Welcome to Wellness

Life will never be the same...

As you prepared to come to Sacred Heart University, one of the last things that would have been on your mind was losing someone special. When a loved one/classmate dies, there is a grieving process. Recovery is a slow and painful experience. This process can be less painful if you can try to understand that loss and grief is a natural part of life. Begin to learn acceptance of the loss and believe in yourself. Believe you can cope with tragic happenings. Let this be a psychological opportunity  that will help you to deal with future stressful events. So what can you do to  facilitate this acceptance?

 Give yourself the space to grieve - don’t try and rush things along

• Take care of yourself - see that you get enough sleep, exercise and food
• Speak to other people - share memories of your special person
• Spend time with others doing enjoyable things - at first you may not feel as if you are having much fun, but with time, things will become more of a pleasure again
• Be prepared for a sudden 'out of the blue' reminder or sad feeling - it is a natural part of grieving and will pass
• Take time to enjoy those special people who are still with you
• If you feel you can’t cope or are being a 'burden' to those around you - consider seeking counselling. Many people do this and find it helps.
• Find a way that feels comfortable to 'talk' to your special person. You may want to go somewhere special to do so or play some special music. It doesn’t matter what you choose as long as it feels ok for you. Other people may have different ideas of what you should do such as visiting the grave. If it doesn’t feel right, you may wish to do something different.

Self check

You may like to check out what you are doing or can do to help yourself in your bereavement.

Am I:

• Eating, sleeping and exercising sufficiently
• Talking to supportive friends and family frequently/daily
• Keeping the routines of my life going - work, sport, interests and friends
• Taking special care of myself in ways I value
• Minimizing or avoiding drugs, alcohol, and smoking.
• Avoiding extra responsibilities during this healing time
• Expressing myself creatively through art or writing
• Finding a place and time to 'talk' to my special person
• Doing some 'fun' things
• Considering going to Student Counseling

 

Need stress relief?

Have you noticed the stress level rising on campus lately?  As mid-terms get underway and students buckle down into the heart of the semester, it’s no wonder that the feelings of stress seem to be overwhelming.  Here are a few tips to help you stay focused, manage your time, and cope with the unavoidable stress of the academic year.  Remember – all stress is not all bad. It can motivate us to achieve great things (including actually finishing that paper)!

Our top 3 stress management skills are time management skills

1. Organize – sit down with all of your syllabi and make a comprehensive to do list of your assignments and exams (just writing it all down might help lessen that feeling of mental overload).
2. Prioritize – Which items on your list require the most time and effort? When are the due dates? Which class do you really need to do well in? Give some thought to which items need to go to the top of your list.
3. Create a plan/schedule – What is your peak time of your day, when you have the most energy and focus? Use it to your advantage.  Break down your day to include meetings, work, practices, tasks of daily life, commuting, etc. Take it from us - make time for something fun or relaxing every day to avoid the bad burnout place. And stay flexible because life happens.

What coping skill works for you? Venting to friends? Getting in a good work out? Listening to music? Relaxation or breathing apps on your phone? Power naps? Whatever it is, do it! Taking care of yourself is crucial during times of high stress. When you are feeling overwhelmed use healthy coping skills to hit the reset button.  If your usual coping skills are no longer working, or you are experiencing extreme levels of stress, remember that the Wellness Center offers free and confidential counseling to help get you back on track.

 

Feeling Blue? Get a Mood Check-up!

Feeling overwhelmed?  Worried?  Blue?  Thursday, October 11^th is National Depression Screening Day and the Counseling Center is offering a quick and anonymous depression and anxiety screening.  These screenings will take place from 10:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in two locations:  the Pitt Center and the Old Chapel.  You do not need an appointment - just show up anytime between 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on the 11th.  The screening asks general questions about your sleep and eating patterns, energy levels, attitudes and moods and only takes a few minutes to fill out.  It will be scored and the results and recommended next steps will be shared with you right on the spot with a SHU counselor.

If you find you need to talk with a counselor right away, click on the following link to get an appointment at our Counseling Center: https://www.sacredheart.edu/pages/2852_contact_us_form.cfm

We care about you!

Let’s start talking about sexual assault…

One of the main points in Mick Foley’s talk the other night is that we need to start talking about sexual assault in order to increase awareness.  We know that:

• 44% of victims are under age 18
• 80% are under age 30
• Every 2 minutes, someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted
• There is an average of 207,754 victims (age 12 or older) of sexual assault each year
• 54% of sexual assaults are not reported to the police
• Approximately 2/3 of assaults are committed by someone known to the victim
• 38% of rapists are a friend or acquaintance

So what are we as a campus community going to do to address this problem?  Here are some groups that have already begun the effort.

Delta Tau Delta is a fraternity on campus that provides awareness and prevention programming around sexual assault every year.  They bring speakers to campus, organize bonfire vigils for survivors, and coordinate with the Center for Women & Families.  Let’s help Delta get the word out by attending these events and supporting their mission. 

There is also a group on campus called S.M.A.R.T. (Sexual Misconduct Awareness and Resources Team).  This team has the mission to educate and create sexual assault awareness around campus in the hope that this will prevent sexual and intimate partner violence.  The Team is a grassroots effort consisting of concerned faculty, staff, students, and employees of the Center for Women & Families for Eastern Fairfield County.  Anyone on campus can feel free to join this team and help make a difference.  If you are interested, contact Jocelyn Novella, Assistant Director of the Counseling Center at [email protected].