The following sections contain important information about a variety of mental health-related topics. We hope this information will be useful in learning more about how to help yourself or another person.
In general
- Ensure you get adequate sleep (don't eat late at night and reduce caffeine and alcohol intake).
- Enjoy a balanced diet and stay hydrated.
- Exercise throughout the week and get time away from your desk, preferably in nature.
At work
- Schedule regular catch-ups with people you value.
- Break large tasks into smaller ones.
- Maintain a tidy work environment.
- Schedule some 'think time' in your busy schedule.
- Allocate time for lunch and take it away from your desk.
- Recognize when you do your best work. Plan your most demanding tasks for those times.
- Walk around more, stand, or listen to music, depending on what works best for you.
- Set reminders for a 'hard stop' at the end of the workday.
When you feel overwhelmed
- Slow yourself down. When stressed, we often move into panic mode.
- Take time to perform a calming exercise.
- Move around. Walk outside or head to the break room/kitchen.
- Ask for help. Seek out people you trust.
Managing your energy
Demanding jobs, long hours, and increasing workloads can leave us feeling emotional, disengaged, stressed, and exhausted (Schwartz & McCarthy, 2014).
Creating a series of habits, practices, and rituals can promote your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy (modified from Schwartz & McCarthy, 2014).
Physical energy
- Recognize times in the day when you feel tired or unable to concentrate. Step away from the desk, meet colleagues, or perform something interesting.
- Aim to focus for 90 to 120 minutes at a time, taking regular breaks.
- Eat smaller, lighter meals during the day to maintain energy.
Emotional energy
- Practice abdominal breathing to manage negative emotions, such as irritability, anxiety, and impatience.
- Express gratitude and appreciation for others while adopting self-compassion for yourself.
- Use a reverse lens to see a situation from the other person's point of view. Use a long lens to consider how we might look at the issue in six months. Use a wide lens to consider the bigger picture.
Mental energy
- Switch off email and move phones away to perform high-concentration tasks.
- Schedule specific times in the day to answer and respond to emails.
- At the end of each day, make a list of key actions for tomorrow.
Spiritual energy
- Identify when you perform at your best. What strengths do you enjoy using, and how can you use them more often?
- On your commute home, or the last 20 minutes of your day when working remotely, relax. This may mean sitting mindfully or listening to music before returning to home life.
- Recognize your core values. Reflect on whether you are using and showing them to others around you. Find opportunities to be your authentic self.
Mindful Relaxation videos and prodcasts
Worksheets
EATING AND BODY IMAGE CONCERNS
"I feel fat." "I hate my body." "Food is the enemy." "I wish I could be as skinny as my roommate…."
Sound Familiar? These are phrases you may hear every day on our campus, and you may even utter them yourself. After you've heard these negative messages enough times, you may even start to feel that it's "normal" to have an adversarial relationship with food and your body.
However, what's normative (i.e., common) is not necessarily what's healthy or psychologically adaptive! At the Counselling Center, we can help you sort through your questions and concerns about dieting, disordered eating, weight, and body image. It is possible to eat well, have a strong relationship with your body, and start spreading more positive messages about food and body on the UW Campus. It all starts with sorting out your own concerns about food and your body.
Who is at Risk for Eating Problems?
Many students, both male and female, have concerns about their eating, weight, body image, and exercise patterns. We live in a society that places an extremely high value on the achievement of physical "perfection," and this often leads individuals to take drastic measures to change their physical appearance. Students who have a history of prolonged dieting or who are members of certain subcultures where weight may be restricted (e.g, runners, dancers, etc.) are particularly vulnerable to developing eating problems. People who experienced body-related teasing in childhood or were raised in families that placed a high value on a narrowly-defined physical ideal may also be at higher risk. Finally, anyone who sees their power and influence in the world as being strongly connected to weight or appearance will likely be at higher risk for developing conflicts around food and body image. Disordered eating and exercise behaviors place individuals at risk, both medically and psychologically.
Possible Symptoms
- Intense fear of weight gain or being "fat"
- For females, loss of menstrual periods
- Unusual restriction of the types and amounts of food consumed
- Repeated episodes of bingeing and purging after meals
- Feeling out of control during a binge and eating beyond the point of comfortable fullness
- Use of laxatives, diet pills, or diuretics
- Extreme concern with body weight and shape
- Secrecy or ritualization around eating behaviors.
Eating concerns range from mild problems with food and weight to serious, potentially life-threatening conditions that affect a person's emotional and physical health. Regardless of where you may fall on this continuum, resources are available to help you sort out these issues. The earlier a person with an eating concern seeks treatment, the greater the likelihood of physical and emotional recovery.
How to Help a Friend
If you are concerned that a friend may have an eating problem, please remember that help is available at the Counselling Center and the other resources listed below. The following suggestions may also help you support your friend.
- Express your concerns in behavioral terms (e.g., "I've noticed you don't come with us to meals anymore").
- Don't feel as if you need to solve the problem; focus on listening instead.
- Gently suggest counselling, and offer to accompany your friend to the first appointment.
- If your friend is not responsive and you remain concerned about him/her, consider speaking to an R.A. about your concern or consult with a counsellor at the Counselling Center.
What Can You Do to Help Prevent Eating Disorders?
- Decide to avoid judging others and yourself on the basis of body weight or shape.
- Become a critical viewer of the media and its messages about self-esteem and body image.
- Send a strong message of acceptance in the way you talk about your own body and the way you approach food.
- Do not engage in "hate speech" about your own or others' bodies.
- Consider seeking counselling to explore your attitude towards food and your body.