Mental Health Week is important

In honor of Mental Health Week, The Reporter encourages Minnesota State University, Mankato students to take advantage of the Counseling Center services. 

College is a transitional period in the lives of students, and it’s okay to need a helping hand to navigate the challenges it encompasses. Challenges may include adapting to a new town, feeling comfortable with a new or changing friend group, managing the stress of living on your own, or more. 

Because of these extra challenges, the Counseling Center offers a variety of free services to students. 

Reaching out to these services has no downsides – students don’t have to share that they are using counseling services with anyone else if they do not feel comfortable, the center is right on campus, and the services come at no cost. If a student has never tried therapy, mental health week is a great opportunity to take charge of their self-care and step outside their comfort zone. 

Students don’t have to be having a crisis to take advantage of counseling; therapy is for everyone. Services can be a place for students to get something off their chest or work on bettering themselves. This can include avoiding procrastination, getting a better sleep schedule, or more. An appointment can provide students a chance to take a step back and check up on themselves; just like a checkup at the clinic for physical health. Both mental and physical health are crucial to a students’ wellbeing. 

With midterms coming up and adding extra stress to the average students’ schedule, now is a primal time to start reaching out to the Counseling Center. 

Part of mental health awareness week is un-stigmatizing mental health, and it can start with our students. Engage and encourage services. If a student notices another student struggling, they can recommend Counseling Center services and act as a support.  

Students can find the Counseling Center upstairs in the Centennial Student Union, right past our office in CSU 293. (If students don’t know where our office is, that’s another great Mental Health Week activity!) The Counseling Center has cards that students can grab as contact information if it makes a student more comfortable to reach out via email. The Counseling Center also has information on the school website for those looking into taking advantage of its resources.