Managing Stress & Anxiety
Student Health and Wellness (SHaW) – Mental Health promotes and fosters the emotional and psychological growth and well-being of all students at UConn by providing a wide range of supportive services.
- All UConn students can find information about health and wellness services and events on the SHaW website: https://studenthealth.uconn.edu/
- UConn Counseling and Mental Health Services on each campus
Managing Stress and Anxiety
Tips for Managing Social Anxiety
- Embracing Uncertainty: A Guided Meditation from UConn’s Becky Acabchuk
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If you aren’t sure how to go about getting out into society again, here are some tips to help (adapted from https://www.verywellmind.com/how-to-adapt-to-post-pandemic-reality-with-social-anxiety-5180281)
- Make a point of getting outside every day, even if it is only to go for a short walk.
- Volunteer to run an errand for your household to ease into situations with more people.
- Choose the pick-up option versus delivery. It will get you outside and you’ll interact with a limited number of people.
- Go to your classrooms before classes start and walk around for a bit to feel more comfortable before the first day back.
- Make a plan for how many social events you can tolerate in one day and then stick to that plan.
- Try to socialize in other ways to increase opportunities to connect even when you’re at home or in your res hall/apartment, such as by talking on the phone, using video calls, or sending emails to your loved ones or friends.
Regardless of what you need to do, keep it gradual as you work towards spending more time with others. Start with the easier things and work your way up to the harder things. It’s always a good idea to combine these activities with relaxation techniques, both before, during, and after the experience, to help ease the anxiety. Be kind and patient with yourself if you feel anxious. But don’t let that stop you from taking the steps to stop avoiding the things that you need to do the most.
Introduction to Mindfulness
- Introduction to Mindfulness
- Student Health and Wellness is offering a workshop to support stress reduction and overall well-being. This 60 minute workshop introduces basic skills of mindfulness practice to include deep breathing, present moment awareness, and self-acceptance. Check out the link above for dates and times during the semester.
- https://studenthealth.uconn.edu/mindfulness
Managing Mental Health During the Pandemic
Stress Reduction in 5 Minutes or Less
Managing Stress (video)
How to Make Stress your Friend (video)
The Secret of Calm
- The secret of calm: how to de-stress if you have one minute, five minutes – or 14 days
- Anxiety is running high, and it can be difficult to find time alone to take a deep breath. Here is a guide to relaxing, however much time you have to spare.
Learning Anxiety: 10 Ways to Calm Your Mind
- Learning Anxiety: 10 Ways to Calm Your Mind
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- If you frequently find yourself dealing with stress and anxiety that’s interfering with your studying, here are a few tried and proven tips for managing your learning anxiety.
Self-care Tips to Reduce Anxiety
- Self-care Tips to Reduce Anxiety
- As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to increase, anxiety related to the outbreak is on the rise too. But there are things you can do to help reduce your anxious feelings and in turn, strengthen your immune system.
Mood and Anxiety Clinic
- Mood and Anxiety Clinic
- The Mood and Anxiety Clinic at the UConn Health is dedicated to providing comprehensive and compassionate care to individuals struggling with mood and anxiety symptoms
Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation
- Stress Management: Breathing Exercises for Relaxation. Have you ever noticed how you breathe when you feel relaxed? The next time you are relaxed, take a moment to notice how your body feels. Or think about how you breathe when you first wake up in the morning or just before you fall asleep. Breathing exercises can help you relax, because they make your body feel like it does when you are already relaxed.
The Top Mental Health Challenges Facing Students with Resources


Meditation
Facilitated Meditation
- Student Heath and Wellness Events
- Check out the Student Health and Wellness Events page for dates and times during the Fall semester.
Guided Meditation to Calm Anxiety
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Black Lives Matter Meditation
- Black Lives Matter Meditation by Dr. Candice Nicole
Copper Beach Institute
- Copper Beach Institute offers online classes in meditation and mindfulness. Beginners are welcome. These classes help people to quiet their minds and focus on their well-being.
The SHARP Research Lab
- The SHARP Research Lab. SHARP Lab is partnering with campus groups at UConn (Counselling and Mental Health Services, Freshman Year Experience, and others), as well as local high schools and community groups, to evaluate methods that assist teens and adults in creating a habit of daily meditation.
The S.T.O.P. Practice for Stress
- The S.T.O.P. Practice for Stress. A six-minute guided meditation from Elisha Goldstein for reducing reactivity so you can come down from a hectic day.
Meditation: A Simple, Fast Way to Reduce Stress
- Meditation: A simple, fast way to reduce stress. Meditation can wipe away the day's stress, bringing with it inner peace. See how you can easily learn to practice meditation whenever you need it most.
Coming Back to Breath Meditation
- Coming Back to Breath Meditation by Alexis Pauline Gumbs
Lovingkindness Meditation for Oppressive Experiences
- Lovingkindness Meditation for Oppressive Experiences A written meditation adapted from Sharon Salzberg
Meditation & Mindful Apps
Insight Timer
Smiling Mind
MyLife Meditation
UCLA Mindful
Healthy Minds Program

Other Resources
JED Campus Resources
- Thanks to a partnership between USG and UConn administration, we are actively involved in the JED Campus initiative to increase mental health awareness and access to resources. Check out some of the following resources offered by the JED Foundation to support your mental health
How Are Students Taking Care of Their Mental Health During the Pandemic
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PRlKfJOSjY#JEDVoices
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAigueyTclg&t=223s
Active Minds
- Active Minds
- Is dedicated to saving lives and to building stronger families and communities. Through education, research, advocacy, and a focus on young adults ages 14–25, Active Minds is opening up the conversation about mental health and creating lasting change in the way mental health is talked about, cared for, and valued in the United States.
The Holistic Husky Podcast
- The Holistic Husky Podcast
- A community where UConn students can express their experiences with mental health and inspire students to take charge of their wellness.
Random Acts of Kindness
- Random Acts of Kindness
- We need to distance ourselves, but that doesn’t mean we can’t help each other. During difficult times, we often see the most beautiful acts of kindness. If you’re home and looking for things to do to keep busy, scroll down for a list of resources to help! We will get through this sooner if we take care of ourselves and each other (without risking contagion). Kindness is a powerful tool. Let’s use it.