Mental health: 3 tips for supporting yourself, colleagues and students

Personal circumstances, mental health conditions and other stressors can impact how people show up at work, at home and in the classroom. Here are some tips for supporting yourself, your coworkers and your students who may be struggling.

Supporting yourself

If something feels off, don’t ignore it. When we don’t feel like ourselves, it’s usually a good indication that we need to reprioritize our mental health. Here are some tips you can use to support yourself through tough times.

1. Brush up on the basics

When life gets stressful, it can be easy to forget to address our most basic needs. Take some time to reflect on what you need and try to meet that need throughout the day. Keep in mind that your needs may change from day-to-day or hour-to-hour. Here are some examples to get you started.

Hunger

If you forget to eat, feel hungry throughout the day or struggle with grogginess or are irritable, it may be a good idea to pack some snacks with you when you come to campus. You may also want to carry a water bottle and set reminders to eat and stay hydrated. This will reduce the chances that you forget or simply put it off.

Sleep

Aim to get at least seven to nine hours of sleep each night. It can be helpful to establish boundaries around work, electronics, doing assignments in bed and other habits that keep you up at night. Instead, focus on creating a nighttime routine that can help you unwind and prepare for a restful night of sleep.

Movement

Staying active and moving our bodies not only helps promote physical health, but it can also be a great way to relieve stress. Make time for movement by taking a walk outside, stretching, going to the gym or joining a fitness class. Don’t worry, you don’t have to commit to a full workout. 10 to 15 minutes of activity is a good starting point.

Socializing

Whether you consider yourself to be an introvert or extrovert, socializing and spending time with people you care about is important for your mental health. Try to schedule time with friends each week, even if it’s a brief coffee break or a short walk together. Remind your friends that even if you all feel overwhelmed, you can decompress together.

Free self-care workshops

Wellness Wednesday workshops are available for staff and faculty to engage in self-care activities, learn about campus resources and build community. Themes rotate regularly, allowing participants to come and go as they please.

Learn more about Wellness Wednesdays

2. Be ‘unproductive’

Pressure to perform, meet expectations or reach certain goals at work and home can send us into overdrive when it comes to our productivity. However, being ‘unproductive’ has benefits, too. For instance, downtime can help us relieve stress and avoid burnout. It can also help us become ‘unstuck’ if we are having a hard time solving a problem or navigating difficult times.

Try to carve out some time each day to do something completely unrelated to work, care tasks or other responsibilities. If you have an hour, great! If not, 15 to 20 minutes may feel more manageable right now. It can be helpful to come up with a list of activities you can do. For instance, you may want to read a book for pleasure, listen to a new podcast series, cook your favorite meal, visit a new hiking spot or enjoy a long bath to unwind. Keeping your list handy will help you easily choose activities without feeling even more overwhelmed.

3. Set healthy boundaries

Be honest with yourself about what you can and can’t do. This may not be the best time to take on additional work or responsibilities beyond what you already have on your plate. If things come up, practice saying “no” and being protective of your physical, emotional and mental resources so you can keep the commitments you’ve already made to yourself and others. It’s also important to remind yourself that you’re doing the best you can with the resources, energy and time that you have.

You can connect with these resources for additional support:

Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP)

FSAP provides mental health services for all CU staff and faculty. Employees can receive short-term counseling with a licensed therapist, including individual, family or couples counseling. They also provide free workshops and groups that cover a variety of topics, including healthy living, parenting, financial wellness and more.

Office of Victim Assistance (OVA)

OVA offers free and confidential services for all CU students, staff and faculty who have experienced or witnessed a traumatic event. OVA advocate counselors specialize in providing trauma-focused counseling and advocacy, which provides additional support when navigating various complex systems and understanding your rights and options.

AcademicLiveCare (ALC)

ALC is a free telehealth platform that allows you to schedule medical and mental health appointments virtually. Through this program, you can see board-certified healthcare professionals from your home, office or anywhere you go. All you need is a smartphone, computer, tablet or other mobile device.

Note: This program is open to all CU employees and does not use health insurance benefits.

Employee Wellness

Health and Wellness Services has a variety of services and resources available to support CU Boulder staff and faculty. These resources can also be used to refer colleagues, including mental health, physical health and educational opportunities.

Supporting your colleagues

It can be hard to get work done when your mental health is faltering. It can also be difficult to watch a colleague or coworker struggle. Here are some tips you can use to support those you work with.

1. Address your concerns

Mental health can carry stigma, especially in the workplace. This means a colleague may not feel comfortable approaching you when they are struggling. Here are some signs to watch out for that may indicate that someone is experiencing distress.

Change in appearance, such as hygiene, grooming and sudden weight change
Depressed or lethargic mood
Sudden decline in quality of work, missed deadlines or tardiness
Unusual or disproportionate response to events or stressors
Lashing out, irritability or other disruptive behaviors

If you notice these behaviors, consider approaching your colleague privately to let them know you’re worried about their well-being. Using “I” statements can be a helpful tool to express your concerns.

Here are some examples:

“I’ve noticed that you’re struggling to meet deadlines on projects and this is not typical of you. Would you be open to discussing ways that I might be able to support you right now?”
“I’ve noticed you’ve been less engaged in meetings than usual. I value your voice and presence in our meetings. Has there been anything impacting this that I can support you on?”
“I’ve noticed that you haven’t been responding to emails or requests to meet, and I’m worried about you. How are things going?”

Listen to your coworker’s response and ask clarifying questions if needed.

