Counselor’s Corner – April 17, 2020
Social-Emotional Counseling – Mindfulness
I highly encourage you as parents and you as students to download a mindfulness app. There are so many moments that feel out of our control right now. Mindfulness is a practice that can help us stay in the moment and find that centered, grounded feeling when everything else feels up in the air. Use these apps during your daily walk or before going to sleep, to create a calming healthy routine.
I like the UCLA Mindfulness app, which is updated regularly. Others have recommended the Mindfulness App for Fidgety Skeptics. Here are some other mindfulness app mindfulness app options for you.
Mental Health
Reach out and get support if you feel you need it or a loved one needs it. Here are some resources for online therapy posted by the International School Counseling Association. We are ALL being pushed beyond our usual limits right now. Thankfully, we have a lot of resources right at our fingertips. I know it might feel strange to start having counseling online with someone you don’t know, but rest assured, the online therapists are highly skilled and they are used to working this way. They will lead the way and make you feel more comfortable.
Sleep
While many of us may be having difficulty sleeping due to anxiety, it is important that we focus our energy on this perhaps under-rated aspect of our lives. Sleep is fundamental to our well being and right now, our well being is the most important defense we have against COVID-19.
Here are some tips for improving your sleep:
- Remove all technology from your room
- Sleep at the same time every day
- Sleep in a cool dark room
- Put away tech devices one hour prior to sleeping
- Create a sleep routine: shower, dim the lights, read a book, meditate
If you wake up in the middle of the night, use your breath to bring you back to the present. Place your hand on your chest or belly and continue noticing your breath, breathing in and out until you fall back asleep.
Check out this Ted Talk on the importance of Sleep: Sleep is your superpower
Normalizing this Experience
I am a trained trauma therapist and wanted to share this message below as it normalizes the feelings many of us are having.
College Counseling
We are thrilled for our Grade 12 students who have received offers of admission at top universities around the globe. Well done, Seniors! A list of those universities will be shared once students have received all their offers, which continue to come in.
While the Seniors are anxious about not having a “normal” end to the year and are wondering how this will impact their arrival at their universities of choice, they can be comforted to know that universities are honoring their admissions offers and making arrangements for online learning if students are unable to travel or need to quarantine to start the year on campus. In the meantime, the students and I are working through a University Prep course via Coursera and are presenting to their classmates on topics ranging from dealing with the challenges of having a roommate, to managing their finances at university, to getting academic and social emotional support on campus.
For students in grades 9-11, we continue to meet and complete tasks in BridgeU, our online university and career research and application platform. Students are finding universities that match their interests, creating shortlists of universities, and building their resumes or CVs. Ask them to share these with you!
University of the Week
Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne
EHL : Lausanne and Singapore campuses
Swiss Hospitality Management and Business School
Attend a webinar on their bachelor’s program on April 23
EHL Junior Academy
The EHL Junior Academy offers a balanced program of interactive workshops and fun activities to introduce students to the art of Hospitality Management, through:
1. Hospitality immersion
2. Business concepts
3. Experience sharing and making new friends
Virtual University Showcase: UK
Thursday 23 April, 11:00 BST / 18:00 HKT
Our second showcase features top UK universities, including University of Exeter, London Metropolitan University and University College London. Admissions reps will share information and take questions from counselors, students and parents.
