St. Clair Representative Council promotes mental health and wellness

Other than leaves, grade point average and mental health of students also fall in autumn.

It’s something the St. Clair College student representative council understands and is trying to deal with.

According to SRC President Miranda Underwood, you can’t have an SRC meeting without being concerned with mental health of students.

Last year Underwood was a public relations student at St. Clair College, and said she dealt with her own form of stress and anxiety while being a student. When she was elected SRC president she began to understand how important it is breaking the misunderstandings and stigma around student mental health issues.

According to Underwood, students believe mental health refers to being depressed and or having a diagnosed mental condition. She said feeling anxious or tired or anti social are also signs of negative mental health.

She added that all of the SRC councilors have been taught to look out for the signs of poor mental health.

“Sometimes it’s as small as someone you can see with their head down or the puffy eyes,” said Underwood. “A week ago we heard that there was a student in the hallway having a mental breakdown, considering suicide, the absolute extreme of it (mental health signs). “

“A past board member who still works here saw them in the hallway, spoke with them and all they wanted was for someone to hold their hand, so they held her hand and sent her to other student service and that was just one way we could help,” she added.

From Oct. 5, this year the SRC held its third annual The Yellow Umbrella Project week-long event. This project is a mental health and wellness week where everyday has a different theme. They promoted good eating with dietitians, had yoga classes, self defense classes and did a campaign asking students what makes them happy.

On Friday, Nov. 6, the college will promote its Random Act of Kindness day where students will be motivated to do a small kind deed to fellow students. Underwood said these small acts of kindness seem insignificant but might help someone who is has had a bad day.

Underwood said on top of these other initiatives the SRC is hoping to start a ‘Be a Saint’ Facebook page, where students can post nice and motivational things to their classmates. She said this would simulate the Spotted at St. Clair page but would filter through some of the more negative/sexual comments.

A Canadian Mental Health Association referral agent in Windsor said the winter months receive the highest calls to their crisis centre. As the temperatures drop and the sun sets earlier she said it is important to remain active and social. She said try eating healthy, getting lots of exercise and despite the cold go out with friends or family.