Hi,. I'm here today to talk to you about ways you can care for your emotional health during this time. Number one: know your available resources. Student Counseling Services, along with Health Services, Disability Support, Case Management, and all other departments in Student Affairs, are still available for you. We're just providing services in a different way. Student Counseling Services is open during regular business hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. We ask that students with emergent needs contact our office for a phone assessment and screening, prior to coming in.  

we're located on the first floor of Rice Hall. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or crisis, we ask that you call university police by dialing 911, or go to the emergency room nearest you. For Florence students, that would be Shoals ER. For students with non-emergent needs, or those who receiving ongoing counseling, counselors are still available to you via phone consultations.. We encourage you to check the university's web page for ongoing service updates for COVID-19, as changes are occuring day by day, minute by minute. Student Counseling Services, along with all other departments, will be updating you on their individual pages. So, check our page out at una.edu/counseling Also, follow us on instagram and twitter for updates, mental health resources, and community services.  Number two: take care of your emotional health. It is natural to feel stress, anxiety, grief, and worry during a time such as this. 

So, we are asking you to take care of your emotional health by engaging in daily self-care. So, let's eat! Try to heat healthy, well-balanced meals while drinking plenty of water. Let's move! Whether it's going outside, running to your mailbox, organizing your closet, or going for a run, move your body while maintaining a social distance from other people. Remember: movemement doesn't have to be exercise. Let's sleep! Establish a sleep routine with awake, and bed time. Aim for eight hours per night, and try not to nap all day. Let's connect! Stay connected by sharing your thoughts, feelings, and concerns with someone that you trust. Check in with at least one person every single day. Whether that be through text, video, media, or in person, again, at a safe social distance. Let's relax! Take breaks from tele work and do something that's decompressing. Set some time for you to unwind, try deep breathing, praying, meditating, journalism, watching  the sun set, playing with an animal, playing a board game, or watering a plant. Self-care options are endless. It is so important that we take care of our emotional health by eating, moving, sleeping, relaxing, and connecting every single day. So, time manage your self care activities with academic and work responsibilities, and be consistent. Number three: pause when you need to.

 Stay informed by listening, watching, and reading the news, but be aware when it becomes too much. Don't be afraid to pause the media, too much exposure to news or social media can be emotionally exhausting. Check your resources, make sure the information you are receiving is reliable. Limit your time on social media, and remember: not everything posted online is true. Also: you can pause your conversations. Just like media exposure, our conversations can be toxic. So set boundaries with friends and family. You can leave the conversation, or change the topic. We are in control of our conversation limits. So, be assertive, and with respect, do what you need to do! Lastly, pause your mind. Be aware of what's going on with your emotions right now, but balance those emotions with facts. 

Ask yourself the following questions: is there substantial evidence for this thought that I am having? Or, am 
I attempting to make a conclusion without all the evidence? 

And my personal favorite: if I look at this situation positively, how might my thoughts be different? Intense emotions can negatively affect our thought life, and cause all types of irrational scenarios in our minds. So, we ask you to challenge your thought life and filter our what is true from what is trash. Take what is true, and meditate on that. Pause your irrational thoughts and bring a new postivie perspective to mind. We invite you to pause anytime, anywhere. Pause the chaos and renew your mind with things that are good, with things that you can control. As a reminder: please seek out available resources, take care of your emotional health, and press pause when needed. I speak for all staff and interns at Student Counseling Services in saying: we are thinking about you, and we are here for you. Be well, and Roar Lions!