This video provides general information only
and may or may not be useful to everyone. The
information provided is not a substitute for
professional advice. If you feel that you
may need medical advice, please consult a
qualified health care professional.  
Hey Warriors! Thanks for tuning in. We know
that this is a stressful time, wherever you
are in the world. Check out the description
for links to all the resources mentioned in
this video. So grab your checklist, your items,
and your storage container and let’s get
started! To all my friends joining us here
today, here are your checklists! 
Thanks! Looks like the first items in our
kit are a notebook and a pen. Taking a break
from the screen is actually super important especially
during times like these where everything is online. It’s actually
proven that handwriting can slow our brains
down, kind of like meditation. And then for
a bonus, pens can be used for fidgeting so
grab your favourite one! 
But what if you don’t like writing in a
journal? 
We recommend including a pen and a notebook
anyway because handwriting can actually be really
good in stressful situations for time management,
so even if you don’t like journaling, throw
one in anyways! 
Perfect! Thanks so much! And for those of
you who don’t have a notebook, you can just add
some blank pieces of paper to your kit. 
Next, include your favourite tea! We recommend
peppermint, for its calming effects. 
What if I’m allergic to peppermint? 
Well, we recommend any hot drink as an alternative;
this could be hot chocolate, your favourite
fruit tea, anything that’s non-caffeinated that you
enjoy! Next, make sure you throw in your
favourite non-perishable snack item. Food
is really important for stress management.  
Like a granola bar? Or maybe some nuts? I
heard that carbs can increase feelings of
calmness and maybe also some dark chocolate?
Is it true that that improves brain function?  
That is true! And if we’re saying that chocolate
makes us smarter, then I am totally on-board with
that! So, now we have a notebook, a pen,
a hot drink, and a good snack! What’s
next?  
NEXT, include a mask! 
Like this medical one? I have so many!  
Sorry for the confusion, I meant a face cleansing
mask like a sheet mask or a charcoal mask.
Taking time out of your day to practice skin
care or any other selfcare you’re into
can really help with relaxation. Alternatively,
you can include your favorite scented lotion
or your favorite scented candle for aromatherapy. 
Gotcha! I love that! But Warriors, make
sure you hang on to your medical facemasks because you
will need to wear one if you plan on visiting
campus this term or if you’re going anywhere
in the city! 
Next, let’s include an icepack. Placing
an activated ice pack on the bridge of your
nose can calm your nerves and the cool sensation helps
you deal with stress and anxiety. Don’t
leave it on for too long though, just a couple
of seconds would be good. 
I don’t have an icepack around me, what
else could I use? 
 you can also include a small face towel,
which you can run under cold water to achieve
the same effect! Okay so we have a face-cleansing
mask and something cold for the bridge of
your nose. 
Next is a stress-ball. The squeezing motion
is effective in high stress situations. If
you don’t have one at home, you can take
one sock and put it into the other sock and
then squeeze it. Just like this [Jule places
a sock into another to create DIY stress ball] 
Speaking of items that you can use in moments
of extreme stress, like maybe when you’re
having a panic attack or an anxiety attack.
You’re going to want to grab a square
object to put in your kit. This can be anything
from an eraser to a little sticky note. This
will help you with a breathing exercise that
will really help you focus and lower your
heart rate. Because I love it so much, I’m
going to teach it to you all right now. So if
you could grab your square object then we
can get started. So first you’re going to
look up the square and breathe in while you
do it. Hold your breath while you go across
the object. Exhale while you go down. And
hold your breath to the corner. And that’s
it, that’s box breathing! 
The next set of items we are suggesting are
intangible objects, and while they will not
be going in your physical tool kit, they are
great to keep in your mental tool kit! 
When I need a moment to myself, I love to listen
to my favorite playlist. Music has proven
to help reduce stress and anxiety. You
can literally create a playlist for any
mood or any situation on Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube,
there are so many different options! I generally gravitate towards more upbeat playlist with songs that
I can dance it out to. Additionally, you
can visit apps like Calm or Headspace to
help in exploring meditation or breathing
techniques to help in relieving some of
your stress!  
The official Fall 2020 Orientation playlist is
in the description below if you are looking
for a pick me up. It includes selections
from all faculties! 
And if that’s not your style, an alternative
to a music playlist would be a podcast. Personally, I have loved listening
to Michelle Obama’s “Higher Ground”! 
Hey, if you close your eyes, every conversation
is a podcast! Which brings me to our next
point. Conversations between loved ones are
also a great coping mechanism. 
Both phone calls and group chats are amazing! Whether
you’re just venting or exchanging memes.
It’s really important to identify the personal circles
that you can fall back on. Many of us are
in new situations and these will help us in
staying connected.  
Oh my gosh, I totally agree! Before my first
ever midterm, I reached out to my friend and
she really helped me calm down. That’s when
I realized, it feels really good to reach
out to someone you trust. For folks away from
their friends and family, we recommend creating
a photo album. This could be either physical
or virtual and filling it with pictures that
make you smile. These will later remind you
of how loved you are! 
I agree that friends are very helpful. You
can also find a list of free virtual resources
in the description, that are available from
the University of Waterloo. These services
are always there for you to give them a call! The
resource cards that we’ve provided in
the description are great options that
are accessible from any time zone around the
world!  
I love that! Okay, so am I getting this right?
We have a playlist, meditation apps and websites,
a list of contacts, a photo album and all
those other things that we’ve talked from
before. How do I know when to use everything? 
Well that’s where the resource cards come
in. They include testimonials of situations
that upper year students have gone th rough
and how they have overcome them. We do recommend
that you print and cut the cards out so
you can include them in your kit. If you don’t
have access to a printer, you can download
them as a PDF file. They are great examples
of what students just like you have gone through. 
Well, looks like we have everything on our
checklist! Making this kit has honestly made
me feel so much more prepared for this term.  
That’s why I’m so glad that we were able
to get together and make this kit! We hope
that you use these resources like so many
warriors have before you. Hey, should
we take a photo to remember this?  
Yes! We definitely should! Everyone hold up
your kits! [Screenshot sfx] 
Be a Warrior, not a worrier. But if you do
find yourself worrying, your fellow warriors
are here for you. You are not alone. Show
us how you created your kit on Instagram with
“#UWOWWELLNESS”. Welcome to the Waterloo
Community Warriors! 
 
