During the month of March 2024, CARE Teams’ number of CARE reports appropriately reflected the number from previous year, March 2023. Reports that came in from staff and faculty make up the majority of reports for the month of March.
The most common concerns that are reported mid semester include repeated absences due to mental health decline, deterioration in quality of work and students voicing distress. One way CARE Team has been assisting students who report distress is by walking them through a grounding technique of utilizing their five senses. The 54321 senses method is designed to manage acute stress, regain focus and reduce anxiety:
- Five things you can see
- Four things you can touch
- Three things you can hear
- Two things you can smell
- One thing you can taste
By focusing one’s attention to the power of their five senses, it helps redirect the attention away from their state of distress, allowing them to regain control over their thoughts and emotions and be present in the moment.
CARE Team encourages staff and faculty to try the technique out and find a way to apply it in their own wellness routine at work.