Published April 9, 2020
5 ways to help cope during stressful times
As the University of Louisiana Monroe continues to adjust to its transition to online-only
instruction and remote learning, students should know they are not alone. The听网曝门 Counseling Center听personnel are available 24/7 to help students deal with the disruptions to life as
a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The service is free to 网曝门 students with ID.
Karen Foster, LPC-S, Director of the 网曝门 Counseling Center, says, 鈥淢ost importantly,
students need to remember they have access to mental health professionals to assist
them during this challenging time. Telephone or video chat appointments with a member
of the Counseling Center鈥檚 staff can easily be scheduled.鈥�
Connect with the 网曝门 Counseling Center听
- 318-342-5220 to schedule an appointment
- Hours: 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Monday-Thursday and 7:30-11:30 a.m. Friday 7:30 a.m. 鈥� 11:30
a.m.听
- After-hours and emergency: Call UPD at 318-342-5350 to speak with a counselor, go
to the nearest emergency room or dial 911.
听
Foster offers five suggestions on prioritizing mental health and effective coping
mechanisms:
- Limit the intake of news.听Stay informed, but take intentional breaks from consuming news.
- Have a routine.听Students need to maintain their structure. This includes getting up and going to bed
at the same time each day, finding a time and a place to do work, and creating leisure
time to connect with friends. Even taking a shower and making their bed every morning
or eating lunch at the same time every day can be helpful.
- Move your body.听Even without access to a gym, it鈥檚 important to engage in exercise for both physical
and mental health. Walk, run, bike, or use at-home video workouts.
- Do activities you enjoy.听Some of the activities students typically enjoy may not be options right now. However,
students can still read, listen to music and podcasts, make art, watch movies, and
more. Try to engage in one activity each day that brings joy.
- Process your feelings. Students have not only been from friends and classmates, but they also feel as though
the world has changed 鈥� and it has. This loss of normalcy causes feelings of grief.
It is vital for students to remember they are allowed to feel sad, anxious, fearful,
and even angry about it. Name the feeling, and give yourself permission to feel it.
Understanding the stages of grief and allowing the feelings to happen can help students
move toward acceptance and a sense of control.听I can wash my hands. I can keep a safe distance. I can learn how to work virtually. 听
鈥淪tudents need to continue to look out for one another and prioritize their own well-being,鈥�
says Foster.听
During regular business hours, students may call 318-342-5220 for crisis support.
A counselor will return the student鈥檚 call immediately. After normal business hours
and on weekends, students may call University Police at 318-342-5350 to arrange support
from a counselor. If the student is unable to participate via video or phone counseling,
he or she should go to the nearest emergency room or call 911.
For more detailed information on scheduling an appointment,听click here.听
