Kim has done above and beyond her duties as a QSAA staff advisor to not only promote wellness within queens but also to challenge us to be the best we can be. She is always advocating for our mental health when we feel stretched too thin. She takes the time to check in on me on a regular basis and always creates a welcoming environment. Overall, Kim has advanced my knowledge, understanding and preparedness for life as an alumni, which I strongly believe is one of the most caring and supportive avenues of mental health well-being that a staff or educator could help foster.
Anonymous Student
Mental Health means being able to sort through what might be a "bad day" from what might be a bigger problem lasting weeks and months at a time. Overall health means paying attention to not only your physical well being, but emotional state of mind and practicing kindness and self care with oneself. Also, recognizing when to ask for support.
I think the first step in supporting students with their mental health is simply asking them " how are you doing" on a regular basis. Listening is super important and recognizing changes in their behavior. If they are overly apologetic it sometimes indicates that they are experiencing pressure overload. I always check in with the students because i want them to know that it's ok, if at the moment you are having problems juggling it all. I always try to put the students at ease and allow them to share their challenges and offer to sort things out together. It's also very ok to take the necessary breaks to enable self care and reinforce that it is a very smart thing to do and not viewed as a failure.
I think the motto "do your best" is not appreciated enough and success looks like a lot of different things. We need to continue to talk openly and honestly about the importance of maintaining good mental health and encourage the dialogue with students.
--- Kim Day