The information provided here covers a wide variety of mental health topics. Elements of this content may be difficult for individuals to explore on their own. Please care for your safety and well-being throughout this process. If these resources bring up questions or concerns you have, please seek out support from a trusted adult.

Mental Health impacts all of us. We all have our own mental health and must treat it with care and support just as we do our physical health. When we struggle with our mental health, we need support and understanding from our support systems and from ourselves. Use these links to learn ore about mental health.

If you are concerned about a friend, use these resources to find out more information and advice for supporting a loved one or peer.

Establishing and maintaining a well rounded and personalized self-care routine is one of the most important things you can do for your mental wellness. Learning how to navigate and manage difficult emotions such as stress and anxiety can have a large impact on our mental wellness and our overall health.

Include activities in your schedule that bring you joy and help you process emotions. Examples of activities which promote health include moving your body, spending time outside, journaling, listening to calming music, being creative, talking to loved ones, eating well, and getting enough sleep. No two people are the same. Take some time to get to know yourself and what helps you manage stress. Use the resource to explore new activities you may want to practice and add into your coping skills.

• 30 Grounding Techniques
• 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
• Body Scan
• Box Breathing
• Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Guided Meditation Videos
• Mindful Breathing
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation

• Insight Timer
• Headspace
• Smiling Mind
• Calm

Anxiety

While it is here to help keep us safe, anxiety can often be difficult to navigate. Anxiety can sometimes become problematic while dealing with stressful but not dangerous situations. Learning more about your anxiety can help you work to navigate stressful situations and manage your anxious reactions. Use these links to learn more about anxiety, panic attacks and more.

Coping Skills and Grounding Exercises:

If you have been experiencing panic attacks, please seek support from a trusted adult for support. Practicing grounding exercises can increase a person's ability to ground their body during states of panic. Grounding exercises are simple and effective ways you can work to refocus on the present moment. These exercises can offer support when experiencing uncomfortable and overwhelming emotions. Adding these skills into your coping skills can help support you with stress and anxiety management.

• 30 Grounding Techniques
• 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Exercise
• Body Scan
• Box Breathing
• Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Guided Meditation Videos
• Mindful Breathing
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation

Helpful Apps:

• Clear Fear: An app which helps users learn to reduce the physical responses to anxiety and practice ways to change thoughts and reactions.UK based app, be mindful not to rely on the hotlines provided on the app.
• Combined Minds: An app to help parents/guardians support young people's mental health. UK based app, be mindful not to rely on the hotlines provided on the app.
• Guided Meditation Apps: Use these apps to help you pause and ground yourself as yo listen to guided meditations.
  • Insight Timer
  • Headspace
  • Smiling Mind
  • Calm

Self Guided Workbooks for Anxiety:

Depression

The information provided here addresses depression. Elements of this content may be difficult for individuals to explore on their own. Please care for your safety and well-being throughout this process. If these resources bring up questions or concerns you have, please see out support from a trusted adult.

If you have been struggling with feelings of depression and overwhelming sadness, remember this is not something you need to go through on your own. Please make sure to reach out to a trusted adult to share how you are feeling. Navigating feelings of depression should be addressed with a Mental Health Specialist.

While working with a Mental Health Specialist or trusted adult, it is important to care for your mental health by maintaining a positive self-care routine. Depression can cause us to isolate ourselves from friends, family and loved ones. It is important to remain connected with others.

Activities such as exercise, artistic expression, journaling, challenging negative thoughts, and reaching out to loved ones can help people manage symptoms of depression. Visit the information here to learn more about depression.

• Am I being to hard on myself?
• Can I imagine a positive outcome? How is that different? How do I feel when I think about the positive outcome?
• Do I have all the evidence for this thought? Can I think of any examples that prove my fears might not be true?
• If a friend shared this with me, what would I say to them?
• Will it matter in a year from now? Five years from now?

Practicing gratitude regularly has been shown to increase positive emotions and improve well-being. Use the Three Good Things Worksheet to keep a weekly log of positive aspects of your week. 

Please do not navigate feelings of depression on your own. Reach out and share how you are feeling. 

Disordered Eating

The information provided here addresses disordered eating. Elements of this content may be difficult for individuals to explore on their own. Please care for your safety and well-being throughout this process. If these resources bring up questions or concerns you have, please see out support from a trusted adult.

The National Eating Disorders Association is a non-profit organization devoted to preventing eating disorders, providing treatment referrals, and increasing the education and understanding of eating disorders, weight, and body image. 

Grief

The Healing Center is currently offering grief support groups virtually for anyone who is suffering from losing a loved one. This is a non-profit organization and they do not charge or bill insurance, but operate from donations.

Another local resource is the Comprehensive Puget Sound Grief Support Services

Harassment/Bullying

If these resources bring up questions or concerns you have, please care for your safety and well-being and see out support from a trusted adult.

Parents, school staff and other adults in the community can help kids prevent bullying by talking about it, building a safe school environment, and creating a community-wide bullying prevention strategy. Follow this LINK for more information.

Northshore School District Harassment and Bullying Resources

Healthy Relationships

If these resources bring up questions or concerns you have, please care for your safety and well-being and seek out support from a trusted adult.

Love is Respect is the national resource to disrupt and prevent unhealthy relationships and intimate partner violence by empowering young people through inclusive and equitable education, support, and resources.

Trauma

If these resources bring up questions or concerns you have, please care for your safety and well-being and see out support from a trusted adult.

National Child Traumatic Stress Network is an American organization whose "mission is to raise the standard of care and improve access to services for traumatized children, their families, and communities throughout he United States." The site contains a wide variety of information and resources to support individuals in further understanding and navigating trauma. 

The National Alliance on Mental Illness identifies the importance of the inclusion of identity and cultural dimensions while discussing Mental Health with the following statement: "Our culture, beliefs, sexual identity, values, race and language all affect how we perceive and experience mental health conditions. In fact, cultural differences can influence what treatments, coping mechanisms and supports work for us. It is therefore essential for culture and identity to be a part of the conversation as we discuss both mental health and mental health care." 

The links provided below highlight important resources for different identities and cultural dimensions.

The information provided here addresses a wide variety of mental health topics. Elements of this content may be difficult for individuals to explore on their own. Please care for your safety and well-being throughout this process. It these resources bring up questions or concerns you have, please seek out support from a trusted adult.

ASB's Mental Health Committee is a group of students who work to increase mental health awareness at BHS. The committee also creates and distributes the Never Alone Newsletter:

• January 2021 Issue
• February 2021 Issue

Mental Health Matters Club

Join us for the newly created Mental Health Matters Club at BHS. Our goal is to create a safe and welcoming community where students can hang out, build friendships, and check in about how we are doing and what we are going through. We also work on projects to support the mental wellness of our BHS community. We foster a safe and welcoming environment where we support, encourage, and empathize with each other. We will meet every Wednesday from 12:00-1:00pm. Come be a part of creating this club and making it our own, we would be so happy to have you!

Zoom Link: https://nsd.zoom.us/j/88280251862