2. Show your support

Listen without judgment or advice. Listen to your coworker as they tell you about their experience or emotions. Avoid passing judgment or giving them advice about what they should do. Instead, focus on sitting with them and being there for them.
Acknowledge their feelings. If someone expresses difficulties, acknowledge their feelings and let them know that you hear them.
Ask what would be helpful. It can be tempting to give advice to a colleague who is struggling. However, it’s important to ask that person what they need or what would be helpful for them. This may look different for everyone. For instance, they may need to speak with their supervisor about taking time off or delegating work tasks to other members of the team. It’s also normal for people to not know exactly what they need. If that’s the case, set up another time to talk or check in with them later, so they have time to think about what could be helpful.

3. Connect them with resources

If your coworker or colleague is struggling with mental health concerns, including stress, depression, anxiety or other forms of distress, you may want to refer them to resources on and off campus.

Here are some resources that are available for staff and faculty:

Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP)

Office of Victim Assistance (OVA)

AcademicLiveCare (ALC)

ALC is a telehealth platform that allows you to schedule medical and mental health appointments virtually. Through this program, you can see board-certified healthcare professionals from your home, office or anywhere you go. All you need is a smartphone, computer, tablet or other mobile device.

Note: This program is open to all CU employees and does not use health insurance benefits.

Employee Wellness

Supporting your students

Faculty and staff can be the first people to notice when a student is going through a tough time. Here are some tips for supporting students who may be struggling with mental health or other concerns.

1. Watch for signs of distress

Changes in behavior, appearance or demeanor can be a good indicator that a student may be facing challenges with mental health or other circumstances. Here are some signs to watch for.

Academic

Sudden decline in quality of work and grades
Disturbing content in writing or presentations
Classroom disruptions
Consistently seeking personal rather than professional advice
Multiple requests for extensions or special considerations (a change from prior functioning)
Doesn't respond to repeated requests for contact or meetings
Academic assignments dominated by themes of extreme hopelessness, helplessness, isolation, rage, despair, violence or self-harm

Physical

Self-disclosure of personal distress like family problems, financial difficulties, assault, discrimination or legal difficulties
Unusual or disproportionate emotional response to events
Excessive tearfulness, panic reactions
Verbal abuse like taunting, badgering or intimidation
Expression of concern about the student by peers

Psychological

Self-disclosure of personal distress like family problems, financial difficulties, assault, discrimination or legal difficulties
Unusual or disproportionate emotional response to events
Excessive tearfulness, panic reactions
Verbal abuse like taunting, badgering or intimidation
Expression of concern about the student by peers

Safety risk

Verbal, written or implied references to suicide, homicide, assault or self-harm behavior
Unprovoked anger or hostility
Physical violence like shoving, grabbing, assaulting or use of a weapon
Stalking or harassing
Communicating threats or disturbing comments in person or via email, text or phone call

2. Talk privately about your concerns

Once you recognize a student in distress, take the time to let the student know that you have noticed changes. Listen to their concerns and offer your help. Acknowledging their distress and giving your support may increase the chances of the student seeking help.

Start by using “I” statements to effectively voice your concerns and describe what you have been seeing. Also, try to avoid yes or no questions. Focus on asking open-ended questions that allow the student to express themselves.

Here are some examples:

“I’ve noticed that your grades and quality of work have started to drop. I know that’s not like you and I wanted to check in to see how you’re doing.”
“I’ve noticed you’ve been more reserved and less engaged in class recently. What do you think might be going on?”
“I’ve noticed you haven’t been responding to my emails and requests for us to meet, and I’m worried about you. How are things going for you?”

Listen to your student’s response and ask clarifying questions if needed. Do not respond with judgment and avoid saying things like “everything will be alright.” We do not want to over promise an outcome. Instead, listen and refer the student to resources when necessary.

3. Make a referral

It’s okay to be unsure if the student needs help. The severity of a student’s distress may be unclear, or you may be concerned about a student and don’t know how to move forward. The best way to help those students is by consulting about the situation and referring them.

Here are some referral options:

Student Support and Case Management (SSCM)

SSCM provides individualized support to students who may be struggling. SSCM case managers connect students with campus partners, community resources and support systems, while also building a trusting relationship and coaching them toward self-advocacy.

How to refer:

Fill out the .
Call SSCM at 303-492-7348.
Email the department at sscm@colorado.edu.

Embedded health and wellness liaisons

Health and Wellness Services has embedded liaisons in each college/school to support students, staff and faculty. Liaisons provide clinical and non-clinical support, work with students to address their needs, connect staff and faculty with training opportunities and connect students to campus resources.

How to refer:

Staff and faculty can meet with their designated liaisons or refer students directly to programs.

Mandatory reporting

In addition to referring a student to resources, any sexual misconduct, intimate partner abuse (including dating and domestic violence), stalking, protected-class discrimination or harassment, or related retaliation must be reported to the ).

For questions regarding mandatory reporting, please contact OIEC at 303-492-2127.

Red Folder

Red Folder provides information that can help staff and faculty recognize signs of distress, respond to different situations and refer students to appropriate campus resources. This site can be particularly helpful if you’re not sure what level of support a student needs.

Basic Needs Center (BNC)

The BNC provides essential resources to students who may be facing food insecurity, housing issues and other concerns. They collaborate with on-campus and community partners to coordinate care and resources. They also provide education on navigating local and national resources in addition to supporting students in emergency situations.

How to refer: You can direct students to complete the .

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