When the days get shorter, and the air gets colder, many find themselves troubled by a change in their mood. This year, the challenge of mental health is further compounded by the Covid-19 crisis, which has placed an unprecedented burden on almost everyone. Many find themselves missing their former routine, anxious about an unknown future, and alienated from their friends and family.
Many health professionals have long discussed the issue of mental health among college students. Studies have shown that just about one-half of college students have been diagnosed with some form of psychiatric disorder, but treatment rates among this age group remain low. Now, as the pandemic nears close to its first year, students must prioritize their mental health to an even greater degree.
Below I have compiled five ways that college students can alter their routine to make time for their well-being. However, if you suspect that you need stronger support, there are so many wonderful resources available to help you. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a 24/7 hotline, and its number is 1-800-273-TALK. They also have an online chat, which is here. Brown University also has many resources available. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) has a 24/7 hotline at 401-863-3476 and virtual, anonymous appointments are available every day. More about Brown-specific resources can be found here.
1. Create a meditation schedule
One of the gifts of technology is that it can be easy to connect to other people, no matter where they might live. However, the growth of social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok can severely impact one’s mood. Several studies have linked social media consumption to an increased likelihood of experiencing depression, anxiety, and other mental illnesses. When someone scrolls through an endless cycle of videos, it becomes increasingly easy to feel inadequate, lonely, or self-conscious. Furthermore, most college students now take their classes online, which further increases their screen time.
Therefore it becomes increasingly important to take time away from one’s phone or computer and focus on being present. Meditation can be a great way to reconnect with yourself, and you can do it from the comfort of your room. Here is a link for six different meditation platforms based on experience and environment, and there are plenty of other resources on the internet for guided meditation.
Sticking to this habit can prove challenging, especially when one’s workload begins to increase. That is why creating a weekly meditation schedule can help some people stay accountable. In a journal, write down your goal to try meditation. You can formulate a promise to try it once or twice a week or even a self-made contract to try it every morning for the next three days! Organizing a meditation plan based on your schedule can be a great way of experimenting and sticking with this new habit!
2. Start a gratitude journal
One easy habit of getting into is to start a gratitude journal. I picked it up over winter break and have stuck to it since I started. I find it challenging to stick to habits but promising to write down three short things each day has helped me a great deal. Listing these gratitudes takes less than five minutes, but I can think clearly about the things in my life that I appreciate and value in this short time. Moreover, I don’t put pressure on myself to make these gratitudes particularly special or profound. One day I might include my appreciation for my mom picking up my Facetime call, while another entry might be Sza’s CTRL album. These little entries might seem trivial, but they encourage me to see the significance in a small part of my day that I might regularly overlook.
3. Staying active
Many people see exercise as the enemy and only view it as a solution to losing weight. However, in my own opinion, the benefits of exercise extend far beyond the simple notion of improving one’s physique. Yes, being active has a multitude of services for your physical body. However, exercising can be a great way to improve your mental health and boost your serotonin levels. As Elle Woods brilliantly put it in the movie Legally Blonde: “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.”
However, committing to staying active can seem incredibly daunting, especially when the weather is cold and exercise classes seem like too significant a health risk. Luckily, there are so many resources on the internet to help you stay active without compromising your health. Over the summer, I discovered the plethora of great workouts available on Youtube and Popsugar.
My favorite instructor is Jake Dupree, a pilates and barre instructor, whose humor and incredible energy makes a difficult 30-minute workout fly by. He has a 21-day challenge available for free on Popsugar that is guaranteed to help you stick to your fitness goals. Be prepared, though, because the first time I took his class I had to stop after five minutes! If you are looking for a less intense workout, there are also plenty of yoga classes available on Youtube. One great instructor is Adriene Mishler, and you can find her channel here.
4. Connecting with new and old friends
One aspect of pre-Covid life that people miss is the rarity of human interaction and connection. Anxieties of exposure to the virus now accompany simple things like hugging someone. But although physical contact might be problematic, there are still so many other ways to connect with people.
My family and I tried to stay connected with friends and family by creating new traditions. For example, every Sunday at 5 pm, my entire family gets together via Zoom to talk about the news, their week, and anything they might be feeling. Although it is difficult to replicate the feeling of a physical reunion, these meetings bring us together and are likely to continue past the pandemic era. These new traditions extend to friend groups as well. For example, my mom and her friends have all found the time each week to get on a call to catch up, and it is a positive experience for everyone.
These meetings – albeit virtual – allow the world we are living in to seem smaller and more connected. Furthermore, these chats can enable us to share the struggles we are experiencing and feel less alone. Reaching out might seem like a big step, but many people will be extremely grateful for it, and it can help you create a healthy support system.
5. Regulate your sleep schedule
Sleep is imperative to both your mental health and your daily routine. It can be easy to endlessly scroll on social media or binge-watch a new Netflix TV show into the wee hours of the night. However, it is vital to identify your needs and notice when it is time for bed.
Before the pandemic, I never experienced difficulty sleeping since my routine was so regulated and filled with various activities. However, once the reality of the pandemic set in and the sun began setting earlier, I found myself staying up incredibly late and waking up to only 6 hours of remaining daylight.
Since I identified this issue, I have taken a few steps to combat it that might help others:
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I began to set a bedtime routine. I tried to make my bed, wash my face, and change into pajamas an hour before I wanted to sleep (even if I was already wearing sweats)! This helped signal to my body that I was preparing to go to bed.
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I started to set a bedtime alarm just like I would set a morning alarm. This helped me stay accountable and reminded me to prioritize my sleep.
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I began to try to read once I was ready to sleep. I set the goal of reading ten pages per night, which allowed me to put down my phone and concentrate on something else. Picking up a book was challenging since I struggle with focus issues, but once I stuck with it, I soon found that it came more naturally to me.
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I found that my routine during the day was also essential to how I would sleep. In December, I purchased a SAD lamp, a light therapy device that replicates the natural outdoor light ordinary in warmer seasons. During the day, I would sit in front of the lamp, close my eyes, and stay there for five to ten minutes. Besides improving my mood, I found that the light increased my energy during the day and helped me identify when I was tired at night.
Although these steps that I took might translate differently into your own life, I believe that trying at least one or two of them can help you focus on your sleep and improve your mental health.