Dear Student,

I am proud of you. I am proud you chose to get out of bed today. I am proud you showed up to school; you may have been late or only went to a few but you came. In the midst of the chaos I am proud you are simply alive. Many students are struggling with lack of a “normal” routine and/or have an unstable home environment. These situations affect your mental health. Anxiety and depression are real and they are on the rise.  Your mental wellness is crucial during this time. Yes, I know one more thing to add to your plate and how can you think about your mental health when you are trying to just navigate Canvas, complete multiple assignments and stay afloat?! I am not going to lie to you, it is not easy, it takes time and is a challenge but just as everything, the more you practice the easier it is. You are worthy of mental health support. I think about it like this-“Self love says, “I love you.” Self care says, “prove it.” I can go on and on about healthy coping strategies vs maladaptive strategies. However, let’s start the beginning. Just as it starting to be the norm to check body temperatures, make it the norm to check your own mental health temperature. For example using a number scale 1-10, 1 being the absolute worst, I need to check in with someone ASAP gradually increasing to 10 being completely amazing, where do you fall? Check in with yourself everyday and label your emotions so you can get a better grasp of where you are at and what support you need. If you don’t feel you have someone you can talk to, there are so many great supports on campus that will. For starters, your counselor, support staff like Mrs. Pacheco, Mr. Ogilvie, Ms. Banke, etc. Reach out, let us help you because remember, you are worthy and your mental health matters!

Sincerely,

A Counselor