Locate Resources & Manage Stressful Situations

King County Referral & Crisis Resources

Seattle/King County provides extensive resource information about medical, mental health, dental, legal, housing, employment and other services. They can be reached at Community Resources Online at www.crisisclinic.org and by telephone at 2-1-1 or (206) 461-3200 or (800) 621-4636. For TTY dial 206 461-3610 or 7-1-1 Relay.

The King County Crisis Clinic provides a 24-hour crisis line at (206) 461-3222 or 866.4Crisis (427-4747). For TTY dial (206) 461-3219

National Institute of Mental Health

The National Institute of Mental Health provides information about dozens of topics.

Online Mental Health Screening

Complete a brief self-assessment and receive descriptive information about depression, bi-polar depression, generalized anxiety, or post traumatic stress disorder using an online mental health screening. Screening results are informational, not diagnostic, and are not intended as a substitute for a visit with a medical professional.

Washington State University Coalition

Washington State University Coalition for HB 1079 Students provides information and resource referral  helping students who are or who may benefit from attending college through WA State House Bill 1079. House Bill (HB)1079, signed on May 7, 2003 by Washington Governor Locke, allows undocumented students to attend college and pay in-state tuition in the State of Washington.

Opportunity Center for Employment and Education

The Opportunity Center for Employment and Education (OCE&E) is located on the North Seattle College campus. The OCE&E  houses a team from the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services and related partner agencies  that aims to provide basic safety-net services necessary to pursue employment and education. These include psychiatric services, help for children and families, nursing and family planning, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence.

Tips and strategies from the NSC Counseling Department

Online, In-Person, and Hybrid

Online

• Stay on a routine; follow instructor schedule as much as possible
• Establish an organized and clutter-free study area
• Take advantage of video lectures to repeat/slow down
• Study during most alert times
• Set a reward system

Hybrid/In-Person

• Prioritize virtual/in-person classes
• Schedule study time outside of your classes
• Take notes during class and organize/condense them right after
• Pay attention to deadlines
• Create a to-do list breaking assignment deadlines into steps
• Study near a window with plenty of natural light

Always a Good Idea

• Limit distractions by closing all tabs and apps
• Communicate with instructors
• Use College Support Services, study on campus

Study Tips to Prep for Finals Week

Emiko Minatoya-Shields, M.Ed      
North Seattle College Counseling

Schedule study times for each class during the day and throughout the week. Start with a 1:2 class credits to study time. For example, if you are enrolled in a 5-credit class, allocate 10 hours of study time per week, then adjust time amount based on your personal needs.

Tips and Strategies from NSC Counseling Department

• Make a weekly or monthly calendar of activities and responsibilities.
• Make a to-do list of what needs to be completed each day.
• Schedule study time when most alert to increase productivity.
• Delegate responsibility when appropriate to help avoid an overwhelming number of tasks.
• Be willing to let go of complete control/perfection over a project, assignment, or activity.

Manage Your Study Environment

• Reduce clutter and unnecessary paperwork.
• Put devices in "do not disturb" mode, close extra website tabs.
• Complete schoolwork at a desk/table.

Avoid Procrastination

• Start with what you can complete within your scheduled study time.
• Take small breaks to help refocus yourself and stay on task.
• Set realistic goals.

Study Tips to Prep for Finals Week

Emiko Minatoya-Shields, M.Ed     
North Seattle College Counseling

Take a deep breath and tell yourself not to panic, freeze, or ignore the situation with denial/distractions.

Follow Tips and Strategies from NSC Counseling Department

Practice calm compassion, and make a plan.

Consider temporarily clearing out your calendar, reducing work commitments, or other responsibilities to meet your deadlines. In a kind, calm voice, tell yourself you can get help by following the steps below.

• Step 1: Communicate with your instructors.
• Step 2: Pay attention to deadlines and test dates.
• Step 3: Prioritize assignments starting with those with the closest deadlines.
• Step 4: Work backward on missed assignments.
• Step 5: Talk to an NSC counselor to develop a study plan and learn to manage your schedule.
• Step 6: Talk with your advisor and/or financial aid to discuss your academic options.

Study Tips to Prep for Finals Week

Emiko Minatoya-Shields, M.Ed  
North Seattle College Counseling

Stress may show up mentally, emotionally, physically, a combo, or other ways that vary person to person.

Tips for Coping with Stress in the Moment

Mental Stress

• Practice a mindfulness exercise, like paying attention to one of your five senses, or a short meditation activity.
• Create a daily routine as predictability can reduce stress.

Emotional Stress

• Try a calming visualization exercise, like picturing something that brings you comfort. This can be a memory, a place, or a person.
• Or try saying out loud affirmations of safety and reassurance.

Physical Stress

• Try a guided progressive muscle relaxation, or your own gentle stretch.
• Long, slow, deep breaths, inhaling and exhaling to the count of 4 may also be helpful.

Check out Counseling for more info/tips on managing types of stress and further resources! 
Emiko Minatoya-Shields, MED 2022 NSC Counseling Distribution for Non-Profit Educational Purposes. Resources from ggia.berkeley.edu.

Tips for Self-Compassion

Emiko Minatoya-Shields, M.Ed 
North Seattle College Counseling

Shift from harsh self-judgment to treating self with caring support, and the understanding you'd show others

Tips for Self-Compassion in Difficult Moments

• Remind yourself everyone has flaws and makes mistakes
  • You're not alone in feeling this way
• Be mindful of how you're feeling rather than avoiding/ignoring, distracting from, or judging those feelings.
  • This helps you identify what would be supportive.
• Just like in airplane safety videos where you have to put on your own oxygen mask first before you can help others:
  • Care for yourself first, then make a plan for things that need to happen.
• Connect with others:
  • Notice when you need more help, and identify who are good supports for school, life, or work.

Study Tips to Prep for Finals Week

Emiko Minatoya-Shields, M.Ed 
North Seattle College Counseling

Get organized now! Don't wait until the week of: Check final exam format, make a study schedule with breaks, consolidate notes, visit office hours/tutors, and pay attention to deadlines.

Get enough sleep, food, and have multiple short study sessions with breaks to manage stress so you can actually learn. Reduce test-anxiety by engaging in compassionate self-talk or relaxation strategies like deep breath sighs.

Pre-test strategies

• Break large chunks of information into smaller parts to increase memory and retention.
• Create a study schedule to review.
• Take frequent breaks in your memorizing to increase retention.
• Study difficult materials several times and quiz to practice using that information.
• Review homework, old tests, or re-work complex problems. Practice...Practice...Practice.
• Use instructor-provided study guide if available.

During An Exam

• Take a deep breath. Tell yourself, “I am prepared for this exam, I am calm, I am excited to show what I know.”
• Quickly jot down ideas you want to include or things that you have memorized to use.
• Read directions and questions slowly and carefully.
• Scan the exams and start with questions that provide immediate recall.
• Be sure you do what is asked: define, list, compare, and contrast, etc.
• If you get stuck, skip difficult questions or questions that take more time.
• If you run out of time, provide an outline rather than writing in full sentences.

North Seattle College
Counseling Department
L.Y. Minatoya, Ph.D.

Severe sudden stress occurs in situations that directly happen to us—such as accidents, crimes and disasters—and also may occur when we learn shocking news about the lives and safety of family, friends and people with whom we identify. You may experience greater stress if you also have been impacted by previous disasters or have recently lost a loved one.

News of world disasters and national tragedies can also increase stress, and activities such as watching violent imagery and reading about violent events in the news are best avoided in the aftermath of an accident. However, a positive fact is that humans have evolved to be highly resilient, to recover from hardship, and to use loss to rededicate themselves to greater kindness and appreciation of life.

Accidents cause significant sudden stress. When we are in an accident, our bodies and brains immediately and involuntarily become re-directed—automatically responding to the impact of the situation and triggering biochemical reactions needed to manage injury and prevent further harm. Because our brains are fully engaged with sending messages that prioritize survival, forming and storing memories is less essential; and people may find that they cannot recall the accident in detail.

After an accident, our bodies prioritize recovery and gradually return to normalcy. Healing takes considerable energy. In addition, it takes time for our brains to absorb the experience and relax from high danger/high alert survival reactions of anger, fear and immobility (fight/flight/freeze).

Reactions common to the first couple of weeks following an accident or severe sudden stress—such as irritability, worry/anxiety, difficulty “getting moving” and efficiently completing tasks—are not symptoms that “something is wrong with you” but rather are evidence of the recovery process and your phasing-down from conditions of danger.

