I want to start off this article by saying I am not a professional when it comes to dealing with depression. I do not claim to know more than a doctor. I am simply writing this article to speak as a peer who is going through college just like you. As a human being and as a college student, I have dealt with sadness and stress and I want anyone reading this to know that they aren’t alone. There are many things to get stressed or sad over in college. But here are a few small and daily tips to keeping your days a little brighter.
1) Reach out to your friends:
This was the hardest thing for me to do. I thought that if I talked to my friends about how I was feeling, they would get annoyed with me or that they wouldn’t want to hear what I had to say. It took me a while to see that this was silly! Your friends are your support system while away at school. Shutting them out will not make it better. Be honest with your friends so they can be there for you and help you in whatever ways they can. I also learned that if your friends do not care about how you are feeling, then they aren’t worth your friendship anyway.
2) Seek a professional if you need more help:
I in no way can relate to diagnosed or very deep depression. But in whatever varying depression you may have, seek a professional if needed. If nothing you are doing is helping you feel any happier, don’t just continue to suffer. A doctor can really help through therapy, medication, etc.
3) Find ways to manage your stress:
If you know you have a big project or paper coming up, start early. Start work as early as possible to avoid cramming or very condensed stress. Buy a planner! Writing down your schedule and being able to look ahead is a way to not be surprised or stressed by things you may have forgotten.
4) Keep up with your passions and try new things:
Don’t spend all of your time doing nothing. Being stuck in your mind all the time can really hurt you by allowing too much time on reflection. Continue to do things that you love. Go to that club, go to practice, and go to class. Keep it up! Sometimes trying new things can spice up your life and create new possibilities as well. There are always things to try that you’ve wanted to but never have. Try it! Join a new club, learn an instrument, read a new book, etc.
5) Turn a negative into two positives:
I’ve always heard the saying, “turn a negative into two positives”. I’ve personally found this to really help me when I got down. So let’s say you forgot to do a homework assignment for a class, but you got a great grade on the last quiz and you’ve been keeping up on the reading. Those two positives can really outweigh the one negative and show how well you’ve actually been doing. People telling you to “stay positive” don’t really help. Because they don’t really tell you how to stay positive. Try this method out sometime!
6) Spend some time at home:
If you live close enough to home, try going home for a weekend. Your family is always worrying for your well-being in college. So go home where you can let you family take care of you for a while. A little family lovin’, some home cooked meals, and some sleep in your own bed won’t hurt you.
Everything that I’ve said in this article is really based off of my personal experience. Everyone’s journey is different. Find out what works for you. Always remember that you are loved and that your sadness is only temporary!