Long Beach City College students gathered for the Mindful Moments workshop on March 11, where speaker Daisy Cook, who is a mental health clinician for the student health services on campus, spoke about mental health and coping mechanisms for stress and anxiety.
Cook passed around a worksheet that allowed students to write down how they felt and ways they can manage their feelings.
Students were able to share with one another different reasons why their mental health is the way it is, and how they like to take their mind off their stress.
“I mainly feel stressed out from taking exams, and then seeing my score after can have an impact on my mood,” said student Terry Berry.
Cook explained how our nervous system works and the overall effects it can have on our bodies.
“When our nervous system is activated we feel the tension all over our bodies, and it may show up as symptoms like stomach aches or headaches,” said Cook.
Cook presented a breathing exercise for students to follow along to.
“Breathing exercises are beneficial in losing all over tension in your body which can help you to concentrate better,” said Cook.
Cook wanted students to leave the event learning two new stress coping mechanisms, she also presented students with a grounding exercise.
“Grounding exercises are best for targeting your five senses,” said Cook.
“This event was very helpful. I was never aware of the resources that were here on campus. I plan to use them in the future,” said student Elizabeth Rios.
Cook ended the event by encouraging students to seek out resources and to get involved in future mental health and wellness workshops.
“You are never alone and there are always resources on campus to help,” said Cook.
The student health services offer students a wide variety of resources including mental, social, and medical services for students.
The student health services are a great way for students to stay informed about their health and wellness.