Did you know that 65.9% of UWM students reported feeling overwhelming anxiety and 57.3% reported feeling that things were hopeless within the past year? (ACHA UWM Survey, 2018)
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.
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.
The D-Stress Express – Student Self-Care Strategies Workshop: Self-care is personal and it is not easy to prioritize with your busy schedule. This program will provide a space to pause, explore self-care strategies, and review campus resources to support your emotional well-being. (45-60 mins)
Be a Super Sleeper: Daytime sleepiness? Irritability? Trouble focusing? You might not be getting enough quality sleep! It’s hard to overstate how essential sleep is to mental, emotional, and physical well-being and academic performance. As a college student, it can be challenging to get enough quality sleep. In this program, you can learn about healthy sleep practices, identify quick and easy steps to improve your sleep environment, and design your personal bedtime routine! (30-40 minutes)
Mindfulness and Nature: Let’s learn how to use the environment around us to practice mindfulness. This program includes a mindful walk and the creation of a small desktop garden.
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, videos 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
Emotional Support Resource Page
Looking for more resources to care for others? Visit our Emotional Support Resource 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!