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Emotional wellness

Emotional Wellness

Emotional Wellness at the University of Wisconsin. Emotional wellness is being aware of your emotions and how they affect your mood. Having an understanding of our emotions, how they are triggered, and how we are affected by them is a crucial part of maintaining emotional wellness. It is also important to know when you are experiencing good stress or bad stress, and what coping mechanisms may be good for you. Stress: There are two kinds of stress, eustress and distress. Eustress is any stress that promotes well-being and motivates you to be productive. Examples of this would be starting a new job or moving. Distress is harmful stress that promotes ill health, such as body tension and high blood pressure. This could be from conflicts in your relationships. Coping Strategies: In order to cope, it's important to identify your stressors. Then you can confide in friends or family or take time for yourself. Self-relaxation can occur through positive self-talk, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and gratitude reflection. Checking in: We all feel overwhelmed sometimes. If you haven't done anything for yourself today, taking that time can help you re-focus and have a healthier mindset. Consider scheduling time for yourself into your day. Try to prioritize your activities to best support your emotional wellness. Times of Grief: Everyone deals with loss in a different way. The campus community is here to offer support through difficult times. The symptoms of grief, such as anger, guilt, or depression, are natural and you can express them as openly as is helpful. UHS has free therapy for campus members who would like it. Mindfulness: Mindfulness and meditation are great ways to check in with yourself and let go of stress. UHS has a selection of guided meditations online. There are also mindfulness groups in Madison and great meditation apps for your phone to get you started. Alcohol and Drugs: During your time on campus, you may be faced with alcohol or other drugs. Remember that these decisions are yours and alcohol and other drugs can lead to risky behaviors. If you are concerned about your use of alcohol or other drugs, UHS has trained professionals who can help you. Mental Health Resources: It can be extremely difficult to talk about serious mood disorders and life-threatening thoughts. Mental health disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are more common on this campus than you would probably guess. High stress levels combined with alcohol can increase the effects of a depressive state, which is a risk factor for suicide. UHS has a 24-hour counselor on call at 608-265-5600, option 9. UHS also has free mental health and wellness sessions during the week.

Quick Resources

Support Groups

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Stress

There are different kinds of stress, eustress and distress. Eustress is actually good for you and can come from things like starting a new job or moving to a new city. Chronic distress, such as from poverty or working every day in a career you wholly dislike, can have negative health and social consequences.

Students

We know that stress is a common component of many students’ lives. UHS offers individual stress management sessions. If you aren’t currently seeing a mental health provider, you’ll need to call in for an access consultation first, where a provider will help you find the best path.

One common stressor is public speaking. Check out this video by UHS on ways to combat public speaking anxiety. Another common stressor for students is exam time. This video from UHS on reducing test anxiety is a great place to start. If you don’t have a specific stressor to point at, maybe just taking some time to relax would be helpful. UHS also has some relaxation exercises, which is a great place to start.

Employees

Please see the Office of Human Resources page for more information.

Coping Strategies

Coping is how we respond to changes in our lives, and is our mind’s attempt to maintain emotional wellness. Certain coping mechanisms can be harmful, but many are helpful.

Helpful Coping Strategies

Helpful coping strategies include problem solving or out-come anticipation. These are great when a difficult situation arises. When you have a stress in your personal life, try relaxation methods, exercise, or confiding in a trusted friend or family member,

Harmful Coping Strategies

Denial, self-blame, and over-thinking all end up doing more harm than good. If you ever find yourself using a negative coping strategy, try to blamelessly redirect yourself to a more helpful strategy.

If you want help coping with a difficult situation in your life, you could stop into any of UHS’s Let’s Talk drop-in sessions. If you want to anonymously express your feelings, Badger SPILL is a peer-to-peer site where you can express your thoughts and another UW student will get back to you. If you want to schedule an individual meeting with a UHS counselor, call in for an access consultation to 608.265.5600, option 2 or schedule one via MyUHS.

Checking in

Taking care of yourself is important! You are important!

Every once in a while, just ask yourself how you’re doing. If you realize you’re tired, go to bed earlier. If you realize you’re hungry, make yourself a healthy snack.

There are small things you can do during the day to take care of yourself. Take some time to be outside in the sunshine. You could also write down your feelings to help you release them out into the world. When you get home for the evening, make yourself a cup of (decaffeinated) tea or other warm drink and take the time to enjoy it.

You can develop a self-care plan to enhance your well-being, promote your emotional wellness, and be your best self. This site will walk you through o developing a self-care plan and what the important component are.

If you’re a student and feel that you don’t have enough time for this, check out our Wellness FAQ where the top question is “How do I prioritize self care in college?”

Times of Grief

Grief is an overwhelming feeling of loss, and can stem from the loss of a loved one, a terminal illness diagnosis, or other major and tragic life event. This can cause numbness or a loss of interest in daily activities; however, it’s a normal, human reaction to loss. If you need help grieving, or think that the path you are taking may be unhealthy, please contact a mental health provider. They are here to help you.

For students, call UHS at 608.265.5600, option 2 to set up an access consultation and they can help you find the right provider for your needs. You can also inquire about group counseling, one session is specifically for grief support.

For employees, check out the Office of Human Resources page for more information.

If you want to read more about the grieving process and find some tips to help you cope, check out the HelpGuide on grief.

Mindfulness

We’re sure you’ve heard the hype around mindfulness and how it can help you be more focused, happier, and less stressed. It’s kind of like going to the gym or eating steamed veggies. We know we should do it, but we feel like we don’t have time.

Let us show you the way, the way to a more mindful life! Like us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter for #MindfulMonday tips, it’s a weekly reminder to stay mindful.

If you want some guided meditations, UHS has short relaxation exercises. If you want to join a mindfulness group, check out Madison Tergar Community. If you are looking for something on-the-go, there are a lot of apps available to you. One option is Stop, Breath, Think.

Alcohol and Other Drugs

We know that some members of the campus community will, at times, choose to drink alcohol. We are here to the help you do that in a safe and healthy way. When you have a drink or two, it can make you feel happier. However, if you drink too much you can start to feel the negative side effects. We have a few tips to keep you in the safe range!

  • Eat something before you start drinking, and continue to eat throughout the night.
  • Set a limit for yourself going into the night.
  • Alternate alcoholic drinks with non-alcoholic ones like water. This will keep you hydrated and help you stick to your limit.

If you think a friend is over-served, there are a few things you can do to help. First off, never leave them alone. Start encouraging them to drink water or offer to walk them home. If you think they may have alcohol poisoning, call 911.

If you think that you or a friend may have an alcohol or other drug addiction, there are resources on and near campus to help. UHS has an alcohol and other drug assessment.

Mental Health Resources

Students

UHS is one of the best student health centers in the country, and mental health care is a big part of what they do. Read more about their services on UHS’s mental health services page. To start off, if you want to get set up with mental health counseling at UHS, whether it’s individual, couple, or group sessions, an access consultation is your way in. A councilor will help you find the best treatment plan for you. Options include individual, group, or partner counseling, or wellness services.

Employees

The Office of Human Resources page has more information about how you can find the help you need.