#HealWithIt for Mental Health
When it comes to mental health, people are often told to “just deal with it.” We don’t believe individuals should have to.
We encourage those who are hurting physically to go to a doctor and get help — we believe that anyone who is hurting mentally and emotionally should also have access to the support they need.
If you are in need of immediate assistance, please reach out to the Student Health & Counseling Center or call 911.
#HealWithIt Campaign
Our #HealWithIt campaign has students working to create a culture of inclusiveness and teach students, faculty, staff and the community about the eight pillars of wellness.
Centering our self-care around these dimensions can help us find fulfillment and our own personal harmony. They are: Physical, emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, environmental, vocational and financial.
More About The Eight Pillars & Resources
- Physical
- Care for your body.
- Take part in physical activities.
- Strive for at least seven hours of sleep per night.
- Develop healthy eating habits.
- Become aware of how food, beverages, drugs, chemicals, additives and caffeine affect your body.
- Make informed choices about your sexuality.
- Seek care for illness and injury and to prevent future problems.
- Cultivate healthy leisure activities.
Resources
- Health care:
- Movement:
- SUNY Plattsburgh Fitness Center
- Athletics, intramurals and club sports
- Food and nutrition:
- Sleep:
- Tips on sleeping better from the Mayo Clinic
- Sexuality:
- LGBTQ resources
- Support for cases of sexual assault or harassment
- Email the interim Title IX coordinator at [email protected]
- Adirondack North Country Gender Alliance
- Planned Parenthood
- Student Health and Counseling Center
- Emotional
- Establish and maintain loving relationships.
- Work to understand and respect your feelings, values and attitude.
- Be considerate of the feelings, values and attitudes held by others.
- Develop the ability to recognize, experience and appropriately express a wide range of emotions.
- Explore techniques for managing emotions in a constructive way.
- Develop assertiveness skills.
- Learn stress-handling techniques.
Resources
- On emotions:
- On the importance of emotional intelligence from the World Economic Forum
- On emotional intelligence and leadership from Harvard Business School
- On assertiveness:
- How assertiveness can reduce stress from the Mayo Clinic
- Assertive communication tools from Cornell Health
- Stress reduction techniques:
- Relaxation techniques from Harvard Health
- About mindfulness from the Mayo Clinic
- On-campus mental health supports:
- Access free, confidential counseling, 24/7 with the Student Assistance Program. User name: SUNYPlattsburgh
- Student Health and Counseling Center mental health services
- Ward Hall Counseling Clinic
- Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) counseling and support
- Diversity, Equity and Inclusion supports:
- Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Center
- Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) counseling and support
- Support for diverse communities on campus
- Title IX
- DIRECT Bias Response Team
- LGBTQ resources
- Student Clubs and Organizations — Check out Active Minds and Morgan’s Message
- Social
- Develop and maintain healthy relationships, enjoying being with others, developing friendships and intimate relations, caring about others and letting others care about you.
- Increase your comfort zone in interacting with diverse individuals and groups.
- Work to understand and accept those with a different sexual orientation, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, socioeconomic status, life experience, etc.
- Recognize interrelated cultural, community, national and global needs.
- Contribute to your community and work toward becoming a responsible world citizen.
Resources
- Chances to get involved on campus:
- Clubs and organizations
- Athletics, intramurals and club sports
- Plan or join study groups
- Volunteerism:
- Project HELP
- Literacy Volunteers
- United Way of the Adirondacks
- JCEO (Joint Council for Economic Opportunity)
- Plattsburgh Interfaith Food Shelf
- Community events:
- Campus events:
- Religious communities:
- Area religious organizations
- Plattsburgh Interfaith Council
- Student groups with religious themes like Apostolic Students and Associates (APOSA), Desi. Hillel International, House of Divinity, Learning and Experiencing God (LEGO), Muslim Student Association and the Newman Association.
- Spiritual
- Search for meaning in your life.
- Explore, question and clarify your personal values.
- Develop integrity by acting in ways that are consistent with your values.
- Become aware of how values develop and change from life experiences.
- Work to understand and respect the different values of others.
- Explore the issues related to mortality and your own life and death.
