Health/Mental Health Support
Supporting your physical and mental health is a top priority for us! Below are suggestions on how to accomplish this! Please reach out to us if you have suggestions you would like to add to this list.
The Health Center at Auraria is open to support the health needs of our community.
The CU Denver Student and Community Counseling Center is providing remote, online counseling services. Mental health services will be available via telehealth/online video calls. The virtual hours will be 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. during this time. Questions? Please call 303-315-7270.
If you are experiencing undue stress or anxiety, we encourage you to call the Health Center at Auraria to talk to a medical professional or counselor. Call 303-615-9999 and indicate that you would like to schedule a “Coronavirus Consultation.” There will be no charge for this visit.
The university has compiled a list of health and mental health resources for students on the university site under General FAQs – Health and Counseling Resources.
Lindsey Hamilton, the Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning at CU Denver, put together the following information to interpret the importance and benefits of social distancing, deal with anxiety and combat cabin fever and take care of yourself.
Social distancing and you
- What Is 'Social Distancing?' Here's How to Best Practice It as Coronavirus Spreads (Time Magazine)
- The Dos and Don’ts of "Social Distancing" (The Atlantic)
- Social Distancing: This Is Not A Snow Day (Medium)
- How to practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic (MIT Technology Review)
- 'Social distancing' shouldn't mean losing human connection (The Washington Post)
Dealing with anxiety
Tips for managing coronavirus anxiety: "Limit the level of intrusions" (CBS News)
Coronavirus Anxiety: How to Cope (Teen Vogue, which, for the record, has been doing incredible reporting)
Mental Health Professionals Are Preparing for an Epidemic of Anxiety Around the Coronavirus (Mother Jones; a discussion about the impacts of the virus on mental health and how it may specifically impact those with mental health disorders)
Tips for combating ‘cabin fever’
Pick up a new hobby
Writing about science for popular audiences
- Training is available through the Massive Science Consortium for $10 and you become a published author at the end of it!
Yoga/fitness/meditation
- Touchstone Climbing will be live-streaming several of their fitness and yoga classes while their gyms are closed (through at least April 1st). Recordings will also be available if you’re unable to join the live classes (all times PST).
- Down Dog is offering free subscriptions to their online classes (yoga, barre, HIIT, and general fitness) through April 1st
- Tons of free classes are also available through Yoga with Adriene on YouTube
- Headspace always offers a free two-week trial of their meditation classes
Knitting/crocheting
- Tons of free patterns available through Yarnspiration (yes, you can get yarn delivered!) and Ravelry (registration required)
Learn something new
- Skype A Scientist usually connects K-12 teachers with researchers so students have the opportunity to learn from a real-life scientist, but they also have live sessions that are a bit less structured and open to all! Sign up for email updates (to get notified about future live sessions) here.
“Go” to the zoo via live cam
- Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Cincinnati Zoo (home of Fiona the Hippo; “home safaris” streaming on Facebook Live weekdays at 12:00 PM PST)
Maintain social connections even if you can’t get together in-person
- FaceTime game nights! ( Punderdome, for example! 😊)
- Pick up a new show – reach out to your friends to create a list of possibilities