Managing Your Mental Health and Taking Care of Yourself as a College Student
Within recent years, attending college has become a large contributing factor to increasing mental health issues across the country. Going to college can be a new, fun, and exciting time for many people. With college also comes a variety of stressors that are contributing to increasing anxiety and depression among young adults. Some of the major components contributing to increasing mental health distress among young adults going to college are: moving away from home, living with new people, adjusting to a different type of academic pressure, different financial situations, and changes to personal relationships.
Taking care of yourself and your mental health is always important, but it is extra important while in college. Making sure that your mental health is stable is beneficial to you while in college because it will help you better balance all of your responsibilities. Conversely, if you are struggling with your mental health, it can contribute to issues such as reducing productivity, focus, and overall performance in school. Below are some ways that you can try to take care of your mental health while pursuing your degree.
Tips for Taking Care of Your Mental Health in College
Establish a good support system
Having a strong support system of friends and family that you can turn to in times of high stress and increasing mental health concerns can be beneficial in alleviating symptoms and getting some additional support.
Prioritize your sleep
Sleep is critical for reducing feelings of stress and is important for giving you energy to complete all the things you need to do. Occasionally a late night in the library may be needed, but if done too often, it can hinder your abilities to perform academically. Set screen limit times on your phone and place devices on a do not disturb mode so your electronics do not inhibit your sleep time.
Create routines and schedules
Creating a schedule in advance will give you one less thing to worry about. Schedule things like time for rest, time for doing something you enjoy, time for getting away from your desk, and time for when you will do work. This can help you feel like you have more control over your day-to-day life and show you that you can have time to do the things you need and things you want.
Reward yourself
Remember to reward yourself for all the hard work that you are putting into this. Remind yourself of your achievements and values throughout this process. Do something nice for yourself because you have earned it! Allowing yourself time to do something that makes you happy and stress free can help reduce symptoms of increased stress and anxiety. Reminding yourself of your accomplishments can help promote feelings of happiness and confidence which can give you energy to continue. Set goals for yourself and then make sure to reward yourself and appreciate yourself when you complete them!
Cleansing your social media platforms
Social media has been shown to be a contributor to the increasing mental health issues among young adults. Take a look at the accounts you follow on your social media platforms. Identify the ones that contribute to uncomfortable emotions such as stress, envy, anxiety, or inferiority and unfollow them.
You got this! And if you need additional support to help you navigate your mental health in college, there are counseling centers on most college campuses. If you are looking for counseling services outside of your campus, that’s always an option too! In the meantime, give these coping strategies a try and see how they work for you!
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Interested in Counseling for College Students?
If you’re a Marylander who knows that counseling is the direction you need to take, the therapists at LifeSpring Counseling Services are here to help. We offer online counseling services for mindfulness, depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief and loss. We also offer Brainspotting as a specialized service, and Brainspotting can be done online, too!
Here’s how you can get started! Online counseling for college students isn’t the only service offered at our Maryland office
The counselors and social workers at our Maryland office also offer counseling services for trauma, grief and loss, boundary setting, communication skills, and difficult life transitions. We also offer specialized counseling services including Brainspotting and spiritually-integrated counseling. Because we are located next to several local universities, we also work with college students and international students.
Written by: Lindsay Fortier, LGPC
Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio, RODNAE Productions, William Fortunato, Charlotte May, and Armin Rimoldi
Date of Download: 8/6/2021
References
Managing Your Mental Health in College. (2020, September 28). Retrieved from https://onlinecounselingprograms.com/resources/mental-health-and-college-students/
Managing a Mental Health Condition in College. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Teens-Young-Adults/Managing-a-Mental-Health-Condition-in-College
7 Mental Health Tips for College Students. (2019, August 13). Retrieved from https://thehavenatcollege.com/mental-health-tips-for-college-students/
