Student Resources

Welcome Toros! Here are some helpful links and online resources to support your emotional wellness throughout your academic journey.

 

Meditation & Mindful Apps

You can use different techniques to practice mindfulness at any time. Try these meditation and mindfulness apps:

HAPPIFY: This is an app and website designed to help users overcome negative thoughts, stress, and life’s challenges using evidence-based solutions. 

SANVELLO: This is an app that provides strategies for managing stress, anxiety, and depression. You can also track your mood throughout the day and learn calming tips. 

HEADSPACE: Try spoken-word exercises, meditation, or practice some deep breathing exercises.

STOP, BREATHE, & THINK: Cope with stress by managing your breathing. The app offers a variety of exercises and information on the effects of stress on the body.

CALM: Calm: Improve your focus, happiness, or gratitude by listening to music, meditation sessions, or a calming background image.

SMILING MIND: This app content is divided by age and incorporates an easy program for both children and adults.

UCLA MINDFUL: Basic meditation exercises in English and Spanish. Informative videos exploring how to get started, supportive meditation postures, and the science of mindfulness. 

SOLITAIRED: Play a solitaire game while also engaging in mindfulness prompts. 

Some apps are completely free while others include a free version with the option to upgrade to premium content and features.

CSUDH Apps

CSUDH EATS (App available for iPhone or iPad)

CSUDH Eats alerts users about free or low-cost food sources on campus. This app will also provide information about items that may be purchased at the campus’s weekly farmers market.

ASK TEDDY (App available for iPhone or Android)

Ask Teddy is a virtual academic advisor and campus guide. 

iTOROS MOBILE (App available for iPhone or Androids)

iToros Mobile provides easy access to your Grades, Holds, To-Do List, Class Schedule and more! Away from your computer? No worries! You can now register and pay fees using your mobile device. 

Mental Health Blogs

NAMI Blog: NAMI shares insight from mental health professionals on a wide array of topics. From mental illness to defeating stigmas, these blog posts offer education, suggestions, and real life stories on living with mental illness.

PsychCentral Blog: PsychCentral maintains an extensive collection of mental health blogs.

Psychology Today: Psychology Today offers a directory of blogs run by mental health professionals and experts in a range of specialty areas.

BarBend: BarBend has an extensive collection on exercise and nutrition. Learn how to improve your mental health through body movement and food-choices. 

CalHOPE

CalHOPE delivers crisis support for communities impacted by a national disaster. This is a Crisis Counseling Assistance and Training Program funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and run by the California Department of Health Care Services.

Current Services:

1. Call the CalHOPE Warm Line: (833) 317-HOPE (4673)

The CalHOPE warm line connects callers to other people who have persevered through struggles with stress, anxiety, depression—emotions triggered by circumstances and events in everyday life. The peer counselors listen with compassion, provide non-judgmental support and guide you to additional resources that can give hope and help them cope.

2. CalHOPE Connect

CalHOPE Connect offers safe, secure, and culturally sensitive emotional support for all Californians who may need support related to stress, anxiety, depression and worries we face.

CalHOPE partnered with California Mental Health Services Association which has a statewide experienced workforce comprised of peers, community mental health workers, and other non-licensed personnel. Individuals in need of emotional and/or crisis support can receive “visits” by phone, videoconference, smart device, or computer chat.

3. CalHOPE Red Line

The CalHOPE Red Line, a peer support program run by the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health (CCUIH), is a phone, chat, and video chat service providing National, State, and County resources, referrals, and trauma-informed support for Urban Indian and Tribal populations. These include resources related to stress, anxiety, social services, and financial resources.

4. Web-based Coping and Stress Management Skills (English and Spanish)

The CalHOPE Together for Wellness website has easy-to-navigate wellness tools, including ones that educate and provide stress-management and coping skills. The University of California, Los Angeles, University of California, Davis, partnered with DHCS to create these online resources to support Californians negatively impacted by the stressors brought on the challenges we all face. The Spanish version of the CalHOPE Together for Wellness website, Juntos por Nuestro Bienestar, is available, along with eight other languages providing culturally appropriate content aimed at teaching coping skills and stress management techniques.

5. CalHOPE Schools Initiative

CalHOPE Schools provides a single point of access for several programs: Building Resilience; Trusted Space; and Stories of Hope programs. These video tools and exercises  can help reduce the stigma around challenges to mental well-being, build supportive environments, and expand the skills of adults and youth to identify and support young people in need of help.

Getting The Most Of Your Online Learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our lives and has forced us to adapt to a virtual environment. Here are some strategies for getting the most of your online learning and improving time management.

1. Create a regular study space and stay organized. 

Whether your study space is your kitchen table, your nightstand, or the patio lawn chair.  Avoid studying in your bed, as this may interfere with your sleep.

2. Figure out how you learn best. 

What time of day are you at your best? Are you a morning person or a night owl? Set aside an hour or two to study and focus on one task at a time. If you have kids that require your attention, try to carve out a study session during their nap-time, free-play, or video game time.

3. Eliminate distractions. 

Some might find that they can tune out a noisy home by listening to music. Others might choose to lock themselves in a room. Others might go outside on the porch or in the backyard. Ultimately, you will need to find a strategy that works best for you.

4. Try using a "done" list. 

A “done” list includes the things you’ve done during the day, such as listening to the biology lecture, responding to an email, submitting assignments, or even having a conversation. The act of writing down what you’ve done and seeing a list of those activities grow throughout the day often can offset the disappointment of a never-ending to-do list.

5. Take a break and get moving. 

Sitting for long periods combined with isolation can contribute to feelings of anxiety. Make sure to incorporate breaks so you can recharge. Drink water, stretch your legs, and take some time to breathe!  Make sure you can see the natural light through your window or door.  Or better yet, go outside for a bit each day to soak up the sunlight.

Hang in there TOROS, you are RESILIENT, and we will get through this pandemic TOGETHER!