Tips for Student Wellness

There is Hope!

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as

you believe in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Suicide prevention is about everyday wellness

To help yourself:

  • Locate mental health resources in your school now so you know where they are when you need them – see your school supports poster.
  • Think of at least one staff person at your school that you like and trust, make a plan to talk to them if you need help.
  • In a bullying situation:
  • Walk away and report the incident to an adult you trust.
  • Reach out to an adult you trust – get help.
  • Practice positive self-talk (ie. I am a good person).
  • Seek friends who are upstanders.
  • Join your school’s mental health team – get involved and make some new friends!
  • Create artwork to promote mental health and / or stigma reduction – enter into the Mentally Healthy Schools contest during Spring 2017.
  • Put important numbers in your phone: emergency contacts and crisis lines - in case you need to call in a hurry.
  • Access crisis lines for someone to talk to.
  • Talk to your teachers, school social worker, student success teachers, SPSTs or guidance counselors for information on how to access services both in school and in your community.
  • Life can be full of ups and downs – try tracking your mood to identify patterns. Try the Mind your Mood app.
  • Practice self-care – anything that helps your emotional, physical, mental, social and/or spiritual health.
  • Remember to pausebreathe.

To help a friend:

  • Help create a zero tolerance culture against bullying in your school.
  • Take initiative to get help – tell a trusted adult.
  • Befriend those who are affected by bullying.
  • Think about your actions and how they may affect others.
  • Talk about mental health with your friends – openly and without judgement to raise awareness about how to get help.
  • Many people who have thoughts of suicide will mention it to someone. If a friend is talking about suicide, take it seriously and seek help from a trusted adult.
  • Think of at least one staff person at your school that you like and trust, make a plan to talk to them if you need help for your friend.
  • Keep an eye out for people in your classes that seem alone or left out, and invite them to eat lunch with you, join your group or grab a coffee.
  • Suggest crisis lines for your friends to call to access someone to talk to anytime.
  • Know your own limits when helping a friend. Don’t do it alone – enlist the help and support of caring adults around you. Self-care and boundaries are important.
  • Taking care of yourself while helping others means understanding that your needs are also important.
  • It takes more than one person to support someone during a hard time. Reach out to caring adults.
  • Create healthy boundaries by practicing open communication of your needs in a clear and respectful way.
  • Remember, we may wish to “fix” someone or “fix” things for them but as a friend, our job is to support others only.

“Taking care of ourselves and building personal resiliency are key to suicide prevention”.

(Centre for Suicide Prevention, 2015)