Change to Chill’s very own Susan Nygaard was featured on WCCO-TC in an interview with anchor Liz Collin about managing the stress caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the ways stress can disrupt our lives both physically and mentally—plus how understanding the cause of stress can help us begin to manage it. 

The interview also covers how parents can help their teens cope with the stress caused by uncertainty. Some tips include encouraging kids to take breaks from social media and spending more time outside to enjoy the warmer weather. To help parents facilitate healthy and productive discussions about COVID-19-related stress, Change to Chill has created a Virtual Care Package to help teens de-stress and channel their energy into mindful exercises. 

You can watch the full interview here. 

With coronavirus (COVID-19) social distancing recommendations in place for the near future, all of us are learning how to manage the change in routines, coupled with feelings of uncertainty and fear. Learn more from the Healthy Set Go blog by Allina Health.

In communities across Minnesota and Western Wisconsin, positive role models are learning how to help teens recognize and cope with the stress in their lives. Change to Chill has been at the forefront of this growing effort, as our team has been busy providing training sessions for community members. Our attendees are interested in learning about the strategies and resources they can use to help their students, youth program members, relatives and other teens take a more mindful approach to teenage stress management.

Read more ›

We’ve recently partnered with St. Louis Park High School, providing them with resources to help them create a Chill Zone and other tools to improve student well-being. Take a look at how St. Louis Park High School is using our grant for their Natural Helpers Program, a new chill zone, and the implementation of their Change to Chill week!

The University of Minnesota YMCA has partnered with Change to Chill through a YMCA of the USA grant to help support student mental well-being on campus. The YMCA has used the grant to create a place where students can go and destress. They’re even using a mobile chill zone to help students stress less this school year!

Read more ›

Burnsville High School senior Katie Fritz had felt increasingly overwhelmed and stressed when she took on an after-school job during her junior year. As balancing classwork, a new job and extracurriculars became overwhelming, she knew she needed a change.

Read more ›

The recent Minnesota Student Survey was released and shows an increase in students struggling with mental health issues. The anonymous state-wide survey sheds light on the increasing number of children and teens suffering from long-term mental health, behavior and emotional problems.

Read more ›

As the 2019-2020 school year gets underway, KDWA radio station in Hastings, MN talked with Change to Chill about the School Partnership program. Hastings High School is one of sixteen high schools working with Change to Chill this school year through the Change to Chill School Partnership program to promote mental well-being and a culture of support and resiliency through student leadership this year.

Listen to the interview here!

On Monday, August 26, Change to Chill was one of many groups that supported NAMI’s 2nd Annual Mental Health Day at the Minnesota State Fair. Click here to learn more.

[Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, July 19, 2019] The need for adolescent mental health programming emerged during Allina Health’s Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in 2013, when student survey data showed a marked increase in the rates of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Experts across the health system met with local teens, later giving shape to what is now known as the Change to Chill (CTC) program.

Read the full story here.