6 Mental Health Tips for College Students
College is supposed to be a time of learning, growing, and having a little bit of fun. Students gain the knowledge that they need for their future careers, while at the same, have fun bonding with their classmates and exploring the boundaries of their young adulthood.
But what happens when mental health issues arise? The stress of studying can lead to anxiety, and students who are away from home for the first time, away from their parents, siblings, and friends that they grew up with, can be prone to depression. Luckily, there are ways you can prevent and cope with the mental health trials that college can bring. Here are six tips to help you thrive and enjoy the full college experience.
1) Take Time for Self-Care
Self-care is one way to ensure that your mental health stays in balance. Taking the time to do what you love, whether it’s arts and crafts, getting lost in a book (reading for fun), taking walks in the park or seeing movies, helps keep you from getting too stressed out. Even if it’s 30 minutes a day, every minute of self-care time helps.
2) Enroll in Hybrid Classes
If you’re a student in the School of Continuing Studies, try enrolling in hybrid classes. Hybrid classes, like the ones at Dean College, include a mix of both in-person class time and online lectures and assignments. The mixture can be good for a student’s mental health, because they get additional time outside of the classroom to learn at their own pace (as long as they meet their assignment deadlines, of course) and get a chance to relax a bit, instead of continuously racing to get to class on time.
3) Don’t Take On Too Much
Biting off more than one can chew is a common place mistake for college students. All of those extracurricular activities may look like fun, but it’s important to know when enough is enough. Balancing a full course load, a part-time job and numerous activities can lead to a life where you don’t get enough sleep and feel constantly on edge. Knowing when to say “no” to joining yet another club or activity is key!
4) Know When to Enlist Expert Help
There are many people available on campus to help students who are struggling with their mental health. Every student should have an advisor or counselor (or both) who they can turn to when they need guidance. In addition, there’s nothing wrong with seeking the help of a professional psychologist, therapist or psychiatrist when things become too much to deal with. That’s exactly what they’re there for – to help you!
5) Get Plenty of Sleep
Sleep, oh, sweet sleep! That’s one thing that college students never seem to get enough of. However, in order to stay mentally healthy, you need to get at least six to eight hours a night. Those mythical all-nighters that students brag about can be avoided, as long as you don’t procrastinate on the work. Getting plenty of sleep is definitely important to keep your mental health in check.
6) Eat a Healthy Diet
In addition, students need to follow a healthy diet. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of eating pizza and junk food every single day. Eating unhealthy and highly processed foods can make you feel physically ill, which can in turn negatively affect your mental health. Stick to healthy foods, and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables instead.
Prioritizing your mental health in college is the best thing any college student can do. And with these six simple tips, you can help ward off mental exhaustion and depression, or at the very least find some relief when that college stress kicks in.