So, you’re a freshman in your first semester or a junior or senior in your fall semester, realizing that you feel like you haven’t accomplished anything (even though you probably have). And you. Do. Everything.
All of the things you sign up for, pertaining to your future success or not, mean something to you. If you’re a Chem major, but you’re on the E-board of an a cappella group, you know you can’t give it up. It makes you happy and maybe the only thing that gives you relief in the week.
The hardest time is the period of weeks right before Thanksgiving. Basically everything is picking up: classes, shows, games, organizations, clubs. Literally. Everything.
And you basically want to die.
You’re experiencing panic attacks more than often.
You can feel your heart beating throughout your entire body.
You’re getting an average of three hours of sleep per night.
You have an absurd amount of things to do and you find yourself sitting on your bed.
You try to live off of coffee but that only ends up making everything worse.
You feel like your entire existence is… in the top of your head? Somehow?
All you know is that something’s wrong.
The good news is that there are things you really can do to help:
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Examine your schedule. What is entirely necessary? What can you afford to give up?
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Talk. Really, just verbalize your problems to anyone that you know will be confidential and sensitive to what you’re going through.
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Please put the effort in to get help. Talk to a counselor (there is a counseling center on most college campuses), get medicine if you need to, find a supportive friend group.
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Honestly, step three is just so relevant that I feel like I need to reiterate it. I know it’s just more on your plate, but you really have to keep in mind that this is your first priority. There will come a point where you will not be capable of functioning if you don’t fix this now.
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Don’t feel bad about getting the rest you need. Sometimes, you need to just do this to the world: