AUC’s Focus on Well-Being

By: Iman Omary, Associate Director Student Well-Being and Outreach

Well-being has become a hot topic at AUC and around the world for a few years now. More and more, institutions are realizing that we need to address well-being to allow for a healthy community, especially after a pandemic that continues to tax people’s emotional resources. AUC is prioritizing mental health as it’s clear that communities are enabled to thrive by nurturing their emotional health and general well-being.

According to a World Health Organization (WHO) press release on March 2, 2022, “The Covid-19 pandemic trigger[ed] 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide”, during the first year. Not surprisingly, this increase was also observed at AUC as the Center for Student Well-being (CSW) witnessed an unprecedented surge in requests for mental health support – not unlike many other universities and centers around the world.
Consequently, WHO urged countries to address the mental health needs of their populations.
And so did AUC. Provost Ehab Abdel Rahman issued a personal plea in November 2020 urging the community to be mindful and supportive of the rising levels of anxiety and stress reported by students. In the Spring 2022, President Ahmed Dallal also launched a Mental Health initiative emphasizing the need to reduce stigma and avail services to those in need. And most recently, a large-scale mental health campaign was launched in celebration of World Mental Health Day on October 10.

The lingering effects of the Covid pandemic are still very palpable despite the world’s efforts to cope and move on. Students everywhere continue to struggle to get the help they need whether for pre-existing conditions or for new psychological impacts of Covid.

According to WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “the information we have now about the impact of Covid-19 on the world’s mental health is just the tip of the iceberg.”

Of grave concern is that the services for suicide prevention were seriously disrupted during the pandemic while suicidality and self-harm remain a challenge for our most vulnerable student populations.

On a more hopeful note, there are basic measures that we can all take to safeguard our mental health and well-being:

1 – Get enough sleep
Aim for at least eight hours. Sleep helps your mind and body replenish its energy stores. It has a positive impact on mood and problem solving.

2 – Spend time with people who care about you such as family, friends, and neighbors.
These are the people who you can count on in critical times.

3 – Breathe deeply.

Deep breathing and relaxation exercises serve to de-stress your body as they turn down all the internal
motors that are constantly running during the day.
4 – Eat nutritiously.

Be mindful of what you put in your body and the effect it has on you. Make sure you have sufficient fruits, vegetables, grains, and antioxidant foods that give you energy, increase your concentration and keep you satiated.

5 – Exercise.

Regular physical activity helps reduce anxiety and improves mood through relieving muscle tension and triggers the production of the ‘feel good’ hormones endorphins.

6 – Make time for yourself.

Make sure you plan time for yourself during the day where you can just sit back and do nothing, watch TV, or just zone out for a while.

7 – Learn something new.

Mentally stimulating your mind helps keep you mentally energized and goal oriented.

8 – Engage in charity work.

Helping others gives us an elevated sense of purpose andreflects positively on our own mood and self-esteem.

9 – Connect with others socially.

Watch movies, go out for dinner, or even take a walk with a neighbor. These simple social connections help us build a sense of community, create opportunities to share meaningful moments, and facilitate emotional health.

If you’ve tried these strategies and still find that your well-being is not at its best, we are here to help. Please stop by the Center for Student Well-being.

 

Over the next several issues of The Caravan, there will be a column dedicated to answering students’ questions around mental health and well-being, titled “The Counseling Corner”.

Please send your questions to The Caravan at caravannews@aucegypt.edu and look for our response in the next issue.