It’s no secret that mental health is just as important as any other branch of wellness. However, particularly for college students, mental health can be one of the hardest parts of our lives to maintain. This is especially true right now, considering IUP is right in the middle of midterm season. So to help everyone out, I’ve attempted to come up with a list of various ways we can all improve our mental health throughout the semester.
1. Don’t take on too much
Now obviously since we are mid semester, it’s a bit too late to not join too many organizations, (mental note: if you feel like you’re in too many organizations, remember that feeling next semester and try to fix it then). However, that doesn’t mean you can’t prevent yourself from taking on too much. It all comes down to good time management. Be sure not to add on any more responsibilities throughout the semester. I know this might seem obvious, but things do come up. While new activities may pique your interest, if you’re in a position where you are too stressed out by your current commitments then it might be time to take a raincheck. Which brings me to…
2. Learn when to say no
This (along with number one) is something I had to learn the hard way.If you’re someone like me who has a go-getter personality, then you understand how hard it can be to say no when a new opportunity arises.Take it from me: YOUR. MENTAL. HEALTH. IS. MORE. IMPORTANT.No matter how much you think this new opportunity will benefit you in the long run, it won’t benefit you if you’re too overwhelmed to give the activity your full effort.And if you’re not giving your full effort to the new activity, you’re probably not giving your full effort to your other activities either. So in the end you just feel overwhelmed and don’t get anything done.I realize it can be hard to say no, but trust me you will thank yourself later.
3. Create some “me time”
If you follow numbers one and two, you’ll find that completing this task is a lot easier.In life, I’ve found that if you want to improve your mental health you must be able to set aside some time.Set aside some time where you’re not thinking about work or anything that stresses you.Take some time out of every day to do something you enjoy.This should be something that relaxes you and doesn’t add any stress to your life.You shouldn’t have to feel like your me time is work. However, I will say that it’s something you should get into the habit of doing every day if you can.Setting aside that time really allows you to just unwind for a bit.I have personally found that the best way to do this is to stop working after a certain point at night, then make that time your me time.It really helps alleviate some of the stress you may have accumulated throughout the day.
4. Get plenty of rest
This is one of those self-care tips that really goes a long way to improving your mental health.Getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep (Disclaimer: I realize this might not be exact for everyone, but it’s the general rule I follow) can allow you to feel more alert during the day.This can lead to higher levels of productivity and hopefully less stress for you! Yay!Think about it, whenever you’re trying to aid your physical health, one of the best remedies is sleep.It only makes sense that one of the ways to help with mental health is also sleep.
5. Look at the positives
I would say this might be the one tip I give that’s the easiest to implement.It’s not taking any time out of your day, or forcing you to make tough decisions. All you need to do is take a step back any time you’re feeling stressed and think of at least one thing (if not more) that you can be happy about or grateful for.This could be as simple as nature, family, friends, or even waking up and getting another day on this Earth.Every day is a gift and sometimes I think we forget to notice and appreciate that.So the next time you’re feeling stressed out, I challenge you to find something positive about your current situation, even if it’s just that you were able to get out of bed this morning.
I hope this list has inspired you all with a few different ways to take care of your mental health this semester. College can be rough sometimes but there’s always a way to get through even the toughest of times.
HCXO
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