- Explore safe spiritual practices.
Resources
- Discovering and articulating core values from Forbes
- Reasons to become more spiritual and some ways to do that:
- On the importance of spiritual health from Mass.gov
- On developing spiritual resources from the University of Minnesota
- On the science behind spirituality from Positive Psychology
- On nature’s spiritual impact from the University of Minnesota
- Learning yoga from the New York Times
- Religious communities:
- Area religious organizations
- Plattsburgh Interfaith Council
- Student groups with religious themes like Apostolic Students and Associates (APOSA), Desi. Hillel International, House of Divinity, Learning and Experiencing God (LEGO), Muslim Student Association and the Newman Association.
- Intellectual
- Strive to be open to new experiences and ideas in all areas of your life.
- Work to expand your ability to focus and improve critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Increase competence in intellectual and academic activities.
- Seek out a community to support your intellectual endeavors.
- Develop a love for learning and a philosophy for “life-long learning.”
- Explore hobbies that expand your skills.
Resources
- Tips to help improve your focus:
- On improving your concentration from UMass, Dartmouth
- On increasing your attention span from George Washington University
- Visit office hours with your professors
- Visit the Learning Center — Writing tutors, content tutors (biology, chemistry, sociology, and more!), Academic Personal Trainers, STAR-NY online tutoring
- Cardinal Star Resources — Ask questions, set appointments
- Library — Access tools, meet with the librarian, get help with your projects.
- Purchase your textbooks or find other ways to get the materials you need:
- On reservation at the library
- Emergency funding
- Check out Student Support Services:
- Join academic clubs
- Environmental
- Become aware of how your external environment affects you.
- View nature. Feel the effects of sunlight.
- Redesign your environments to more effectively support and reinforce your needs.
- Be concerned about the future of the local, national and world ecology and climate.
- Minimize your contribution to the destruction of the outdoor environment.
Resources
- Go for a walk or run outside
- Take the Saranac Trail bike path
- Walk through Rugar Woods
- Visit other area walking trails
- Join the ADK Mountain Club
- Hike in the Adirondacks
- Visit the Plattsburgh City Beach
- Head out to Point Au Roche or Ausable Point State Parks for nature walks along the beaches there
- Student groups
- Campus Garden Club
- Biketopia
- Botany Club
- Ski and Snowboard Club
- Join the Campus Committee for Environment Sustainability
- Write a Green Grant proposal to make the campus more sustainable
- Vocational
- Understand that students often change majors in college and that professionals often change their career directions many times throughout their lives.
- Explore your interests, skills and values and how they relate to majors and career choices.
- Increase your awareness of major and career opportunities available to you.
- Challenge societal gender roles and other barriers that limit choices.
- Develop effective job-related skills.
Resources
- Career Development Center — A SUNY Plattsburgh office with a mission of educating and empowering students toward
meaningful careers and life-long professional success. It engages the campus, alumni
and employer communities as partners.
- Check out career-related events
- Learn about jobs and gain support on resumes, cover letters and interviews
- Find support for career exploration, including candid interviews and job outlook listings
- Seek out internships and applied learning opportunities, including a chance to earn funding to support these endeavors
- Talk to your advisor
- OneWorkSource — A one-stop center featuring a list of job vacancies; career options; relevant employment trends; referral to training programs; and instructions on how to conduct a job search, write a resume and interview with an employer.
- Financial
- If you are experiencing issues such as food insecurity, homelessness, economic crisis or financial management problems, know the resources available to you.
- Understanding how to manage a budget and invest funds for your future.
- Setting financial short- and long-term goals and work toward reaching them.
Resources
- Financial aid
- Scholarships
- Career Development Center — Learn about jobs and gain support on resumes, cover letters and interviews
- Campus emergency assistance
- Food shelf
- Clothes
- Toiletries
- Local food shelves
- Heating assistance, child care and other programs at JCEO
- Dial 2-1-1: a free, confidential 24/7 hotline to help you find the services you need
For a step-by-step guide to wellness, consult the “Creating a Healthier Life” Guide from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
Get Involved
Want to sign the pledge and join the campaign? Contact us at [email protected].