The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center Offers 10 Back to School Mental Health Tips and Resources Media sources and health experts available.
MEDIA ALERT
Now that back-to-school season is well underway, the Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center emphasizes the importance of mental health and well-being for students, teachers, educators, families, and communities by offering the following tips and resources. Through its Greater Houston Healing Collaborative (GHHC), the anchor program of the Institute’s Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind, the Institute provides essential, evidence-based tools and resources to cope with the mental health challenges that may arise during this busy time. The Institute also hosts several FREE weekly virtual support groups that are open to all (details below).
According to the 2023-2024 Public Education Information Management System (PEIMS) reports, Houston ISD is by far the largest school district in Texas, with over 189,000 students enrolled. Problems with attention and stress are common in school children and can predict academic difficulties and other behavioral and emotional problems. Mind-body interventions such as yoga and meditation improve attention and reduce stress.
A study conducted by the Institute, Texas Children’s Hospital, and Baylor College of Medicine faculty, indicated that students who practice yoga and mind-body skills techniques are better behaved in their core curriculum classes; their minds are more relaxed; and they are more proactive in completing their school assignments. The study was led by Lex Gillian, Institute faculty member and founder and president of The Yoga Institute; and Dr. Kirti Saxena, Institute board member and chief of child and adolescent psychiatry at Texas Children’s Hospital.
“With back-to-school season activities in full swing, the mental health and well-being of students, parents, and educators come into sharp focus. The transition back to school often brings stress and anxiety, making it essential to equip our community with tools to manage these pressures effectively. The mind-body medicine skills offered by the Institute for Spirituality and Health provide essential, evidence-based tools to manage stress, build resilience, and create a foundation for well-being,” commented Aproteem Choudhury, director of the Institute’s Greater Houston Healing Collaborative.
Choudhury supports and facilitates the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative initiatives and works with its network of trained and certified facilitators. He regularly leads virtual and in-person mind-body skills groups and workshops in multiple languages, supporting Greater Houston’s most at-risk and historically underserved communities.
Choudhury and Leah Adams Pruitt, Institute for Spirituality and Health vice president of engagement, are available for interviews and expert commentary. For media inquiries, please contact Pennino and Partners.
10 Mental Health Tips and Techniques for the Back-to-School Season:
Social Connections: Engage with peers, community, and other people in your life who have the capacity to listen and be with you. Research shows the clear benefits that social support has on our overall well-being. Staying connected with friends and family through social events and gatherings also promotes mental health. The Institute hosts regular community events and weekly groups for togetherness. See details below.
Seek Professional Help When Needed: It’s important to recognize when professional support is needed. Self-care is not a replacement for psychotherapy, psychiatric services, or other mental health resources. Self-care and mind-body techniques are supplemental skills that amplify your overall well-being, sensitivity to your biological and psychological needs, and your potential to create positive physiological changes within. The Institute strongly encourages individuals to seek the appropriate level of care based on their needs.
Practice Soft Belly Breathing: Deep, slow, soft belly breathing is a powerful tool to calm the mind and reduce anxiety. Practice taking slow, deep breaths, inhaling through your nose, and exhaling through your mouth. Many benefit from a structured practice, such as the “4-7-8” technique: breathe in for 4 seconds, hold for 7 seconds, and exhale for 8 seconds. This helps regulate the nervous system and reduce stress.
Mindful Moments: Encourage students and teachers to take short, mindful breaks during the day. Whether it’s a moment to focus on your breath, observe your surroundings, or simply enjoying a few seconds in the sunshine, these mindful moments can help reset the mind, improve focus and bring you back to the present moment.
Establish a Routine: Creating a consistent daily routine helps students, families, and individuals feel more grounded and less stressed. Establish regular times for waking up, eating, studying, and relaxing. Routines provide a sense of stability, which is especially important during transitions like the start of a new school year. The Institute encourages everyone to place a self-care meeting with “me” in your calendar as a regular time in the day to reset!
Express Emotions and Practice Gratitude: Encourage open conversations about feelings and emotions. Students, teachers, families, and everyone should feel comfortable and safe to discuss their mental health without stigma. Journaling, drawing, or talking to someone you trust are effective ways to express emotions and process experiences. Encourage students and families to also reflect on what they are grateful for each day. Practicing gratitude can shift focus away from stress and negativity, helping to foster a more positive outlook.
