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Mental Health

mental health

The following stories and resources come from a place of insightful caring and provide you with actionable advice and relatable stories that will help you build resilience, handle stressful situations and support yourself through difficult situations. You will  find many resources on and off campus that can help strengthen your mental well-being.  Being able to live well by taking care of your mental health can help you cope with the next challenge, professional or personal, that is thrown your way.

image of caitlin walking up the stairs
Blog
4 Ways to Level Up This Year

The new year is a time for everyone to start fresh. Look at the new year as an opportunity to start over and nothing is more motivating than wanting to make every 202X “your year.”

Oliver, next to a computer with work on his desk
Blog
Captain’s log: a Co-op Students Guide to Navigating Their First Work Term

I will be going over my transformation from a bumbling Co-op student to a full-fledged Marketing Coordinator and give tips on how you too can navigate through your first work term.

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Blog
A Q&A with a MA Political Science Co-op Student

Meet Aliyah Datoo, an SFU Master of Political Science Co-op student. In this quick Q&A, Aliyah shares a bit about her co-op experience. Keep on reading as Aliyah shares her day to day tasks, the onboarding process and how she has felt about the experience.

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Blog
What did I do to Extinguish my Co-op Nerves?

This was it. I finished writing my resumes, successfully passed the interview process, and accepted the job offer with cheers of joy. I told my mother with a large grin on my face, but in the midst of my excitement, my smile slightly lowered, and a wave of nervousness washed over me.

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Blog
How to Optimize Workflow and Develop Excellent Time Management

My role as a Communications Assistant has it’s ups and downs especially during busy seasons of the school year where many events run consecutively one after the other. Time management and efficiency are nothing new for us students because we constantly must meet deadlines and make sure we balance work with school

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Blog
Defeating My Inner Saboteur – Working with a Learning Disability

I never felt that I was good enough from my early years. I was a child that frequently struggled in school. No matter how much I put my heart and soul into projects or homework, I felt constantly knocked down. So a mix of excitement and dread came over me when I was notified that I was accepted into the Knowledge Network Co-op. Continue to read about how I defeated my inner saboteur and learned to work with a learning disability. 

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Blog
Befriending Anxiety

Jennifer Reandy is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) working with SFU’s Indigenous Student Centre (ISC). Read about the common thinking patterns associated with anxiety and how to interrupt them. 

Photo of Spencer
Blog
Studying Mental Health Stigma for Social Change

As an undergraduate student, Spencer Chen excelled with a GPA of 4.21 and received numerous merit-based scholarships and awards. She also sought diverse research and community service opportunities to make meaningful contributions to the SFU community.

Photo of Marina
Blog
Mental Health and Sports Go Hand-in-Hand

At SFU, Marina Cummiskey competed as a varsity swimmer and became a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee where she advocated for student-athlete mental health. Marina earned academic honours and the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in sport psychology at McGill University this fall, with a focus on athletic retirement research.

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Blog
Books that Helped us Grow

The Health Peers share some books that have helped with self-growth, healing, and forming good habits.

Woman sitting on a couch and drinking coffee while working on laptop
Blog
Social Media Addiction & Screen Fatigue: A Survival Guide for Jobs in Social Media

When it comes to social media and digital marketing positions, it’s easy to be blinded by the positives. After all, many Communication majors are fascinated by digital marketing and algorithms— and if you’re a digital native, creating social media content might already be second nature to you. Whether you manage social media for your organization or create external content, there are a few bonuses to consider.

A picture of the sky during sunset.
Blog
Self-Learned Tips for Mental Well-Being

Sharing tips for good mental health practices is essential for building both a helpful community and a better future for yourself. Read SFU Health and Counselling's tips for being more present in the moment. 

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Blog
Finding The Right Fit With a Counsellor

Counselling has a lot of benefits, but it is a human relationship, and sometimes a counsellor you meet may not be the right fit - and that's okay.

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Blog
Sticking with Your Resolutions

2022 is here! Read Terae's piece on how to be kind to yourself in the new year. 

An empty journal laying open with a pencil resting on it.
Blog
Learning to Express Yourself in a Healthy Way

As the year winds down, it's time to look inward. OLC staff member Terae notes down her favourite ways to beat the blues. 

A photo of boots standing on wet leaves
Blog
Finding Positivity in Your Everyday Life: How to Deal with the Changing Seasons

Spring forward, fall back – daylight savings time has taken effect again, and we're in for a long, cold winter. Read our tips on how to see the bright side of things during such a dark time.

A woman lying on her back in a field with roses and a phone next to her.
Blog
How to be Mindful

Are you feeling frazzled? Do you have a lot of fatigue or forgetfulness? It may be time to take action and bring yourself back to balance with a self-care tool like mindfulness. 

Illustration of 6 people talking in different languages
Blog
When English Isn’t Your First Language

“Gosh Roop! Are you really an international student? But you do not speak with an accent. Wow, I would have never guessed that.” Through anecdotes and introspection, Roop shares a compelling narrative of the struggles of why International students face challenges due to language barriers and biases.

A women with glasses is smiling and sitting at a park
Blog
Alex Hoang: Working as a Software Developer in the Mental Healthcare Sector

Ever wonder what it would be like to work as a software engineer in the healthcare sector? If so, read about Alex Hoang's co-op experience at Greenspace Mental Health. Greenspace Mental Health “is a web-based platform that helps mental health therapists easily measure and monitor patient progress” and during her co-op, Alex has been mostly maintaining and adding new features to Greenspace’s web platform. 

Thea sitting on grass with her laptop
Blog
Applying Lessons From my Co-op Experience to my Health During a Pandemic

Thea translates the knowledge she gained from her Co-op work term as a Student Obesity Medicine Assistant, and with the added contextual challenge of the pandemic, shows how she uses these tips and tricks to improve her personal health. Read on to learn more about her clever advice and see how you can easily incorporate them into your daily life.

Illustration of three black women with mountains in the background
Blog
What About Blackness?

Unpacking the reality of the Black student experience in Canada. In this article reposted from The Peak, Linda shares why representation matters, how solidarity can be found within community, and the importance of ending Anti-Black racism in Canadian education institutions.

picture of the sunset and the sea
Blog
On Breathing

We often forget that breathing is one of the most important things that we do in our daily lives. It is our constant reminder that we are alive. So take some time out of your day and discover what it means to breathe. 

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