I remember being a child playing at the local playground on a bright, summer day. It would be sweltering outside– the kind of day where you can see the heat waves dancing in the distance. Every child staked their claim to rule this magical kingdom; an unspoken agreement among us to take part ownership as kings and queens of the park. Without any care in the world, I vividly recall weaving in and out of the swing sets, relentlessly attempting with all my might to avoid getting “tagged” by the tireless chaser.
I remember skipping with my friends to the water fountain trying to keep from stepping on the cracks in the cement. It seemed as though no matter how much breath escaped from our lungs, how fast our hearts were pounding in our chests, or how many times we scraped a knee, got tagged, or stepped on a crack in the cement, we kept going. Another round of hide and seek, and another, and another. It wasn’t until our parents could pry our fingers off of the tire swings that we were willing to surrender our kingdom for the day.
Even though the dog days of summer are over and we are no longer little kids running around a playground, there are still those times when we find ourselves out of breath after taking a stumble. However, our stumbles tend to be much bigger now than they were just ten years ago. Student loans, stress from our academic load, trying to figure out what to do with our lives – all of these factors contribute to making it harder to get back up from our fall.
So many college students find themselves struggling. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in three students report prolonged periods of depression, one in four reported having suicidal thoughts or feelings, and 50 percent of students rated their mental health below average or poor. As unfortunate as this information is, it’s the least bit surprising. While there are plenty of amazing opportunities in college, now that we are into the second semester, the excitement of new things has grown dull for many of us and the winter blues have a tendency to overcome us.
Although, there are plenty of ways to aid in helping you get back up from your fall. If you suffer from any type of mental illness, seeking help is always a great thing to do – forget about the stigmas and realize that you deserve to feel better. What’s important to remember though is that no matter how many times we may get pushed down, it is always worth getting back up.
Life has too much worth savoring to allow this minute moment in time to effect our outlook. We each have so much to look forward to, whether it’s short term like getting the chance to spend time with friends on a Friday night, or long term like finding your dream job. It’s typically how we overcome our trials now that determines what we will accomplish in the future.