Focus on Healthy Meals and Snacks: The food you eat and your mood are closely linked. A healthy, well-balanced diet can help you think clearly and feel more alert. Conversely, an inadequate diet can lead to fatigue, impaired decision-making, and can slow down reaction time. Focus on nutritionally dense meals and snacks that are easy to prepare with affordable ingredients like beans, canned vegetables, chickpeas, eggs, rice, oats, fish, apples, bananas, carrots, peanut butter, hummus, nuts, cottage cheese, and yogurt. Through the global Cities for Better Health program, the Institute partners with local faith communities across all major traditions to help alleviate food insecurity and enhance health literacy in the Greater Houston area.
Free Active Play: Exercise helps release tension, boosts mood, and improves overall well-being. Between school, work, and playdates it can be hard to fit family time and physical activity into your busy schedule. Active play helps strengthen family bonds that are crucial for children’s social and emotional development. Use local parks and your backyard for free physical activity like walking, stretching, running, dancing, bicycling, or simply playing outside.
Good Sleep Hygiene: Sleep hygiene refers to healthy habits that help you get a good night’s sleep. Good sleep hygiene is vital for your mental and physical health, as well as your overall quality of life. Creating a bedtime routine, stopping screen time at least two hours before bed, limiting your caffeine intake, and creating a safe, comfortable sleep environment are all helpful ways to ensure a good night’s rest. Learn more at https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about/index.html.
Limit Screen Time: Reducing screen time can help improve mood, reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety, improve self-image, and improve face-to-face social skills. For children, limiting screen time can help them develop empathy, emotional intelligence, and social awareness. Encourage creative and outdoor activities instead like reading, coloring, painting, going on a walk, scavenger hunts, building a pillow fort, board games, journaling, playing with pets, listening to music, playing with friends, and more.
FREE Weekly Virtual Support Groups:
Mind-Body Skills Group for Togetherness – Held virtually on Mondays from 12 to 1 p.m. CT: This group is a supportive space to learn and practice mind-body skills in a group setting. Exploring a different practice each week, this time is meant to share and connect in the present moment. Sign up here: https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/open-monday-group.
Grief Support and Bereavement Group – Held virtually on Tuesdays from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. CT: Bereavement groups are for those who have experienced the death of a loved one and are seeking group support. Please note this is not individual therapy or a clinical setting. All meetings are confidential. Sign up here: https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/bereavement.
Midweek Mediation – Held virtually on Wednesdays from 12 to 12:30 p.m. CT: Mediation groups explore contemplative practices from across traditions and build community. Led by GHHC trained facilitators, these virtual gatherings are a chance to relax and relieve stress and anxiety in the middle of the week. Sign up here: https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/midweek-meditation.
About the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative
The Greater Houston Healing Collaborative (GHHC) programs and initiatives teach participants about the interconnectedness of body, spirit, and mind. GHHC provides tools to reduce chronic stress and address symptoms of the trauma response by sharing self-regulation techniques to enhance individual and community well-being. GHHC’s active network of trained and certified facilitators lead virtual and in-person mind-body skills groups and workshops, underscoring the Institute’s dedication to addressing the psycho-social needs of Greater Houston’s most at-risk and historically underserved communities, and faith communities in multiple languages with diverse cultures and traditions. For more information about the Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, visit https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/ghhc.
About the Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind
The Institute's Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind is dedicated to helping people integrate all aspects of themselves, with a special focus on underserved populations and healthcare professionals. Through mind-body skills and spiritual exploration, the Institute helps to cultivate whole-person health. The anchor program, Greater Houston Healing Collaborative, addresses the psychosocial needs of the community through small groups and workshops. Additional programs include free weekly support groups, the Courage to Search program with The Women's Home, and body, spirit, and mind workshops. For more information about the Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind, visit https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/centerforbodyspiritandmind.
About the Institute
The Institute for Spirituality and Health at the Texas Medical Center is an independent, interfaith organization established in 1955. A founding member of the Texas Medical Center, it has introduced and cultivated spiritual awareness and cultural humility in healthcare settings for nearly seven decades.
The mission of the Institute is to enhance well-being by exploring the relationship between spirituality and health, accomplished through education, research, and direct service programs, and guided by its Four Centers of Excellence: the Rabbi Samuel E. Karff Center for Healthcare Professionals, the Center for Body, Spirit, and Mind, the Center for End of Life and Aging, and the Center for Faith and Public Health. For more information about The Institute, visit https://www.spiritualityandhealth.org/.
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