Student Voice of Mental Health Award Winner Areli Rosales on the Power of Vulnerability
Areli Rosales has always felt it was her duty to help heal the people in her life. Growing up the child of an immigrant mother ...
With young people experiencing an upheaval to their lives and routines brought on by the coronavirus, many may be feeling unsure about how to start a conversation with a friend.
“Whatever Gets You Talking,” is a new music video to help provide the inspiration, language, and tools to check in with your friends and support their mental health.
Featuring rapper Akinyemi, pop icon Meghan Trainor, and music and digital stars Addison Rae, Avery Cyrus, Bryce Xavier, James Henry, The McFarlands, Molly Burke, mxmtoon, and brothers Zach Valentine and Pat Ramirez, “Whatever Gets You Talking” speaks directly to young people who might be looking for a way to reach out to a friend about their mental health. It brings to life countless conversation starters and ways to reach out, and emphasizes that just because we’re physically distant doesn’t mean teens and young adults should remain socially distant.
The video is part of Seize the Awkward, JED’s campaign in partnership with the Ad Council and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Now more than ever, it’s crucial that teens and young adults #SeizeTheAwkward and reach out to connect with their communities. Share this video with the young people in your life and encourage them to check in with their friends.
The JED Team
P.S. Seize the Awkward has resources for maintaining mental health during coronavirus. Check it out.
You are not alone, and help is always available. Get immediate support 24/7. Reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting SEIZE to 741741 or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Find more information and resources at jedfoundation.org/help.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, our JED Campus team has been working closely with schools across the country to provide real-time guidance and support, giving us a first-hand look into how the pandemic is impacting students’ lives.
Today, millions of young people are adjusting to isolation, feelings of grief and loss around missed milestones, and more. They’re reporting especially high levels of anxiety and uncertainty.
Recognizing this urgent need, a generous donor has agreed to match every donation through May 5. Please make a gift now and have twice the impact.
Members of JED’s community are reaching out to us in record numbers for information, training, resources, and support to help navigate these uncertain times. To meet the growing need, we are innovating and adapting to help teens and young adults get through this unprecedented time while also maintaining a sense of hope about their futures.
Please consider making a gift right now. Your support today will be doubled — and go to work immediately to support the mental health of our nation’s teens and young adults.
The sudden changes brought on by the current pandemic are challenging for students, but also for families. Adapting to remote learning environments can be tough. The Jed Foundation (JED) will offer a free webinar to share expert strategies and advice for managing stress, and helping caregivers help themselves and their children.
On Wednesday, April 22 from 4 – 5:30 p.m. EDT, join us for Parenting During the Pandemic: Challenges, Strategies, and Tips for Empowering Families of Teens. JED’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Sofia B. Pertuz, Ph.D. will host the webinar. She will be joined by three panelists who will share their expertise and helpful advice on navigating the “new normal”:
We hope to see you on Wednesday, April 22 as we discuss the unique challenges and opportunities of remote learning and supporting our children during this time. Register now. Please feel free to share with anyone who may be interested.
The JED Team
As we navigate the new normal and reshape our lives, it can be difficult to process what is happening each day. Our concerns and emotions may feel hard to identify, much less manage. Our lives have changed drastically, and with that can come a sense of loss for what we knew.
While traditionally the feelings of grief are usually paired with the loss of a loved one, we can have feelings of grief when we have any type of loss. The stages or feelings of grief do not occur linearly, and there are many manifestations.
Acknowledging how you feel is one of the first steps to healing. Learn more about how the coronavirus has generated more feelings of loss and ways to navigate the grief.
We know that things are different now and will be different in the days to come. Teens and young adults may be experiencing grief associated with not only losing a loved one during this time but also:
Even though the situation is open-ended, it is temporary. By recognizing and understanding the signs of grief in ourselves and each other, we can support one another. For more insight on the grief we may be feeling, how to manage it, and the meaning we can find in it, check out this interview with David Kessler, an expert on grief.
Kessler recommends several ways of managing grief:
Here are more resources on supporting ourselves and each other through grief:
If you are feeling loss and grief right now, you are not alone. Acknowledging how we feel can help us begin to accept change. Seeking support can start the healing process. Don’t forget the power of reaching out and connecting with someone you can talk to as well as mental health professionals who are able to help you through this.
The JED Team
The rapid changes and unpredictable outcomes of the COVID-19 pandemic can cause stress and worry, particularly for teens and young adults who have had their school experience change abruptly. We’ve compiled resources for parents and high school professionals so they can help their students maintain mental and emotional health while continuing to focus on their studies.
Set To Go helps prepare and guide teenagers through the transition from high school to college and beyond through a set of comprehensive, online resources:
Additional mental health resources to help students cope with stress and worry:
WE Schools, a series of service-learning programs developed by the WE movement, has launched the following resources in response to the recent COVID-19 pandemic:
With support and connection, we can all help each other maintain emotional and mental balance as we move through this challenging time together.
The JED team
Seniors across the country are coming to terms with a sudden and dramatic change to how they expected to conclude their final school year. Graduation plans have shifted and the end of the semester will likely be spent away from in-person contact with friends and teachers.
We asked our JED Student Ambassadors to share some thoughts on how seniors might be feeling along with some words of encouragement.
As a senior who was supposed to graduate, how do you suggest your fellow students stay connected and productive during this time?
If you or someone you know needs to talk to someone right now, text, call, or chat 988 for a free confidential conversation with a trained counselor 24/7.
You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting HOME to 741-741.
If this is a medical emergency or if there is immediate danger of harm, call 911 and explain that you need support for a mental health crisis.