When the war in Ukraine started some
of my students were experiencing extreme stress, and asked for resources to
help them cope. While I’m not a mental health professional, I’ve been fortunate
enough to have had good therapy and to have studied the best evidence-based
therapy methods and personal development techniques.
While this list, which I’ve gathered
over the years, was made for my students suffering from the war in Ukraine, I
realized that it might be helpful for others as well. Stress and mental health
issues can negatively influence our ability to learn. I’ve had students who
weren’t able to learn optimally because they didn’t have the support or coping
skills needed to deal with stress or mental health issues. Most of the resources are in English, so it's good English practice too!
Here is a list of the categories:
Mental health assessments and tests:
Basics
of therapy, how to find a good therapist and low cost therapy
Mental health apps
Other useful links on
psychology, coping, personal growth, and self-therapy
Cognitive behavior therapy
Workbooks
Resources in Russian and Ukrainian
Personality tests
Journaling and writing therapy
Bibliotherapy
Basics of healthy coping (exercise, diet, rest)
Mental health assessments and tests
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/health/mental-health-assessment
https://psychcentral.com/quizzes
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests
Basics of therapy, how to find a
good therapist and low cost therapy
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/07/02/1185661348/start-therapy-find-therapist-how-to
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy/cost-and-insurance-coverage#are-some-forms-of-therapy-less-costly-than-others-
https://www.goodtherapy.org/
Basic info on therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FiVVAOXiEQ&list=PL_loxoCVsWqzKCfa6ZOzzUEsio1MpVetn
How to find a good therapist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6WaMQ7q0EE
Signs of a good therapist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoJBAF5q5hw
What's a bad therapist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLNWzFHIxus
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/when-your-adult-child-breaks-your-heart/201501/your-guide-psychotherapy-options
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201808/the-client-rules-how-benefit-most-therapy
Mental Health Apps
Note:
While these apps can’t replace good therapy with a real therapist, they can be
helpful aids especially when it’s not possible to get therapy with a real
therapist because of cost or other issues: see this story for more info: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/01/19/1147081115/therapy-by-chatbot-the-promise-and-challenges-in-using-ai-for-mental-health
Wysa: https://www.wysa.com/
Talkspace: https://www.talkspace.com
Woebot: https://woebothealth.com/
Headspace: https://www.headspace.com/
MoodKit: https://www.thriveport.com/products/moodkit/
Other useful links on psychology,
coping, personal growth, self-therapy
Kati Morton: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzBYOHyEEzlkRdDOSobbpvw
https://www.apa.org/topics/stress/uncertainty
https://www.apa.org/news/apa/2022/trauma-war-afar
https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/11-ways-to-raise-your-resiliency-1201157
https://positivepsychology.com/resilience-skills/
https://positivepsychology.com/emotional-resilience/
http://www.socialwork.career/2013/08/how-to-increase-your-resiliency.html
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-out-your-mind/202203/what-do-when-your-world-is-falling-apart
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/self-help
Man's Search for Meaning: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-srD1Deh9Xg
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us
https://psychcentral.com/
https://positivepsychology.com/
https://www.nami.org/home
https://www.psychologytools.com/
https://www.youtube.com/c/MedCircle
https://amymorinlcsw.com/mentally-strong-people/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201701/check-yourself-common-mental-health-mistakes
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/insight-therapy/201710/avoidance-is-heroin-metaphors-in-and-out-therapy
https://psyche.co/guides/how-to-calm-your-emotions-with-dialectical-behaviour-therapy
https://www.mindfulleader.org/blog/32176-10-effective-methods-to-soothe-an
The School of Life: https://www.youtube.com/c/theschooloflifetv
The Psychology Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAvfZQ3r24F-V1JYqn2pfXg
Think, Act, Be Podcast: https://sethgillihan.com/podcasts/
Cognitive Behavior
Therapy
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/08/can-you-just-got-therapy-once/596359/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/think-act-be/201609/therapy-without-therapist
https://positivepsychology.com/self-therapy-anxiety-depression/
Workbooks
Retrain Your Brain: Cognitive
Behavioral Therapy in 7 Weeks: A Workbook for Managing Depression and Anxiety
by Seth J. Gillihan
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Made
Simple: 10 Strategies For Managing Anxiety, Depression, Anger, Panic, And
Worry, Seth J Gillhan
Reclaim Your Life: Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy in 7 Weeks,
by Carissa Gustafson
Resources in
Russian and Ukrainian
https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927
https://www.psychologies.ru/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/get-out-your-mind/202203/what-do-when-your-world-is-falling-apart
Personality tests
https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/personality-quiz/
https://www.understandmyself.com/
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality/big-five-personality-test
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/tests/personality
https://courses.jordanbpeterson.com/personality
Journaling and writing
therapy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mywf5mjfKLE
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/07/10/419202925/the-writing-assignment-that-changes-lives
https://www.selfauthoring.com/
Bibliotherapy
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/bibliotherapy
https://www.booktherapy.io/blogs/news/bibliotherapy-the-magical-healing-quality-of-literature
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reading-minds/201910/bibliotherapy-using-books-help-and-heal
Basic habits for healthy coping:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/09/19/1200223456/depression-anxiety-prevention-mental-health-healthy-habits
Exercise
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/21/upshot/why-you-should-exercise-no-not-to-lose-weight.html
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676129459/get-started-exercising
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/10/16/1034201715/home-workout-exercise-tips
https://www.npr.org/2022/09/06/1121331838/how-to-make-exercise-fun
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/really-really-short-workouts
Diet
https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/diet-and-depression-2018022213309
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/10/09/768665411/changing-your-diet-can-help-tamp-down-depression-boost-mood
https://www.npr.org/2018/12/12/676170139/6-food-rules-that-could-help-you-live-longer
https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/07/14/329529110/food-mood-connection-how-you-eat-can-amp-up-or-tamp-down-stress
Sleep and rest
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/07/17/332058265/skimping-on-sleep-can-stress-body-and-brain
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2021/05/06/992401123/if-your-brain-feels-foggy-and-youre-tired-all-the-time-youre-not-alone
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/02/865483669/how-to-get-sleep-in-uneasy-times
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/20/705224709/dont-count-sheep-better-bedtime-rituals
https://www.npr.org/series/1052431671/your-life-kit-for-better-sleep
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/20/705224359/do-this-today-to-sleep-well-tonight
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-sleep
Mindfulness, yoga and meditation
https://www.npr.org/2021/12/21/1066585316/mindfulness-meditation-with-john-kabat-zinn
https://www.npr.org/2020/02/03/802347757/a-conversation-with-tara-brach-mindfulness-tools-for-big-feelings
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/yoga-stress
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-meditate
https://www.npr.org/2020/10/23/927134772/when-the-headlines-wont-stop-here-s-how-to-cope-with-anxiety
https://www.nytimes.com/guides/well/how-to-deal-with-stress
https://www.nytimes.com/section/well
Nature
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/07/17/536676954/forest-bathing-a-retreat-to-nature-can-boost-immunity-and-mood
A guide to forest bathing: https://www.npr.org/transcripts/1195337204
