Well-being Outreach Resources

At Cal Poly, learn by doing deeply informs our mission and manifests itself throughout the curriculum. Accounting students provide voluntary tax assistance to low-income families; marine science students develop interactive exhibits on acidity levels in the ocean at the Cal Poly pier in Avila Beach; agriculture and horticulture students raise and sell produce at local Farmers Markets. The CTLT understands that to foster a spirit of learn by doing, Cal Poly faculty and staff must be supported in the development and use of innovative teaching pedagogies that include active, problem-based, and collaborative learning strategies. 

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Well-Being Outreach Talking Points

The information below offers scholarship-informed talking points extracted from numerous studies and other resources, to consider using however and whenever your judgment determines is best. To be most effective, unscripted messages that reflect your authentic caring are recommended. However, you are welcome to use the information as presented or with any modifications and enhancements that you deem helpful. These talking points are not intended to represent a comprehensive compilation, and other personal insights or guidance to students that you wish to include in the communication are encouraged.

Supporting Stressed Students’ Well-being 

Introduction: (These are suggested talking points – use whatever parts you find of value (or the whole) as a cue for your own language and use anything wholesale that you find helpful)

"Before we get to the planned course activities today, I wanted to take a few minutes to check in with all of you. We’re a few weeks from the end of the quarter and this is often a high-stress part of the term. I’d like to share some information with you and then offer you some ideas that can help you do your best and be your best in the next few weeks and beyond."

"Here’s what we know:"

1. Feeling stressed/overwhelmed is common among university students

• In the 2018 National College Health Assessment annual survey of 20,000 students at 40 universities, students reported that at least once over the course of a college year:
  • Almost 50% report feeling hopeless
  • Almost 60% report feeling overwhelming anxiety
  • Almost 60% report feeling lonely
  • Almost 65% report feeling very sad
  • More than 80% report feeling exhausted
  • More than 87% report feeling overwhelmed

2. The percentages of Cal Poly students reporting on these mental health challenges in 2018 exceeded the national statistic on every metric:

	National	Cal Poly
Hopeless	50%	56%
Anxiety	59%	64%
Lonely	60%	70%
Sadness	65%	74%
Exhausted	82%	90%
Overwhelmed	87%	91%

3. If you are feeling some degree of anxiety, exhaustion, feeling overwhelmed now or at other times, you’re not alone!
   • It happens to the strongest students as well as those who may be struggling at the moment
   • If you’re feeling anxiety, that does not mean that you can’t succeed
   • If you’re feeling anxiety, that does not mean that you don’t belong in this class
   • If you’re feeling anxiety, that doesn’t mean that you don’t belong in your major
   • If you’re feeling anxiety, that doesn’t mean that you don’t belong at Cal Poly
4. Feeling stressed and anxious is a normal response to high-stakes situations (i.e., passing a class, presenting a project, earning an expected grade, interviewing for a job, etc.)

• Common to think that all stress is harmful and detrimental to what we’re trying to do
  • Threat response: "I can't do this!" or some other form of the “fight, flight or freeze” response
  • Physiological response interpreted as a predictor of impending failure
• Considerable research supports the idea that your experience of feeling stress is best interpreted as evidence that your body and brain are preparing you for maximum performance
  • Interpret your stress response as beneficial can transform what feels like a threat into a challenge – and result in improved performance
  • Studies show that even when levels of stress are the same, those who interpret the experience as a resource for tackling a challenge do better than those who view stress as a sign of inadequacy
• It’s possible to change your experience of stress from a “threat response” to a “challenge response”
  • Challenge response: “What I am feeling is my brain and my body gearing up to do my best.”
  • Physiological readiness to perform: increased blood flow, adrenaline increases, increased breathing

5. If you’re feeling that your level of stress or anxiety is beyond your ability to manage, reach out for the help that you need

• Campus support for student well-being has grown in recent years while the numbers of students needing suuport has increased
• It’s all there because the need is significant, and growing every year (you’re not alone, remember?)
• There’s no need to be embarrassed about seeking help
• There are lots of campus resources for student well-being through Campus Health and Well-being.

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