Counseling & Psychological Center (CAPS) hosts workshops on mental health for students all semester long at Cal Poly Pomona. On Nov. 14, CAPS hosted a workshop located in Building 66, room 116, regarding student stress and how it’s possible to bounce back and regain yourself. All workshops are on a drop-in basis. No appointment is needed and all students are eligible to attend. They each last approximately 50 minutes.
Therapist Maria Gisela Sanchez Cobo is one of the therapists at CAPS and wanted to have a safe space for all students present. Starting off, the presentation touched on adversity and what it means to each individual, including how this can mean all the worries one has at school and at home.
Cobo went over a study called “Adverse Childhood Experiences” (ACE), where individuals are questioned about experiences they went through in their first 18 years of life. The total score, in the end, will explain the reason why stress or depression has overstayed its visit.
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This leads to chronic stress by having all the emotional pressure accumulated for a long time and it feels like all control is lost. By letting chronic stress take over, you’ll accumulate blood pressure, diabetes, get ill faster and store more body fat. All of these issues put together will increase the risk of getting heart disease. This brings your body’s defenses down when it’s in your power to avoid any illness from occurring in the beginning.
The main takeaway from the workshop was to develop better resiliency. Cobo verified it’s a skill you grow in, not one you are born with. Resiliency is a power humans have in order to move forward from challenges and to reach one’s full potential. We naturally are wired to connect with one another to gain support and have a healthy relationship.
The workshop ended with a six-step of fostering resiliency to self-care with steps we should all do to have a more healthy life. They were sleep, exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, mental health and healthy relationships. Having all six will help balance our lifestyle to gain skills, cope in life and find unconditional support. Each step is not meant to go through it alone. Relationships are what help us move forward to know there is love and support on our side every time.
For further assistance, and if you need a safe place to share your story from the pressure school and life may throw, the CAPS office is open for appointments to all. Cobo said in week 15 and 16, more workshops following up on stress for finals season will be hosted at the office. More information on the dates and times will be mentioned close to the end of the semester.
More upcoming workshops regarding communication, mindfulness regarding emotions, resiliency on staying your course, self-care and self-esteem are to come. For more information on upcoming events and the host, check the CPP website and search CAPS for complete details.