Mental health resources to help you cope with stress

Stress is a part of every college student’s life, but between midterms, finals and papers it’s easy to neglect your mental health in favor of that elusive A. The Engemann Student Health Center offers students with various mental health resources, but there are also alternative support systems available here at USC. Here’s a list of helpful resources outside of Engemann:

USC Office of Religious Life (USC ORL)

For those who take solace in prayer, USC’s Office of Religious Life houses more than 90 religious organizations and offers opportunities for students to connect with each other as well as with faculty through monthly talks like “What Matters to Me and Why.” However, their services don’t stop at prayer and spirituality — the Office of Religious Life is also partnered up with 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous that help tackle addiction. Their unique partnership with the LGBT Resource Center also allows students to challenge stereotypes and explore the intersections of spirituality and sexuality, which are often thought of as being in contention with each other.

Contact them at [email protected] or at (213) 740-6110.

Little Chapel of Silence

If meditation in silence is more your thing, consider visiting the Little Chapel of Silence, located on the northwest corner of Town & Gown and just behind the SAS building. It’s open from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day and has served as a place for the USC community to think, pray and reflect since 1935. If you’re feeling particularly inspired, write down a prayer or reflection on a slip of paper to put in a prayer box or jot your thoughts down on the notebook at the front altar.

Corepower Yoga (USC Village)

Research has shown time and time again that exercise helps with both physical and mental health. But for those of us who don’t really feel like breaking a sweat on the treadmill, low-impact exercises like yoga and Pilates center the mind as well as ground the body. Yoga in particular focuses mostly on breathing and body awareness, which can help alleviate symptoms of anxiety by quieting the mind and banishing persistent intrusive thoughts. It’s also incredibly beginner-friendly, so grab your mat and head over to Corepower for your daily dose of feel-good hormones.

Contact them at (866) 441-YOGA to set up a class.

LGBT Resource Center (LGBTRC)

With organizations like Queer and Ally Student Assembly, Transgender Advocacy Group and a complete and comprehensive list of all the gender-neutral restrooms at USC, the LGBT Resource Center serves as a platform for all students to feel accepted, regardless of orientation or identification. They have the lowdown on graduate and undergraduate organizations and interest groups, information to help with coming out and referrals to neighboring LGBTQ+ support resources. Check it out here: http://lgbtrc.usc.edu/

Contact them at (213) 740-7619 or at [email protected].

Office of International Services (OIS)

Seventeen percent of USC’s student body comprises citizens of over 130 countries. Leaving home is always hard, however, time differences and Thanksgiving breaks spent on campus mean that international students often have to face a set of problems that are unique to being far away from home. USC’s Office of International Services seeks to mitigate just those problems. They offer on-campus coffee breaks, international student career fairs, English-language instruction and free opportunities to explore L.A. to make international students feel as much at home as possible.

Professor Beau, the Wellness Dog

No article about wellness at USC is complete without a mention of Professor Beau, USC’s first (and hopefully not last) full-time canine staff member. You can visit this professionally trained Golden Doodle at his office hours on Tuesday and Thursday at 12-1 pm and 11:20 am to 12:30 p.m. respectively at the Student Wellness Lounge (ESH 203). You can even request a visit from him by filling out a form here (https://uscstudentaffairs.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cIb3ahQuB5adN8p). Plus, he’s hypoallergenic!)

All these resources are here to remind you that you are valuable, and your presence is valuable, even if you may be feeling stressed about your looming finals schedule. The people (and dogs) working tirelessly to better your experience at USC are here to listen to you, and help you through finals week.