McDaniel’s Wellness Center director offers students advice in dealing with COVID-19

McDaniel College students may be learning online from their homes across the country and around the world, but their well-being is never far from Wellness Center director Heidi Huber’s thoughts.

As students and faculty alike adjusted to virtual classrooms, Huber reached out to offer advice on being proactive about mental health and dealing with the normal fears, anxiety and stress COVID-19 may cause.

“In the midst of this pandemic, the main focus has understandably been on the COVID-19 threat to our physical health and the important prevention steps we can all take,” said Huber, a licensed clinical social worker. “However, our mental/emotional health is also very much being strained in these uncertain times and the Wellness Center wants to support our students and campus community in attending to those aspects of wellness as well.”

During challenging times such as these, Huber said it is important not to let the necessary social distancing become social isolation that could result in symptoms of depression. Equally important is to guard against thinking about the worst scenario, which could heighten anxiety.

Many of the tips are simple but can have a huge benefit in maintaining resilience. A great example, Huber said, is choosing to refocus on what can be controlled at a time when inclined to stress about what can’t be controlled.

“Cultivating a sense of gratitude is another wonderful practice that allows us to engender positive thoughts and emotions,” she said. “And exercise creates physiological changes in the body that improve both physical and mental health.”

McDaniel’s Wellness Center is built on an integrated model of mind-body, and this period of COVID-19 offers an important opportunity to more fully experience how mind and body are intrinsically connected.

“Our physical health – and even threats to it – absolutely impacts our mental/emotional well-being. And taking care of our mind and emotions can impact our physical health,” Huber said. “By nurturing a positive mindset, we are more likely to have the motivation and energy to take steps to maintain our physical health.”

Read tips and resources from McDaniel’s Wellness Center here.