Did you know that 21% of UWM students reported serious psychological distress within the past year? (ACHA UWM Survey, 2024)
Your college journey is a time of constant transition with many challenges along the way. Feelings of being overwhelmed, anxious, or depressed can be part of the experience. So it’s important to be proactive in supporting your emotional well-being and reach out for help when needed.
Wondering how to reduce stress in your life? Looking for helpful self-care strategies? In search of some tools to use to support your emotional health? The following resources are available to help you:
- Check in with yourself and reflect on your emotional well-being
- Learn about signs and symptoms of emotional distress
- Gain tools and insights on how to reduce stress and practice self-care
- Learn about campus emotional well-being resources
YOU@UWM
YOU@UWM is your wayfinder to access tips, guidance and resources designed to help keep your academics, well-being and social connections on track. This web-based portal provides a space to check in with yourself, set goals, and explore UWM resources and services so you can make the most of your college experience.
Create a confidential account with your ePanther ID and start exploring.
Mantra Health
Mantra Health, a partner with the Student Health and Wellness Center, provides self-care and productivity content for UW-Milwaukee students. Thisself-guided content contains evidence-based skills designed to support transition and resilience for college students. There are dozens of short wellness courses, engaging videos, examples, and journal prompts to help students reflect on the skills and their application to their own lives. Download the Mantra Health app from the App Store or Google Play, or visit Mantra’s website from your browser to get started with self-help today.
Additionally, Mantra offers productivity coaching through their app and website for UWM students. They offer an 8-12 week, one-on-one, short term experience to work with a board-certified professional to work towards a goal. This experience builds upon the self-help content. Productivity coaching can support academic performance through a library full of expert-led content around time management, organization, motivation, and procrastination. It’s not therapy, it’s a way for students to work towards a goal by practicing skills with a coach to provide accountability. Download the Mantra Health app from the App Store or Google Play, or visit Mantra’s website from your browser to get started with self-help today.
Workshops and Presentations
SHAW offers a number of workshops to help students address their emotional well-being. Topics include stress management, self-care strategies, mental health resource overviews and more. You can request a workshop or presentation for a student group here. We also work with various campus partners to bring students emotional well-being programs. Check out the calendar for current events.
🕐 50 Minutes
Audience: Students
Facilitator: Student/Professional Staff
Description: Let’s take a break! As busy college students, experiencing stress is common. The impact of ongoing or unresolved stress can lead to feelings of anxiety, depression, irritability, poor concentration, physical illness, fatigue, and sleep difficulties. In this workshop, we will discuss the stressors in our lives, reflect on the tools and strategies we currently use to cope and take care of ourselves, and explore new ways to proactively manage stress.
🕐 50 Minutes
Description: Learn skills to manage your anxiety so that you can feel better quickly! We will teach box breathing, mindfulness, meditation, grounding techniques, and progressive muscle relaxation to help you get control of your body and mind when anxiety has a hold of you! Also, learn about the latest neuropsychology on how the brain works when you are anxious and ways to pull it out of fight or flight mode to regain control of your life.
🕐 Typically 1 hour
Connect with nature during a mindful walk. We’ll practice basic mindfulness during a nature walk near campus and spend time individually practicing mindfulness at our destination before heading back to campus. This program is great for groups of friends, student organizations, clubs, and students looking to connect with others and get outside!
Intro to Mindfulness is a 4-part workshop that will teach the skill of mindfulness and help you use it in your life on a regular basis. Mindfulness is the capacity to pay attention to your present-moment experience with an attitude of kindness and compassionate curiosity. The benefits of a mindfulness practice include more confidence, better memory, less negative thoughts and improved focus. Each of the 4 sessions is 75 minutes. A $3.99 workshop fee includes lifelong access to a mindfulness app.
🕐 50 minutes
Audience: Students
Facilitator: Student Staff
Description: Get artsy and zen out with the Student Health and Wellness Center! Drop in and dive into a world of relaxation through creative self-care with arts and crafts.
Looking for more mindfulness information? Visit Mindfulness | Student Health and Wellness Center (uwm.edu). Or download The Mindfulness Workbook: A Panther’s guide to taking a pause.
Counseling Services
SHAW offers students a variety of mental health services. Visit SHAW counseling to learn about counseling and psychiatry services, Let’s Talk brief consultations, Mantra Health, and more!
You Can Help! Prevent Suicide.
You Can Help! Prevent Suicide. is a bystander intervention program that enables students to help fellow students in emotional distress. Through this program, students will:
- become familiar with some basic facts related to college student mental health,
- understand the warning signs of emotional distress and suicide,
- be prepared to support someone in emotional distress in crisis,
- learn how to refer fellow students to the appropriate resources, and
- understand strategies for increasing resiliency and engaging in self-care
Mental Health Resources Page
Looking for more resources to care for others? Visit our Mental Health Resources page to learn more about opportunities to support students on campus.
Recognize, Respond, Refer
The Recognize, Respond, Refer Suicide Prevention Training is an interactive, experientially based workshop designed to improve participants’ suicide intervention skills, so as to develop a network of individuals at UWM who are prepared to assist in identifying and supporting students in crisis. Participants will:
- become familiar with basic statistics and facts regarding college student suicide
- understand the warning signs that someone may be considering suicide
- know how to ask someone if they are thinking about suicide
- know how to refer someone who is thinking about suicide to the appropriate mental health professionals
The Red Folder
The Red Folder is your online guide to spotting students in distress and finding the next steps to provide support for those in need. The Red Folder site takes content directly from the Faculty/Staff Suicide Prevention Training program, and provides it all in a one-stop-shop approach online.
10 Simple Ways to Support Students’ Mental Health
Faculty and staff can play a crucial part in supporting students’ mental health, which is important for student success. Check out the UWM Student Health and Wellness Center’s list of 10 Simple Ways to Support Students’ Mental Health and choose to do one today.
Request a Program for Student or Staff Group
SHAW offers a number of workshops to help students address their emotional well-being. Topics include stress management, self-care strategies, mental health resource overviews and more. Programs are also available to support staff needs around addressing student emotional well-being. You can request a workshop or presentation here.
Promote Available Resources
Consider sharing information about YOU@UWM and SHAW with your students. Send out an email or social media post, include content in an ongoing newsletter, or include resource information on your Canvas course page. Contact Lori Bokowy at labokowy@uwm.edu if you are looking for content/images to support these messages! Here is a comprehensive list of mental health resources that is ready to share!