Labor Day weekend has passed us by, and students are officially back on campus. As I get farther in my matriculation, the more and more I add to my plate. I have a number of extra-curricular activities on my agenda this year, including schoolwork, as well as LSAT prep this year. (#LawyerBae loading) All of these things can easily take a toll on anyone’s mental health. I’ve been an active student in and outside of school for most of my life, but college has definitely challenged me in a way I haven’t dealt with before. So in order to protect my mental health, here are some practices that I’ve adopted!
#1 Get a planner
All the hot girls have planners. Planners allow you to organize yourself and prioritize your time. It’s much easier to write things down as they come, instead of trying to remember everything at once. By seeing everything you need to do before the day is over or even the week, it leaves less room for error. If you wanna go all out, color coordination is a great tool to make sure you are uber organized!
#2 Learn to say no.
If you’re anything like me, you constantly wish you could be in more than one place at one time. In the AUC there’s always an event, a party, a kickback, a meeting to go to, or a club to join. It can be exhausting and tempting to want to do everything the schools offer! We can’t do it all, and I constantly have to remind myself of that. Deciding what will benefit you most, in the long run, is the best way to prioritize events and such. Don’t be afraid to tell your friends no either. If it’s something that’s not do-able at the moment, that’s okay. And if they don’t understand they ain’t really your homegirls for real anyway.
#3 Know when you’re becoming overwhelmed.
Tell-tale signs of stress are not sleeping well, not eating enough or at all, headaches and more. Students often ignore these signs when consumed with all the things that often plague a college student. These things, if ignored, could definitely lead to an anxiety attack. College students experience anxiety attacks a very high rate due to stress, so it is super important that we monitor our mental health before it gets too far.
#4 Have fun! Mental health days are important! If you ever find your self too stressed, the best way to decompress is to spend time with friends, or some much needed alone time. Don’t be afraid to take that break, a break could definitely clear your head and refresh you!
Mental health is extremely important, now more than ever since we have been entrusted with so much more. Staying healthy is one of the best ways to succeed in college and life thereafter. If you ever feel overwhelmed Clark Atlanta offers counseling services on the third floor of Trevor Arnett.