,"Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us." There are many ways to practice mindfulness - breathing exercises, yoga, mindful eating, and journaling are just a few.
There are lots of apps, many free, that can help practice mindfulness, guided breathing, and more. Try Calm or Breathe2Relax. Also, try Flow Free for a fun game that keeps you focused. Check out Calm’s blog post with lots of free meditations and guided mindfulness activities.
Yoga
Yoga encourages us to practice meditation, breathing, and healing movements. Many people use yoga as a tool for managing stress or anxiety. Yoga with Adriene has an extensive collection of free yoga videos on YouTube. Whether you are looking for a meditation to ease anxiety, yoga to wake you up, or yoga to help you deal with uncertain times, you will find something that allows you pause, reflect, and breathe.
Journaling
Journaling can be a great way to work through your thoughts and anxious feelings. It can help us get rid of negative thoughts, problem solve, and even relieve stress. Take a look at these journal prompts for some inspiration.
If you aren't into journaling, maybe try a coloring a mandala. Take some time away from screens and focus on creating something beautiful.
Breathing Exercises
Sometimes just a short breathing exercise can help us calm anxiety, reduce stress, or temporarily remove negative thoughts.
Breathing exercises not quite your thing? Try one of these suggestions instead.
Mindful Eating Exercise: Take a food that you enjoy - something small (we often use Starbursts at WHS, others use raisins or M&M's). Look at the item - what color is it? What shape is it? How does it feel? How does it smell? Place it in your mouth and hold it there for 10 seconds. What is the texture? How does it taste? Chew it and pay attention to how the shape changes and how you feel as you eat it.
Hold a Piece of Ice: Hold a piece of ice in your hand. Because ice is a bit of a shock to the senses, it can draw your focus away from the current stressor (at least temporarily). Focus on how it melts in your hand - what does it feel like? How does the temperature change? How does the shape change?
Managing Stress
Mindfulness exercises, yoga, journaling, and breathing exercises can all help us manage stress. Take a look at this list of other strategies, developed by the WHS counseling team or check out this personalizable plan for managing stress from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Additional Mental Health Resources
For additional resources click here.
National Hotlines
988 - People can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support.
The Trevor Project - 1-866-488-7386: The Trevor Project provides a 24/7 hotline for LGBTQ youth who are in crisis. Their website also offers a number of resources for students who may be struggling, in need of support, or looking to offer support to others.
LoveIsRespect - 1-866-331-9474: LoveisRespect is a nationwide hotline for teens to gain information, support, and resources about healthy teen relationships. Their hotline provides peer assistance for teens who may be in unhealthy or abusive relationships as well.
Local Resources
If there is an emergency, call 911.
If you already have a physician or therapist, contacting them for referrals and resources can be a good step.
Wayside Youth and Family Services offers counseling services. To learn about their services, call 781-891-0555.
Watertown's Social Services Resource Specialist (SSRS) can be reached at 617-744-9585. Leave a message and you will get a response within 48 hours. The SSRS provides Watertown residents ages 18-59 and their families a central place to access social service resources including fuel, food, housing assistance, counseling, information and referrals. Services are available over the phone or in-person by appointment.
The Watertown Public Library has developed a COVID-19 Resource Guide with information about local food assistance, health and safety resources, and more.
Wellness Wednesday
During the 2020 school closure, the WHS counselors put together weekly newsletters with wellness tips for students. Take a peek at some of the newsletters for additional self-care inspiration.