If you’re reading this…You got this, you matter, and we are in this together!
You are most likely saturated with all the things that are happening in the larger world, your immediate circle, and even from the reflection viewed in the mirror. The college years are touted to be the best years of your life and yet for a multitude of reasons, particularly over the last three years, it has been anything but that! You have endured so much and may still feel unseen, unheard, and misunderstood. This can take a toll on your mental health and your overall wellness. How is it that you continue to push toward your goal of obtaining a college degree without completely falling apart?
In this space, there are so many differences between us, but so many things that unite us. We come from different backgrounds, places, and cultures, yet here at Wake, we are one (well at least that is what we should be)! The very elements of who we are can cause a great deal of stress, especially if you are a part of the BIPOC community attempting to find your way at a predominately white institution. If you are an athlete who wants to be seen as more than your sport, but a smart hard-working student whose talents provided them an opportunity. If you have endured sexual assaults or sexual harassment and still had to show up as if all was okay, you are saturated and barely hanging on!
My message to you is to keep pushing, keep fighting and keep hanging on, to achieve your goal(s), however, don’t do it in isolation. You are important, your physical and mental health matters! Push back from being so saturated that you neglect your own wellness. Amid studying, working, playing, engaging, pause and take time for yourself.
Having a resource at the tip of your fingers that will allow you to address your stress, anxiety, and/or depression can provide a few moments maybe even minutes of comfort.
Daylio provides the opportunity to journal!
Calm and Headspace provide soothing opportunities to focus on your breathing!
When apps are not enough, connect with our counseling center or resources in the community. If there are cultural, religious, or personal reasons why attending counseling is not for you, connect with a mentor who can be a listening ear. If life should feel so overwhelming that you find yourself in crisis the 988 Federal number is available to you
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988
You got this, you matter, and we are in this together! Go Deacs!
Sincerely,
Dr. Michelle R. Ghoston