Social/Emotional Support Strategies

Hello! Here you will find different resources that you can use on your own to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety, sadness, intrusive thoughts, etc. We are sharing links to podcasts, guided meditations, apps, breathing strategies, information on emotional intelligence, gratitude and of course, cute and funny dog and cat videos!

The links that are shared are those that have been recommended to us from students, parents, other counselors and through our own use. Please know that not all strategies work for all people. Often times, as you develop a set of coping skills, you have to try a few things before you find strategies that work for you.

If you find other skills that work for you, please share them with us!


***Note - due to the enormous amount of resources we are sharing, we have not had time to properly review all. However we did try to select resources from reputable sources such as Positive Psychology and Mindful.org, but we are not responsible for all of their content***

PODCASTS - For some people, podcasts are a great way to relax, learn something new, and take the focus away from anxious thoughts. For others, not so much. Do what you like. And if you start one and you really don’t like, try another.

5 Podcasts That Help With My Anxiety

    • Podcasts for mindfulness and meditation, TED Radio Hour, Soul Music (great one, if you like music and the inspiration behind music), and a personal favorite, The Hilarious World of Depression

12 Podcasts To Help Anxiety & Depression Whether You Want To Laugh, Cry, Or Find A Way To Unwind

    • Podcasts for mental health and wellness and its ups and downs, overcoming those mental health challenges, making sense of the stuff going on inside our brains and another favorite entitled, “Terrible, Thanks for Asking” which is understanding why, when people ask how you are — you always say fine. Even if you feel completely awful, just so people can feel comfortable and get on with their day.

Feeling Anxious Or Worried? Listen To These 8 Podcasts

    • Check out The Overwhelmed Brain, The One You Feed, and 10% Happier!

The 5 best podcasts to listen to when loneliness hits

    • Oh...loneliness. And you don’t have to be physically alone to feel alone.

    • Definitely check out the Reggie Yates podcast.

GUIDED MEDITATIONS - Whether you’re in need of a better night’s sleep, a chance to practice gratitude, or simply a reminder to take a deep breath, here are our most popular guided meditations from 2018 (and they don’t expire, so it’s ok if they are from 2018). Remember, meditation and mindfulness are not for everyone. Do what you like; what works for you.

APPS - In recent years, there’s been a proliferation of mental health apps available to smartphone users. These reasonably-priced, or most often free, mental health apps offer a wealth of resources that make therapeutic techniques more accessible, portable, and cost-effective. While the vast majority of these apps do not have peer-reviewed research to support their claims, health experts predict they will play an important role in the future of mental health care by providing innovative solutions for the self-management of mental health wellness.

SELF-REGULATION BREATHING - Studies have shown that focused, diaphragmatic breathing can be correlated with reduced heart rate and overall arousal levels. And while it may seem like an abstract or difficult concept to understand, it’s actually amazing how easily we pick up on breathing techniques. Often, adding a visual prompt or a visualization component to a breathing exercise can be helpful as well. The main thing to know is that when we are upset, the oxygen in our brains is pulled to our extremities (adrenaline) as our brain and body prepares for fight/flight/freeze mode. Breathing moves the oxygen back to our brains so we are able to make rational decisions and calm our minds.

EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE - Intelligence comes in many forms. In this talk, Maximilian Park discusses his experience with emotional intelligence, the change it has affected in his life, and the impact it could have on students around the country.

Read the book Stuff That Sucks (I have extra copies, if you would like one)

GRATITUDE - Positive Psychology has recently been discussing the power of gratitude from a variety of angles. We hope these videos will help encourage you to consider practicing gratitude. Gratitude is continually proven to be an effective strategy in promoting our mental wellness, decreasing anxiety, depression and stress, and helps us connect to the world.

The 34 Best TED Talks And Videos on The Power of Gratitude

    • These are the 13 best TED Talks on gratitude, the 16 best YouTube videos on gratitude and a short selection of videos for students.

Reminders for Hard Days.pdf