Wildcat Wellness

Good mental health is critical to your success in school and life. Research demonstrates that students who are taught and learn social–emotional skills function better in all aspects of their lives. School climate, classroom behavior, on-task learning, academic achievement, and students’ sense of connectedness and well-being all improve with a fit mind.

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If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.

What Is 988?

The new 988 number for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline went into effect on July 16, 2022. In July 2020, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 988 as the new three-digit number for the Lifeline. The number has trained staff to answer calls from individuals at risk for suicide as well as those experiencing other mental health and substance use-related emergencies. Specialized services are available for veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals, and other groups.

How It Works

Call: When you call 988, you will first hear a greeting message with the option to press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line, 2 for Spanish, or stay on the line while your call is routed to your local Lifeline network crisis center. Then, a trained crisis counselor will answer the phone, provide support, and share resources if needed.
Text: When you text 988, you will complete a short survey letting the crisis counselor know a little about your situation. You will be connected with a trained crisis counselor in a crisis center, who will answer the text, provide support, and share resources if needed.
Chat: Visit 988lifeline.org and find the chat button in the top right-hand corner of the screen. You will complete a short survey letting the crisis counselor know a little bit about your current situation. Then, you’ll see a wait-time message while you are connected with a trained crisis counselor who will answer the chat, provide support, and share resources if needed.

Calls are answered locally if there is a local call center. When/If local call centers are not staffed, calls are routed to nearby states or the national office at Vibrant Emotional Health, an MHA affiliate and administrator of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Helpful Videos and Links to Understand Stress, Anxiety, and the Nervous System

How We Feel

How We Feel is a free journal for your well-being created by scientists, designers, engineers, and psychologists. Over time, you will learn precise words to describe how you feel, spot trends and patterns, and practice simple strategies to regulate your emotions in healthy ways.

Positive Affirmations +++ on the App Store (apple.com)

Positive affirmations are a powerful tool that can help to improve your mental and emotional well-being. By repeating positive statements about yourself and your life, you can train your brain to focus on the good, and let go of negative thoughts and limiting beliefs. This can help to increase your confidence and self-esteem, and improve your overall mindset.

Headspace for Teens

Breathing Awareness: Lie down on the floor with your legs flat or bent at the knees, your arms at your sides, palms up, and your eyes closed. Breathe through your nose if you can. Focus on your breathing. Place your hand on the place that seems to rise and fall the most as you breathe. If this place is on your chest, you need to practice breathing more deeply so that your abdomen rises and falls most noticeably. When you are nervous or anxious you tend to breathe short, shallow breaths in the upper chest. Now, place both hands on your abdomen and notice how your abdomen rises and falls with each breath. Notice if your chest is moving in harmony with your abdomen. Continue to do this for several minutes. Get up slowly. This is something you can do during a break at work. If you can’t lie down, you can do it sitting in a chair.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline:

Headspace for Teens