Jana Walker has spent more than a decade helping people heal from panic disorders, depression and a variety of mental health challenges. With so many treatment options available, ranging from medications to different forms of therapy, narrowing down a universal healing method can be tricky.
Walker’s core advice to clients is simple: trust yourself.
“Once we’re given positive coping skills for ourselves and give ourselves grace, I think that it moves mountains,” said Walker, an adjunct professor in the College of Public Health and owner of Temple Warrior Fitness. “Because we let go of what we should be doing, to the reality of what we are doing, what we are capable of doing.”
Enabling her clients to trust themselves has been paramount in their healing process, Walker said. She aims to spread her message to anyone new to mindfulness, a meditation practice meant to bring attention to the present moment. Many Temple students have picked up therapeutic techniques like yoga, journaling and support groups to heal from extenuating personal and external circumstances.
Recent political turmoil — especially the rapid changes and executive orders currently coming out of Washington, D.C. — has added to the stress students face during their college years, The Temple News reported.
Sia Tonguino feels a sense of helplessness in the United States’ current political climate, but knows she can reach within to feel grounded. As the vice president of Temple’s chapter of Project HEAL, a student organization dedicated to eating disorder awareness and support, her hopelessness is often replaced with pride for all those she assists in their healing journeys.
Turning to nature in times of anxiety works for Tonguino, accrediting the recent warmer weather as her healer.
“I can tell a difference from when I’m outside,” said Tonguino, a junior psychology major. “I’m feeling the sun and touching grass, and it definitely helps a little bit, even if the stress doesn’t completely go away. It just makes things feel okay at that moment.
For Tonguino and other students, reducing screen time is essential for safeguarding mental health. Zoe Kaiser, a member of Temple’s Luddite Club, is committed to reconnecting with herself and the world around her.
The organization is inspired by the 19th-century Luddite movement. But in modern terms, it advocates for a technology-free, simplified lifestyle. Kaiser and other members set aside time to gather sans smartphones to enjoy non-technology activities and converse about the impact their phones have. A recent hot topic has been polarizing political content and how it’s affecting them, Kaiser said.
Kaiser stresses the importance of recognizing unhealthy e-behaviors and making active changes to rectify habits to improve mental health outcomes. She references a technique taught to her by one of the club’s founders, Biruk Watling: simply approach people in real life rather than online.
“The social experiment is to just say, ‘Hey, what’s up?’ And then start a conversation, a connection with somebody,” said Kaiser, a freshman journalism major. “Just keep your face upwards of the world around you, stay present in the moment.”
Creating boundaries to prevent mental health triggers spans a broad range of strategies, from utilizing nature’s resources to taking space away from technology and, in Walker’s case, avoiding watching the news.
During the pandemic, Walker realized the news had a major impact on her mental health.
“I could be in another room and I would hear [the news] and I would get anxious,” Walker said. “All I had to hear was the intro music, and I would get anxious. And I was like well, then there’s something wrong in there.”
Instead of forcing herself to endure the effects of a distressing news cycle, Walker acknowledged the trigger and set a clear boundary.
Walker strives to make that level of mindfulness an accessible tool for students who don’t have access to mental health support or have time in their schedules to join organizations.
She specializes in pranayama, a collection of breath regulation techniques. Learning breath control is a skill that can be learned through YouTube and self-practice, and does not require a significant financial or time commitment, Walker said.
“If you can do those small increments, whether it’s 60 seconds of breath work, if you’ve never done it before, I think when you feel the difference for yourself, it gives you the motivation and the hope that there’s more there for you,” Walker said.
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