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As administrators, faculty, and staff at universities and colleges in Luzerne County will admit, there is not much “downtime” in our positions. Calendars fill quickly, stress is heightened, and even with the best of intentions, emails go unanswered. Some days we just need to step back and take a deep breath for our own well-being.
The World Health Organization defines “mental health” as a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, copes with the normal stresses of life, works productively and fruitfully, and is able to contribute to her or his community.
Too often people ignore or neglect their mental health, leading to negative consequences for physical health and financial stability, strains on relationships and shorter lifespans. The population most likely to neglect their mental health? College students. Students’ lack of academic success often stems from impediments in their personal lives. They fail to recognize that they need to take care of themselves mentally as well as physically to be successful.
Fifty percent of college students have become so anxious that they have struggled in school. Eighty percent of college students feel overwhelmed by their responsibilities. Forty percent of these same students do not seek any help to manage their mental health. These numbers are staggering and students need to know they are not alone and that help is available.
At Penn State Wilkes-Barre, our faculty and staff have come together for the past four years to fight the stigma of mental illness and promote mental and emotional well-being, hosting Mental Health Awareness Day (MHAD) on campus. The founders of this event, from a cross section of departments on the campus, adopted the mission of managing stress, through self-care, as an overall component of one’s complete well-being. MHAD is an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff alike to not only learn healthy coping mechanisms for stress, but to put them into action. How? Through wellness screenings, meditation, mini-massage sessions, music, and even photo booths, Twister, pumpkin art, and coloring. Research conducted at Boston College and the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, has generated findings that these types of “play” activities have a positive, therapeutic effect on reducing stress levels. Additionally, all MHAD activities are held outside, weather permitting, as research has shown that vitamin D, in the natural and purest form of sunlight, plays an important role in regulating mood and warding off depression.
However, the expansion of mental health improvement has not been limited to the educational arena. To date, members of the United States Congress have introduced 243 legislative bills regarding mental health. In both the House of Representatives and the Senate, there is bipartisan support for mental health initiatives. Thus, mental health has become a rare topic both political parties can agree upon.
What can we do as individuals? Be there. It may sound simple, but being there for a friend, colleague, family member, or student may make all the difference in the world.
Step back and take that deep breath today. And, take the time to remind someone else to do the same.