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Advice For Dealing With Uncertainty — From People Who’ve Been There
We are living in uncertain times. No one knows exactly how or when this coronavirus pandemic will end — or what it will mean for our lives and the lives of our loved ones in the future.
This pandemic that we’re all going through feels unprecedented — but the feeling of uncertainty is not. People live through all kinds of scary things all the time. Here are seven tips for dealing with uncertainty from people who’ve been there. Read more ›
If ever there were a time for people to know the important skills that make up what mental health experts refer to as “psychological first aid,” a pandemic is it. Like regular first aid, PFA is a way of helping someone in pain — except rather than cleaning and bandaging a cut or applying ice to a sprained ankle, you tend to someone’s anxiety or distress in a way that will ease it and help restore a sense of equanimity. Many disaster responders and public health professionals have been trained in PFA, but it’s time for the rest of us to join them, so we can help our families, our friends and ourselves. 
With much of education being delivered in a virtual environment during the pandemic, monitoring students’ mental health is harder, but more critical than ever. Some of the same indicators of distress apply as much in the virtual classroom as in the physical one, such as difficulty participating in class, poor attendance, frequently reporting illness and not completing assignments. But other indicators, such as on-screen interactions with family members and turning off the camera, are new to distance learning.
As recent months have demonstrated, stress is unavoidable. Now more than ever, it’s important to understand stress and how we can manage it. While stress can be beneficial, too much of it can be harmful. 
If ever there were a time for people to know the important skills that make up what mental health experts refer to as “psychological first aid,” a pandemic is it. Like regular first aid, PFA is a way of helping someone in pain — except rather than cleaning and bandaging a cut or applying ice to a sprained ankle, you tend to someone’s anxiety or distress in a way that will ease it and help restore a sense of equanimity. 
It’s hard to avoid stress. Work, money, current events, and the hassles of everyday life are just a few of the things that can cause stress. Long-term, or chronic, stress is linked to several health conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, and anxiety.
For some students, the fire is only the beginning. The nightmares, the grief and an all-consuming dread can persist for months or even years.
When it comes to supporting teenagers during the pandemic, schools and families need to work together to coordinate social-emotional as well as academic support — whether learning ends up taking place at home or in the classroom. 
Behavioral health involves many aspects of our daily lives. At its core, behavioral health represents our mental health, which includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. These modules are meant to provide the community with reliable information, tips, and resources for managing behavioral health concerns during (and following) the COVID-19 pandemic. 
The coronavirus is taking a toll on students’ mental health, and colleges are turning to virtual services to help learners cope during the pandemic. 
