The start of the new year is a time during which many of us celebrate new beginnings by setting goals and thinking about the impact we want to make in the coming year. Once the initial celebrations end, the new year can bring tremendous changes and shifts that require us to adapt and readjust quickly—all of which can increase stress and anxiety.
The return to campus life often means leaving family and home life, a move that causes loneliness for many students. For students of color, it may also result in feelings of isolation when campus spaces do not reflect a variety of racial and cultural groups among students, faculty, and staff, and social events feel unwelcoming.
If you, like many students around the country, are dealing with anxiety around change accompanying the new year and the relocation from home back to campus life, the Steve Fund can help. Our resources aim to provide you with the tools you need such as crisis counseling (text STEVE to 741741) and connect you to peers. Here are a few tips to help you during this challenging time of year.
Stay Curious. Rather than becoming frustrated with your own resistance to change, ask yourself why you feel the way you do. Taking time to be mindful and reflect on your own feelings will help you give yourself the space and respect to work through those emotions.
Imagine. Carve out a few minutes to dream about the best possible outcome for this semester. What do you want your days to look like? Your time with friends? Your study habits? This exercise will help you identify what might be missing and create a positive vision for the days and months ahead.
As we bring in the new year and the new decade, know that the Steve Fund is here for you. I hope these tips will help you manage some of the common thoughts and feelings we all have when it comes to navigating change and handling feelings of isolation. On behalf of the whole team, happy new year. We look forward to another year of working together.Be well,
Anuja Khemka
Executive Director
Celebrating Mental Health Month
The Steve Fund focuses on the mental health of young people in communities of color, and by extension, we value the people in their lives who promote their growth, well-being,