Your RCA counselors are available to assist you with:
academic success plans
anger management
anxiety
communication skills
conflict resolution
DRUG AND ALCOHOL AWARENESS & PREVENTION
healthy relationships
mindfulness (please see below FOR STRATEGIES & VIDEOS)
ORGAnization skills
study skills
Suicide prevention
time management
**********************************************************************************************************
Click here to Book an appointment with your counselor.
Click here for RCPS mental health resources
* Mindfulness
Mindfulness is when your thoughts tune into what you are sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. Here are 4 YouTube videos to guide you through a basic 3-5 minutes mindfulness exercise.
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
* Calming Apps
Calm
Relax Sounds
Breathe
Meditopia
Breethe
Headspace
* 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique (video link)
Start with deep breathing. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold the breath for 5 seconds, and breathe out for 5 seconds. Then:
5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. Maybe it is a bird, or a pair of shoes, or your bookbag, or maybe a person, like a sibling. However big or small, state 5 things you see.
4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. Maybe this is your hair, hands, ground, grass, chair, desk, pillow, etc. Whatever it may be, list out the 4 things you can feel.
3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. This needs to be external, do not focus on your thoughts. Maybe you can hear a clock, a car, or a dog bark. Or, maybe you hear your stomach rumbling. Internal noises that make external sounds can count; what is audible in the moment is what you list.
2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell: This one might be hard if you are not in a stimulating environment. If you cannot automatically sniff something out, walk nearby to find a scent. Maybe you walk to your bathroom to smell soap or right outside your front door to smell something in nature. It can even be as simple as leaning over and smelling a pillow on the couch, or a pencil eraser. Whatever it may be, take in the smells around you.
1. Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like: gum, juice, or the sandwich from lunch? Focus on your mouth as the last step and take in what you can taste.
* Read for Relaxation
Reading for pleasure is a great escape to take your mind away from stressful situations and places you in control. You can visit exciting places and meet interesting people at the turn of a page, rather it be an eBook or with an actual book in hand. Find the perfect genre and/or author and enjoy the adventure of reading.
* Let gratitude be your attitude
Create a Gratitude Journal and list the things that you are grateful for each day. You can also extend this activity by writing someone a note, letter, email, etc. expressing your gratitude for them. (A Very Happy Brain video)
* Laughter is good for the soul
Watch a funny movie. You can extend this activity by inviting a member of your household to watch it with you. If you do not have a movie selection, share some positive jokes to create a climate of laughter.
* Create some art
Art is a great way to release stress. Put your creative juices into action and create a masterpiece of choice. If you have a printer, you can print a coloring sheet and add color that expresses your creative touch.
* Put on your dancing shoes
Open up your playlist and dance to your favorite songs. You can extend this lesson by learning a new TikTok dance.
* The power of words
Find or create a song, poem, quote, etc. that provides/promotes inspiration and affirms your daily well-being.
* Relax, relate, release
Relieve tension and stress with Yoga via a YouTube video.
* Sleep
Research and discover how much sleep is needed for your optimal daily performance. Use the link to read about how many hours you need. As an extension, develop a sleep calendar to determine a bedtime and climate for maximum and consistent hours of sleep each day. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/teens-and-sleep
Mindfulness is when your thoughts tune into what you are sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future. Here are 4 YouTube videos to guide you through a basic 3-5 minutes mindfulness exercise.
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3
* Calming Apps
Calm
Relax Sounds
Breathe
Meditopia
Breethe
Headspace
* 5-4-3-2-1 Grounding Technique (video link)
Start with deep breathing. Breathe in for 5 seconds, hold the breath for 5 seconds, and breathe out for 5 seconds. Then:
5: Acknowledge FIVE things you see around you. Maybe it is a bird, or a pair of shoes, or your bookbag, or maybe a person, like a sibling. However big or small, state 5 things you see.
4: Acknowledge FOUR things you can touch around you. Maybe this is your hair, hands, ground, grass, chair, desk, pillow, etc. Whatever it may be, list out the 4 things you can feel.
3: Acknowledge THREE things you hear. This needs to be external, do not focus on your thoughts. Maybe you can hear a clock, a car, or a dog bark. Or, maybe you hear your stomach rumbling. Internal noises that make external sounds can count; what is audible in the moment is what you list.
2: Acknowledge TWO things you can smell: This one might be hard if you are not in a stimulating environment. If you cannot automatically sniff something out, walk nearby to find a scent. Maybe you walk to your bathroom to smell soap or right outside your front door to smell something in nature. It can even be as simple as leaning over and smelling a pillow on the couch, or a pencil eraser. Whatever it may be, take in the smells around you.
1. Acknowledge ONE thing you can taste. What does the inside of your mouth taste like: gum, juice, or the sandwich from lunch? Focus on your mouth as the last step and take in what you can taste.
* Read for Relaxation
Reading for pleasure is a great escape to take your mind away from stressful situations and places you in control. You can visit exciting places and meet interesting people at the turn of a page, rather it be an eBook or with an actual book in hand. Find the perfect genre and/or author and enjoy the adventure of reading.
* Let gratitude be your attitude
Create a Gratitude Journal and list the things that you are grateful for each day. You can also extend this activity by writing someone a note, letter, email, etc. expressing your gratitude for them. (A Very Happy Brain video)
* Laughter is good for the soul
Watch a funny movie. You can extend this activity by inviting a member of your household to watch it with you. If you do not have a movie selection, share some positive jokes to create a climate of laughter.
* Create some art
Art is a great way to release stress. Put your creative juices into action and create a masterpiece of choice. If you have a printer, you can print a coloring sheet and add color that expresses your creative touch.
* Put on your dancing shoes
Open up your playlist and dance to your favorite songs. You can extend this lesson by learning a new TikTok dance.
* The power of words
Find or create a song, poem, quote, etc. that provides/promotes inspiration and affirms your daily well-being.
* Relax, relate, release
Relieve tension and stress with Yoga via a YouTube video.
* Sleep
Research and discover how much sleep is needed for your optimal daily performance. Use the link to read about how many hours you need. As an extension, develop a sleep calendar to determine a bedtime and climate for maximum and consistent hours of sleep each day. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/articles/teens-and-sleep