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April 9, 2026 — Finals week can feel like everything hitting at once. Multiple exams, large amounts of material, and pressure to perform can quickly become overwhelming. When stress builds, it becomes harder to focus, easier to procrastinate, and tempting to push mental health aside. What helps most is not a perfect routine; it is having a few simple tools you can use in the moment to stay calm and keep moving forward. Break Studying Into Smaller Targets One of the biggest reasons students feel overwhelmed during finals is that they look at everything they have to do at once. “Study for biology” or “review all of history” feels too large to start. Instead, break your work into smaller, specific targets. For example: Review two chapters Complete ten practice problems Rewrite one set of notes This reduces the mental friction of starting. Once you begin, it is much easier to continue. Breaking work into smaller goals also prevents last-minute cramming, which can be one of the biggest sources of stress during finals. Use a Breathing Reset When Stress Spikes During finals, stress can build quickly, especially when you feel stuck or overwhelmed. In those moments, trying to push through can often make things worse. A simple reset can help. One of the most effective techniques is a breathing method called the cyclic sigh: Take a deep inhale through your nose Immediately take a second short inhale Slowly exhale through your mouth until your lungs are empty This type of breathing helps calm your nervous system and reduce stress in seconds. Research from Stanford found that short, structured breathing practices can significantly reduce anxiety and improve mood, with cyclic sighing showing particularly strong effects. As a co-founder of StayMindful, a mental health app designed for students, I’ve seen similar results. In student testing, after a short guided breathing exercise, over 100 students reported feeling 4 out of 5 calmer on average, from not calm to extremely calm. Study in Focused Rounds, Not Endless Marathons Many students try to study for hours without stopping, especially during finals week. This often leads to burnout and reduced focus. Instead, work in focused rounds. Choose one task, give it your full attention, and then take a short reset. During that break: Stand up Walk around Stretch Do a quick breathing exercise Avoid turning breaks into long periods of scrolling, which can make it harder to return to work. Working in structured rounds allows you to maintain higher focus and get more done in less time.   Protect Your Mood During Finals Week Finals week is not just a test of knowledge; it is also a test of consistency and mindset. When students start to feel discouraged or overwhelmed, it becomes much harder to stay productive. Small positive inputs can make a difference: A short reset A reminder that you are making progress A moment to step back and breathe At StayMindful, we send daily motivational quotes and short mental health content to help students stay consistent with these habits. The goal is not to eliminate stress completely, but to make it manageable so you can keep moving forward. It is also important to remember that your grades do not define your worth. Active Minds emphasizes that students are more than their academic performance, especially during high-pressure times like finals week.

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March 23, 2026 — This month, our Chapter of the Month shines a light on how the Active Minds Louisville High School Chapter is creating a space where mental health conversations are real, open, and stigma-free. Since launching in 2023, the 80-member group has been all about supporting each other, speaking up, and making campus feel a little lighter. Louisville’s Chapter has quickly grown into a vibrant community of almost 100 members dedicated to advocating for student well-being. Rooted in the school’s mission of empowering young women to drive meaningful change, this student-led group is building a more compassionate campus through creative programming, peer support, and a shared commitment to making mental health a priority for all. From high-energy stress relievers to meaningful moments of reflection, Louisville’s Active Minds chapter keeps mental health support both engaging and accessible, finding small but impactful ways to help students manage stress and feel supported. Discover how they’re changing the game through our Q&A. Tell us about your school and chapter. Louisville High School is an all-girls College Prep Catholic high school founded in 1960. As part of Louisville’s mission of envisioning a world where women initiate change to enrich their communities, Active Minds/Mental Health Awareness Club has been a great addition to our campus climate. Our chapter was started with the main goal of advocating for the betterment of student’s mental health in our Louisville Community. Share something your chapter has done recently that you are proud of. We are proud of the range of activities and awareness we have provided to our school community. One of the more successful Wellness Wednesday events was when we hosted a “Just Dance” activity in partnership with the Counseling Department as a midweek mood boost to shake off some stress. We also implemented the “I wish Campaign” to our chapter and our student body so students could express their feelings to know their voice matters and to build a more compassionate community. Most recently, some of our chapter members hosted a booth at our school event “Louchella” as a fundraiser to donate back to Active Minds. At the fundraiser, we provided fidget coil rings and calming strips as a tool to support their mental health. Why is mental health important to your chapter and school? Mental health is important at our school, as stress can affect students differently, and we want to help students process their feelings in a healthy way. We want to create a sensitive and open environment for students to share their feelings without fear of judgement. How is your chapter making a difference on campus? Our chapter is making a difference on campus by providing students with initial breaks and methods to cope with stress by participating in the Wellness Wednesdays in collaboration with the Counseling Department. In addition to providing some tools, we spread mental health awareness to break the stigma by sharing quotes and educational videos. What advice would you give to someone thinking about joining or starting a chapter? Do it! Get involved and try to be routine in going to Chapter meetings. But don’t overwork yourself, your mental health matters just as much! What is a mental health mantra your chapter lives by? Aside from schoolwork and extracurriculars, students have other components of their lives that may be impacting their mental health, so lead with some grace. Acknowledging that mental health is important and how even though some mental illnesses are not seen, they matter just as much!

