Cassidy S.
Past UVic Student Mental Health Blogger
Hi! I’m Cassidy: a Student Mental Health Leader and absentminded doodler in my final year of my psychology/sociology degree. I’m a big fan of the ocean, pottery, gardening, being in the passenger seat on road trips, wool socks, Bananagrams, Neil Gaiman, and a good cup of tea.
My own struggles with mental health, both personally and in those close to me, have led to my current studies and my passion for mental health advocacy. Following my undergraduate degree, I hope to pursue my Masters in counselling psychology.
Here on the blog, I hope to share more about tools and strategies for coping with affective disorders, as well as tactics for finding balance within the wild, sometimes-hectic, tumultuous life of a student.
When My Best Doesn’t Feel Good Enough: On Burnout, Failure, and Managing Imposter Syndrome
I’ve been in courses nonstop since the start of 2017, with the exception of taking one semester off due to a concussion that made my head spin when I even looked at a book. There's only one month left until my undergrad coursework ends, and only three until I’ll have...
Not Easy Being Green: Mental Health in a Melting, Burning World
The times we’re living in can feel really, really scary. Between the fires in Australia and the flooding in Great Britain, 2020’s news outlets have been saturated with abundant stories of environmental destruction. This heavy, unending onslaught of bad news might...
Mountains from Molehills: When Catastrophizing Gets The Better Of You
This holiday season was a doozie, folks… or at least, I thought it was going to be. My friends and family will tell you that the holidays are usually my thing. From reading break to finals, the Charlie Brown Christmas album is my go-to study tunes. My first cravings...
Small Fish, Big Pond: Establishing a Sense of Community as a Student
Between my roles as a Student Mental Health Leader and a Peer Support Centre Volunteer, I spend a lot of time listening to students’ stories about their experiences on-campus. Though students’ experiences are incredibly varied, one common thread that I hear time and...
Fluff Therapy: How Animals Can Improve Your Mental Health (And How to Get Your Pet Fix at UVic)
Source: weheartit In our current cultural climate, pets take up a huge portion of our lives. According to research by the Human Animal Bond Research Institute (HABRI), 98% of pet owners consider their pet to be an integral member of their family. With this statistic...
The Slow Lane: Thoughts From A Soon-to-Be Sixth Year Student
image source: heartwood mountain sanctuary. I received my acceptance letter to UVic over five years ago. When I enrolled as an undeclared social sciences major the following September, I had some wavering ideas of what I wanted to do after graduating... but mostly, I...
Feeling Unreal? This Might Be Why.
I really, really don’t like naps. This might be an uncommon thing for a university student to say. I mean, sleep is great! It recharges you, is a great way to avoid studying under the guise of meeting your basic needs, and just feels so good. Studies have shown that...
On Roommates: Living and Learning With Other “New Adults”
When I first moved out of my parents' house, I moved into a shared residence room at UVic with my best friend from high school. This was a serious learning experience, and the beginning of a tumultuous string of living spaces and living partners! Over the four years...
On Introversion: Learning to Recognize When You Need Space (And How to Ask for It)
Recently, my partner had his wisdom teeth removed. Because he lives alone, he stayed over for a few days to rest and recuperate after the procedure (read: binge watch Parks and Recreation, play altogether too many very intense games of scrabble, and eat ALL THE SOUP)....