Self-Help Tools and Resources
At SAIT, finding wellness and balance in all areas of your life will help you achieve what's important. You need to take care of yourself — learning, thinking creatively and achieving your goals will become easier when you do.
In addition to the services we offer in person, we also encourage you to use the online tools and resources we've listed below. If you need to speak with someone, make an appointment with Student Development and Counselling by phone or via video call.
Self-help resources
Build your resilience with headversity
Welcome to headversity — your personal resilience coach. SAIT students can get the headversity app for free from the App Store or Google Play. Use the app to develop skills — self-expertise, mindfulness, mental fitness, mental health, hardiness, energy management — and tools to thrive during times of adversity. Request a passcode by email.
Untangle life's stresses and challenges with TAO
Therapist Assisted Online (TAO) is a collection of exercises, modules and personal wellness courses designed to help you manage your own emotional well-being. Get free, unlimited access to TAO self-help content from your phone, tablet or desktop. Use your SAIT email address to sign up.
Mindfulness library
Take time out for mindfulness with TAO's mindfulness library. The library includes exercises on meditation for restful sleep, finding your happy place, mindful breathing and more.
Resilience 101: Tools for Lasting Success
Developing resilience strategies can help you achieve greater personal, professional and academic success. As a registered co-curricular activity, Resilience 101 includes approximately 12-hours of designated online content delivered through TAO. Register by email.
Campus Well e-magazine
Student Health 101 is an online health and wellness magazine designed specifically for post-secondary students. Topic areas include: fitness, mindfulness, nutrition, time management, money, roommates, sleep and lots more. Check out the “My Mind Matters- and my academic success depends on it” campaign, read the latest stories online and view upcoming workshops. Don't forget to sign up to receive updates by email.
Take action to help others: At-Risk gatekeeper training
Concerned about a classmate? Helping someone reach out to a professional for support may mean having a difficult conversation. Practice these conversations through At-Risk gatekeeper training. This free online simulation tool is available 24/7 and is used at more than 100 post-secondary institutions. Create an account and use the enrollment key "saitarus18" to access the training.
Through this training you will learn to:
- recognize some common signs of distress
- approach people with greater skill and confidence
- make effective referrals to campus resources.
Self-screening tools
Mental health screenings are a quick way to determine if you or someone you care about may need to reach out to a doctor or mental health professional for an evaluation. They are educational, not diagnostic. Completing a quick screening test will help you determine if your recent thoughts or behaviours may be associated with a common, treatable issue. Our screenings are anonymous and only take a few minutes to complete. When you're finished, you will get information and next steps. |
Looking after yourself is key to achieving academic and personal success. The Wellness Check lets you check in on your personal and academic well-being, create a plan for success and find out about the people and resources available on campus to help you succeed. It's anonymous, only takes a few minutes to complete, and can be done more than once to enhance your well-being. |
Related online resources
Mental health and wellbeing
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Anxiety is a normal reaction to a stressful event and it can be experienced by anyone at one time or another. What can help?
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Depression involves feelings of extreme sadness, despair and loss of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable. These feelings can interfere with daily living and last two weeks or longer. What can help?
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Stress is a condition or feeling experienced when a person's demands exceed their resources and ability to cope. Each person experiences and reacts to stressful situations differently, learn to recognize the signs and then identify the cause of the symptoms. Stress management is a combination of changing the stressful situation and your response to the situation. Symptoms:
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Social
Anger is a normal, often healthy emotion. When anger gets out of control, it can lead to difficulties. Here, we offer some ideas for managing anger. Relaxation response The key to developing relaxation skills is practising them when you don't need them. Practice will make it easier to put this skill in place when you start to notice yourself feeling stressed or beginning to feel irritated. Relaxation tools can help to calm down the anger and physical tension. Many people breathe shallow, more quickly, and from the upper chest when angry and stressed. Try the following:
Don't believe everything you think The meaning we give to an event or comment can transform a neutral situation into an anger-filled one. You actually have a lot of choice over the meaning you give to events. Decrease stimulation Other ways to decrease the escalation of anger could include:
Exercise Moderate, regular physical exercise — 20 - 30 minutes per day — can help reduce agitation caused by anger and stress. It is an excellent stress management practice and can reduce overall mental, physical and emotional tension. What to do in the moment If you're already very angry, try to remove yourself from the immediate situation. Take some time away, and let people know when you'll be back. If possible, don't drive. Anger interferes with people's ability to think very clearly. You don't want to say or do something you'll regret. Helpful links: Book:
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Life success toolbox
Self-esteem is what you think about yourself and the value or worth you consider yourself to have as a person. Low self-esteem can keep you from the things you enjoy and from working towards personal goals. Self-esteem is a significant part of your well-being, and can sometimes be related to mental, emotional or relational issues. Helpful links: Video:
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This website will introduce you to DBT – Dialectical Behaviour Therapy. You will discover ways to develop skills such as regulating your emotions, increasing your distress tolerance, calming your mind and enhancing your interpersonal effectiveness. |
Contact Student Development and Counselling
403.284.7023
Microsoft Team — search 'Student Development and Counselling'
counselling@sait.ca
AA205, Heritage Hall
Hours of operation
Days | Times |
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Monday - Friday | 8:30 am - 4:15 pm |
Saturday and Sunday | Closed |