Tip of the Iceberg: Mental Health Support for Students

Posted on Friday, January 3rd, 2020

As we all know, being in school can get pretty intense and strain your mental health. Here are some ways to support your mental health during the school year. There’s something on this list for everyone!

Mind & Body: Physical and Mental Self-Care

• Mood Walks: Weekly outdoor walks (yes, even in the winter) are an opportunity to explore your community, meet new friends, and walk your way to greater mental and physical wellness.
• Sleep: a module with tips and strategies to get more and/or better sleep.
• Stress Management: Tips and videos on coping with stress, check out the workshop to learn more!
• Peer Support – Big White Wall: A free online mental health and wellbeing service offering self-help programs, creative outlets, and a community that cares.

Self-Help Apps & Tools

CBT-based apps for mood tracking and mood management:

• WellTrack: For stress, anxiety, and depression.
• Mindshift: For worry, panic, perfectionism, social anxiety, and phobias.

Workbooks

• Just As I Am The Practice of Self-Care and Compassion: A guided journal to free yourself from self-criticism and feelings of low self-worth.
• Your Best You: Improving Your Mood: Teaches skills to manage your mood and improve general functioning.
• Your Best You: Managing Your Anxiety: A guide to managing different types of anxiety.
• CCI Workbooks: A variety of workbooks on topics such as appearance concerns, assertiveness, disordered eating, perfectionism, self-esteem, social anxiety, and more.

Modules

• Resilience: Strategies to improve your ability to recover after setbacks.
• TAO Self-Help: Educational modules with interactive activities to help you learn coping strategies for stress, anxiety, depression, relationship problems, anger management, problem-solving, and communication.

More apps and other online tools.

Guided Self-Help Tools

• TAO: You can also use TAO with the help of an AC Counsellor to motivate you and structure your progress.
• Bounce Back: A free skill-building program to help manage low mood, mild to moderate depression and anxiety, stress, or worry. Delivered over the phone with a coach and through online videos, you will receive access to tools that will support you on your path to mental wellness.

Reach Out: Counselling

• Good2Talk: A free, confidential helpline providing professional counselling, and information and referrals for mental health, addictions and well-being to post-secondary students in Ontario, 24/7/365
• AC Counselling: Access confidential support through a walk-in consultation, where a counsellor will meet with you and help you develop a plan to address your concerns.
• AC Group Counselling: Boosts your skills, coping strategies, and support system by providing a safe, supportive environment where you can share your experiences. It enhances your connection to others and provides you with a variety of approaches and perspectives to help you deal with challenges.

Crisis Support

• Mental Health Crisis Line: For ages 16+ in the Ottawa region seeking support with mental health or other challenging life situations.
• Distress Centre of Ottawa and Region: Confidential support by phone for people either in distress or crisis.
• Crisis Services Canada: Accessible by phone, text, or chat, this service is for Canadians thinking about or affected by suicide.

Good luck,

Eliza Brown, Counsellor at Algonquin College

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