Andrea Diaz
Staff Writer
There are multiple zoom self help groups being offered by the Counseling and Testing center. There are workshops offered Monday through Friday with a different topic everyday and each set for different times. The topic that will be focused on Monday at 3 p.m. is, according to the Counseling and Testing center website on daily drop-in groups, “using effective strategies and perspectives to identify distressing thoughts and feelings and adopting a curious, non-judgmental mindset to decrease the impact of distress.”
On Tuesday at 11 a.m. they will be focusing on social support during Covid-19. Students will exchange ideas and tips to do well academically and mentally while isolated. Mindfulness Meditation will be the topic focused on for Wednesday at 11am. They will focus on mindful breathing, muscle relaxations, and grounding techniques.
Bring your furry or fishy friends to the workshop on Thursday at 2 p.m. to talk about ways to cope with pets during isolation. Lastly, Friday’s workshop will focus on managing social isolation and anxiety, starting at 1 p.m.
You can find all these resources at https://www.isu.edu/ctc/clinical-services/online-discussion-groups/.
The Counseling and Testing center is also providing their normal services. The services will be provided via video or phone. To make an appointment call the Counseling and Testing center at (208) 282-2130, Monday-Friday during the hours 8am-5pm. All paperwork will be completed online with the help of administrators at the center. If you are in urgent need of help feel free to call the urgent help line at 1-800-273-TALK(8255).
The Counseling and Testing center also recommends many ways to stay healthy physically and mentally with many resources. Some of the resources are even kid friendly for ISU students with families.
To stay connected with friends they recommend: hosting a Netflix party through a Google Chrome application, playing online games with the platform Discord, or playing card games such as Cards Against Humanity with the apps Tabletopia or PlayingCards.
To stay active, Planet Fitness is offering free live stream “Home Work-Ins” at 7p.m. ET. In addition, Downward Dog and Core Power Yoga are offering free on demand yoga classes. Or for something more local, hiking and biking trails are a great option to get outside and stay a safe distance away from others.
For resources that focus on Arts and Crafts exploring virtual art museums, concerts, and even broadway shows are all resources being offered. Drawing, painting, learning an instrument, and playing music are also all activities for people that enjoy the arts or for people who have always wanted to start learning a new skill.
ISU students that have younger kids have resources available for them also. Some resources include: The Scholastic is offering various online activities and articles to read for grade levels 3-5. Cincinnati Zoo is posting videos to Youtube that helps children learn about various exotic animals that they house at the zoo. Another resource is Cosmo Kids Yoga; this website shows kids how to easily do yoga through videos and they offer various lesson plans that your child can choose from. For the full list of resources and links to all the websites and platforms mentioned go to https://isu.edu/ctc/resources/virtual-wellness-resources/.
