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A thread of some things that have helped me and others when we were students dealing with mental health issues 
(Please note that I am a simple journalist, not a therapist or a doctor)
A little about my mental health journey: I have had depression for as long as I can remember, but got diagnosed at 17. Since then I’ve also been diagnosed with anxiety and adhd. The last two weren’t diagnosed until after college, so I struggled a lot (especially jr/sr year)
I have not lived through a pandemic, but I’ve found school to be draining to the point that I was failing classes because it was too hard to do the work. Here are some simple things I learned from that:
1 - tell your teachers that you’re struggling. Some of them will be strict, but lots of them will help with deadline extensions, cutting assignments, etc. but if you don’t tell anyone anything, they won’t be able to help.
2 - set small goals, and don’t beat yourself up about them. This applies to school and general care of yourself. It’s a lot easier to wash your face if you’re struggling to shower. It’s easier to read one chapter than two
3 - have things to cook that are easy. When I get stressed my eating pattern gets messed up, but I can force myself to eat a bowl of cereal or oatmeal so I don’t order takeout and then feel bad. Same w snacks; if you’re looking for healthier stuff buy pre-cut veggies
4 - have a visual reminder to be easy on yourself. I have one taped to my mirror that says “My needs are valid.” It has been a nice when I feel like I’m being too needy
5 - If you have people you trust, check in on each other. Learn the others love language & give them that. Make sure they’re caring for themself. I still remember @thepattymatos texting me sr year to come eat dinner bc she hadn’t heard from me in a while, bc it got me out of bed.
Caveat to that 
: if you’re feeling a lot of feelings and talking about them constantly, it may be a sign you need a professional listener (a therapist)
: if you’re feeling a lot of feelings and talking about them constantly, it may be a sign you need a professional listener (a therapist)
6 - some people are always like EXERCISE and yes it’s good but unrealistic sometimes. But stretching, doing short yoga sequences, walking out to get the mail, etc. still gets you moving! I like this lady for yoga: https://www.youtube.com/c/yogawithadriene
7 - figure out how you meditate. I can’t sit still for shit, but I can listen to an album or a song and follow the lyrics really closely. Some people do art (I go to art therapy actually!). Other people journal. But give yourself space to breathe.
8 - one of the biggest reasons I get out of bed is my cat, bc he needs to be fed super early. If you don’t have a pet, I think having a small, important task that leads to you getting out of bed is great. Make coffee, do a crossword on your phone, grab a granola bar, etc.
9 - grounding exercises are essential when you’re panicked or dissociating. When I feel panic coming on, I list facts: my name, my age, where I am, what I’m doing. Another one is tightening your muscles and releasing, starting at your feet and working up the body.
10 - if you feel like this isn’t something you can do alone, find someone. Don’t ~love~ the national suicide hotline bc I had a bad situation with them, but there are some local numbers I’ll try to link. I also like this therapist who makes YouTube vids: https://www.youtube.com/c/Katimorton
11 - don’t stop taking your meds at a scheduled time, even ones like birth control, allergy meds, etc because you don’t want to throw off your hormones
That’s the end of my advice, but here are some resources from others:
Set strict cutoff times for finishing school each day
This is a resource from the school of medicine, idk how much is for public use but I thought I’d share:
All UNC-tied mental health resources: http://mindovermatter.web.unc.edu
Covenant Scholars: you have access to outside therapy
More educational vids: https://m.youtube.com/c/PsychHubEducation/videos
I’ll also list some local resources like places that do sliding scale therapy, places that are lgbtq friendly, etc as I find them!
A great article that includes crisis hotlines that won’t involve the local police department, by a student journalist at Cornell: https://twitter.com/kamistamara/status/1296277017340641282?s=21 https://twitter.com/kamistamara/status/1296277017340641282
Another thing I just thought of: in the coming weeks, any of y’all who are outspoken may be approached by journos. Don’t feel pressured to share ur story if you aren’t ready. It is important to take care of yourself and make sure you’re processing the trauma. You own your story.
Good morning! As this circulates, feel free to reply with your own tips and I’ll add to the thread!