March 22, 2026 — Our lack of community is slowly killing us – to the point that governments and think tanks feel the need to intervene. The “Loneliness Epidemic” was described as a public health crisis by the Surgeon General in 2023. Organizations ranging from NPR to the National Institute of Health have commented on the widespread, systemic rise in chronic social isolation. The health risks of this unabating loneliness include cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death, according to Essential Partners, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting community and interpersonal relationships. What does a doctor prescribe to assuage the ache of isolation? It’s not a fever or a sore throat that would have you debating the merits of acetaminophen vs ibuprofen; it’s a subjective but very real disconnection from community. It’s in how we treat ourselves and others that we find the remedy. In the 2023 U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, experts named the prescription to loneliness: social connection. They laid out a six-pillar plan Strengthen Social Infrastructure in Local Communities Enact Pro-Connection Public Policies Mobilize the Health Sector Reform Digital Environments Deepen Our Knowledge Build a Culture of Connection How Can We Implicitly Build Community? One of the most effective ways to combat the loneliness epidemic is to show up for the people in your life and to ask them to show up for you. Ask friends for a ride to the airport or bring an extra coffee to class for the person who sits next to you – build community by being someone others can rely on and, in return, you can rely on them. Individualism is healthy in doses, but the beauty of being “inconvenienced” is being lost. It is a good thing to look at what’s good for your people as contributing to your own best interest, not because it’s an act of direct self-service but because it builds resilience in relationships. We should all cultivate a healthy sense of self, independent from external judgment, but not at the expense of consideration for the people we share space with – share community with. It all starts with seeing inconvenience as a privilege, both to give and receive. When you have a trip to the store planned, ask people what they could use – take something off of their plate, even if it adds a little more to yours. Ask people to carpool even if it’s out of their way; the rapport is worth the detour. Fold laundry or do chores you know your friends don’t like to do when you visit, noticing a full trash bag and taking it with you when you go leaves a sense of care in your wake. Hang out with people when they ask at the last minute. Spontaneity doesn’t equal disrespect; lean into the appreciation of sharing time with your people, even if it’s not entirely on your terms. Get Involved Ever thought about how your mental health journey could be the blueprint someone else needs? Tell your story on our blog and show the world what mental health mobilization looks like today. Find out how to submit your story on our website.

March 20, 2026 — Sitting in my dorm room, bored and alone, I realized that the only thing keeping me there was myself. What I needed was fun, and if fun wasn’t going to find me inside Heritage Commons Residence Hall, I’d have to find it. Then it hit me – jump rope. I ordered one online and asked a friend if she would go out and swing it with me. We walked out to the promenade, an area on Clark Atlanta University Campus where students congregate, and began swinging the long, colorful rope. Slowly, we caught the interest of our fellow students. The promenade felt transformed and was more reminiscent of a childhood school yard than a university walk. For the first time in over 10 years, it felt like we were playing together at recess, and the small joys reserved for kids in elementary school were ours again, only now we’re not just “big kids,” we are young adults. It was fun and a reminder that growing up doesn’t have to mean missing out. One student came over and told me how much they loved what we were doing and encouraged us to keep it up – so I did just that. An afternoon of boredom turned into one of community and play, from this, my startup Big Kids Inc. was born. Big Kids Inc. is an organization that hosts engaging, playful events for adults like field days, dodgeball tournaments, picnics, and more. We believe that the key to relieving stress and building community nurtures our inner child. One of our most powerful wellness tools is play, and now, as a Junior in college and a year into this journey, I know more than ever that play is my purpose. How You Can Incorporate Play Into Your Routine It is imperative that we live our lives to the fullest, which is why it’s a mission of mine to play often and boldly like when I was young. In the practice of lifestyle, I routinely find myself incorporating games into my everyday life. I enjoy word-searches in the campus library and asking friendly faces to play with me. Instead of letting the fear of rejection define my choices, I let the possibility of connection motivate me. Making friends on the playground seemed so simple as a child. My goal is to bring the playground to young adults, whether that’s in the form of a jump rope on the promenade or a word search in the library. Host a game night: Play board games and enjoy spending time with people you love. Play cards: Be bold! Get yourself a stack of uno cards or playing cards and ask people in shared community spaces like your college student center or library to play a quick game of cards with you. Go to the park: Spend time at a local park with your friends and have fun on the swings and slides like when you were a kid. Get Involved Ever thought about how your mental health journey could be the blueprint someone else needs? Tell your story on our blog and show the world what mental health mobilization looks like today. Find out how to submit your story on our website.