In 2016, Christina did a round up of all of the resources brought on by the first LIS Mental Health Week. This year marks the third annual #LISMentalHealth week and I’m proud to say that reducing the stigma behind mental health issues seems to be strong within librarianship. However, conversations surrounding these issues are still needed. A new study shows that nearly half of all grad students experience depression and anxiety. Since Christina’s original post, the world has changed, and there has been a lot written about mental health at HLS and beyond. One thing hasn’t changed: whatever you are going through, your HLS contributors and fellow readers have been through it too. HLS is here for you.

On Taking Care

• Graduate school can be extremely difficult for someone with a mental illness. Jill Richardson shares coping strategies on this Inside Higher Ed blog post. The Academic Mental Health Collective is a great resource for graduate students dealing with mental health issues in any discipline. I also love Jallica Jolly’s post on why graduate student mental health matters and how we can advocate for better care. Finding a therapist can be useful too, and many schools offer counseling through their student health services.
• Coping with grief and loss in graduate school is also unfortunately common. Over 25% of us will deal with a trauma during our time in school. The American Psychology Association gives some great advice for educators and students who may be faced with a crisis during the semester. The Community for Accredited Schools Online presents charts and maps of the grieving process and how to work with and through the grief.
• This is an oldie but a goodie. Amy’s guide to self care as a library student is what we all need before our poster sessions. Don’t panic!
• Check out Jessica’s neuroscience hacks on sleep, breathing through stressful political times, debunking learning styles, and the scientific benefits of reading.
• Going to a conference soon? Are you nervous? Look at Zoe’s post on Self Care at ALA Annual for some great mental health advice.
• This article on handling stress from the Students and New Archives Profession (SNAP) blog is something I can heavily relate to. Sometimes, it’s helpful to read something just to know you’re not alone in your experiences.

On Library Burnout

• There is a blog specific to librarian burnout and hey, HLS alum Dylan wrote a section on library school burnout too!
• Melissa’s post on burnout specifically addresses strains on students in the library grad school world.
• HALT! Though Nisha reminds us that “self care” is a privilege in and of itself, identifying why we feel poorly is something we can all try to do. Are you hungry, angry, lonely, or tired?

On Managing Multiple Identities

• We have a ton of great articles about imposter syndrome and performing professionalism here at HLS! Ian’s personal feelings of imposter syndrome informs his academic library practice, and Brenna writes about imposter syndrome as a graduate student.
• Christina writes about first generation library students (hey, that’s me!), and this article from Inside Higher Ed also talks about first generation college students and the specific challenges they face within a graduate school context.
• Our two Jessicas both comment on the multi-facets of professionalism; one writes on professional development while oppressed (lots of LGBTQ resources at the end of this article!), and the other examines  professionalism as a barrier.
• Megan’s ongoing series about hacking library school as a parent is so important, and this post gives amazing advice for anyone managing multiple schedules.

On Job-Search Stress

• This is one of my favorite posts on HLS, and of course it’s an ACRLog collab (love y’all). Callie Wiygul’s post about seeing a job as your endgame is something that I reference all the time, to my fellow LIS people and also my other friends! This was written about in the past round up, but I felt like I had to re-share.  
• As librarians, it’s easy to lose ourselves in taking care of others while forgetting about taking care of ourselves. Zohra’s recent post on self care in your job search came at a perfect time for me.
• Melissa’s posts on preparing for a job search and searching for jobs while factoring in a significant other are both good reads when you’re thinking about applying to library jobs while still in school.

Onto the Next Chapter

• Kathy’s post on taking a break to reflect on LIS life is much needed during spring break or after a busy semester.
• Ayoola speaks on a seasonal recalibration, where she refers to our political climates as “a widespread, ever crescendoing sense of anxiety,” and tells us what we can do about it.
• Lesley discusses some of her goals for post-graduation.
• Many of us here at HLS are graduating, and we are nervous and excited! Chezlani’s farewell post on uncertainty after graduation is a pithy reminder that no matter what happens, life will go on.

Resources

• The SNAP Roundtable comes through yet again, providing us with some time management tips.
• UC Berkeley’s University Health Services has an amazing resource site called Be Well available to anyone- you don’t have to be a UC student to access it! Topics include stress, resilience, gratitude, and healthy eating.
• Support HLS alum and LIS mental health awareness by purchasing “Reserve & Renew,” the LIS Mental Health Zine.
• Thinking of downloading an app to help with your mental health? Anxiety and Depression Association of America reviewed mental health apps rating their ease of use, effectiveness, personalization, feedback, and research evidence.
• My personal favorite mental health hack as of late is the free UCLA Meditation recordings. These guided meditation sessions can be downloaded in your podcast app, or accessed online, in both English and Spanish. I listen to it while I’m falling asleep, and it has helped my insomnia.

What mental health hacks do you practice? How was your LIS Mental Health Week 2018?

Cover photo: “Dublin Streetart” by William Murphy, depicting graffiti of two figures with the text “I have this light” and “Alive.” Licensed under CC BY 2.0. 

Chloe Waryan is a MLIS candidate at the University of Iowa. She entered into the library field by way of urban public libraries, as a patron, a volunteer, and eventually an employee. She now works as a technical manager for an academic journal. Connect with her on social media or her website.