Additional Resources and Coping Skills

For Students & Families :

Protect Your Mental Health

• Take care of your body and mind. Stick to a schedule, eat well, stay physically active, get quality sleep, stay hydrated, and spend time outside.

• Invest in healthy relationships. Socializing is a powerful buffer to stress and a source of well-being. Spend time with others regularly, in-person and virtually.

• Be intentional about your use of social media, video games, and other technologies. Ask yourself: How much time am I spending online? Is it taking away from healthy offline activities, like exercising, seeing friends, reading, or sleeping? What content do I see, and how does it make me feel?

• Learn to manage stress and other difficult emotions. Try to recognize situations that may be emotionally challenging and come up with strategies to manage those emotions.

• Ask for help. Find someone you trust to talk to about stressful situations. If you are struggling to manage negative emotions, reach out to a health care provider, counselor, or person you trust.

• Call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 if you or someone you know is in crisis.

• Get help finding substance use and mental health treatment in your area. Call the free National Helpline 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or visit www.FindTreatment.gov

Links

• Care and Connection: Loneliness Affects All Ages

• Q&A with Dr. Steve Cole on Loneliness

• Building Social Bonds: Connections That Promote Well-Being

• Do Social Ties Affect Our Health? Exploring the Biology of Relationships

• Participating in Activities You Enjoy

• Is Social Media Making Us Lonelier?

• Caring for Your Mental Health

• Stay Connected to Combat Loneliness and Social Isolation

• Online Health Information: Is It Reliable?

• Finding and Evaluating Online Resources

• Mental Health and Relationships

• Adolescent Health

• Protecting Youth Mental Health