To help yourself and others during this period of gradual return to normal:

• Eat healthy foods and rest and sleep.
• Spend time with friends and family.
• Ask your instructors and college employees, if you need extra help.
• Be patient with yourself and others.
• Continue to do things that make you feel productive and involved—go to classes, participate in social activities—yet approach them in small steps so you don’t exhaust yourself.
• Share information about assistance and resources.
• Actively look for experiences of kindness, beauty, playfulness and humor that occur in each day and encourage yourself to recall them with gratitude.
• Look for opportunities to express generosity and kindness.

Because our bodies and brains are prioritizing recovery and return to normalcy, after sudden severe stress we naturally become re-engaged with school, friendships and the pleasures of engaging in daily life. Yet, sometimes, we may feel guilty for having avoided harm due to a random decision to alter our plans or for enjoying ourselves when others experienced greater losses. These feelings are natural and may be reduced by being generous to others, by honoring others’ dreams through striving to achieve your own, and by becoming more appreciative of life.

As part of normal, healthy recovery after sudden severe stress, we may sometimes find ourselves re-experiencing anxiety, fear or high alert, in situations that remind us of the accident (such as riding a bus or hearing an emergency vehicle siren), when alone, before falling asleep at night, or when waking during the night. If this happens, it may help to breathe slowly in and out through the nose, to a count of four, and tell yourself a soothing phrase such as, “I’m safe, I’m loved.” If you cannot fall asleep within 20 minutes, get out of bed, go to another room and read a relaxing book until you grow sleepy. Then, return to bed. Keep your bedroom cool and dark. It is also helpful to use the times when you tend to worry to actively look for things that are beautiful, fun or interesting or to think in detail about something you enjoyed, such as taking a study-break with friends.

Resources:

For more information, here are some helpful links

http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/road-resilience.aspx American Psychological Association provides information about building resilience—the ability to bounce back from hardship.

https://www.rickhanson.net/mind-full-good/ This site provides interesting and useful information about mindful resilience from a research/practitioner associated with UC Berkeley’s Science for the Greater Good Center

Tips to Manage Election Anxieties

Dr. Jenny Mao, PhD
North Seattle College Counseling

• Do not focus on what you cannot control During times of uncertainty, it is common
  to imagine a worst-case scenario. Recognize that on election night, there may not
  be a clear winner. Be OK with not knowing and limit thinking negatively about
  election outcomes. Tell yourself you can wait until all votes are counted.
• Focus behaviors on what you can control Engage in meaningful activities that you
  enjoy.
• Limit exposure to the news Watching a 24-hour news cycle can increase your stress
  response. You may want to watch / read about election updates just once a day.
• Recognize some anxiety is normal An article from Newsweek highlights that the
  election brings about our "fears and hope of how the administration will reflect our
  values as citizens. "Reassure your midbrain that regardless of what happens, we as
  collective citizens are resilient and strong. We have coped with challenges like the
  Covid-19 Pandemic and the 2020 election before, and we have the internal
  resources to cope with outcomes of this election.
• Establish mutual supportive connections American Psychological Association
  writes: "people who have at least one or two friends or family members to turn to
  during stressful times tend to cope better than those who don't have support.
  " Stay connected with friends, housemates, family members, or roommates. Participate in
  campus supported activities to expand your support during the week of the
  election. We’ve invited therapy dogs to come to campus right before election day
  to help soothe stress. Join us in the World Community Center from 12-2pm on
  Monday, November 4th.
• Stay active Exercise helps relieve stress and regulate mood. On election day, plan
  physical activities to promote health and well-being. Check out the drop-in
  movement classes at the Roy Flores Wellness Center to get your body moving and
  release election stress.
• Engage in self-care strategies Some self-care strategies may include getting enough
  sleep; eating well; exercising; staying socially connected; mindful meditation; and
  limiting exposure to news cycles. Check out the Greater Good Science Center for
  short guided-exercises that promote self-care and well-being.

Download tips

References
American Psychological Association. (2020, October 7).2020 Presidential Election A Source of Significant Stress For
More Americans Than 2016 Presidential Race. Cision, PR Newswire. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2020-presidential-election-a-source-of-significant-stress-for-more-americans-than-2016-presidential-race-301147222.html 

GANDER, KASHMIRA. How to Cope With Election Anxiety, According to the American Psychological Association, 7

Oct. 2020, www.newsweek.com/how-cope-election-anxiety-american-psychological-association-apa-1537014.