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LU Student Distress Strategy Guide

Avoid too much media. Images of storm-related damage are hard to discard if you don't change the channel.  Instead, make a point to focus on the positive things in your life. This is a good time to spend with family and friends.  

Keep your routines. An important part of healing is doing the activities you normally enjoy. A sense of normalcy will also inspire others to do the same. Routine is one of the most effective cures for recovering after life has been disrupted. 

Acknowledge the changes. Life has changed significantly since the storm and personal belongings might have been damaged or destroyed. Even if you didn't lose anything, it is normal to still feel down about what has happened. Talk about the things you have witnessed—both the difficult and inspiring ones. 

Learn the side effects of stress. Stress and anger are typical responses after a disaster, especially because regular life can be more difficult. Practice self-awareness and learn your personal stress signs. Remember that there is no one right way to react to all you, your friends, and your family have been through. Self-awareness is the first step in identifying some of your struggles. Sharing them with someone you trust is the next. 

Remember to communicate. This might be a good time to applaud yourself for caring so much about helping others and for also staying true to your own goals as a student. Sticking with your college plan and using open communication with your instructor is a good first start for transitioning into your role as a student. Remember, your instructors WANT you to be successful. If you missed a class or assignment, take a few deep breaths and pick up the phone or send an email.

Slow down. You might feel like you are at full speed and your mind is racing. At the end of the day, try sitting in silence and focus on slow, deep breathing. Stay with it a while as you focus on your long inhales and exhales. It's okay if your mind wanders. Gently bring your focus back to your breaths. Congratulations: you have just succeeded in some mindfulness meditation. Doing this exercise each evening will help slow your heart rate which, in turn, helps to calm your mind and relieve both the physical and mental effects of stress. 

Maintain balance. After a disaster, there is no right, wrong, or one-size-fits-all way to help in the recovery efforts. Give yourself permission to be okay with any type of help you can offer. It can be as simple as taking the time to listen to a friend after class or forming a study-support group. Just remember to balance your helping and volunteer efforts with your own personal commitment to your well-being and academic goals.

Self-Care

In terms of stress, natural emergencies cause unique challenges. You might feel fine at times. Other times, you might experience new fears or worries that you didn't have in the past. Here are some self-care ideas for moving out of stress and moving into student life. 

• It might sound strange, but one of the best ways you can help yourself is to talk to (and listen to) others. Sharing stories can help you and others to feel more connected.

• Try making a list of some changes, fears, and worries. Then assign them names or can divide them into subjects, such as worries about your family, your grades, or your community. Next, try talking to someone about the ones that stand out to you. This will reduce the amount of energy these thoughts take from you during unexpected times during the day. Instead of the worry taking control of you, you take control over them.

• Consider creating a personal journal about the ways in which the hurricane made life harder for you and those around you. Be sure to include stories of resilience! For each difficulty, recognize at least one of the strengths you noticed and how this strength in yourself or others was inspiring to you.

• Focus on staying well. Keep a healthy diet, habits, and sleep. Be aware that alcohol does not help stress and can actually disrupt your natural sleep cycle, causing more problems than it is worth. Eat well, exercise, and try something new…like herbal tea. A warm beverage can be soothing, relaxing, and help to settle the day when you feel stretched too thin.

If you need more help or resources, the LU Student Health Center specializes in medical and emotional support for LU and LIT students. Your request to talk to a counselor is confidential. For more information call 409-880-8466.