According to the Mayo Clinic, a recent study found that 1 in 3 college students experience significant depression or anxiety. You are not alone, you are not insignificant, and you will never be selfish or conceited for trying to manage your mental health in college. In college, we have so many obligations to so many people: our professors, our family, and our friends. With so much that has to be done for so many people, sometimes people can forget that they also have an obligation to themselves.
Recently, I have started to make my mental health a priority. In this article, I share some things that I have learned to do for mental wellness that are unique to college students.
- Indulge in some Nostalgia
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Not everyone who goes to college gets homesick. I didn’t get homesick my first year of college. Although, just because you aren’t homesick doesn’t mean that you don’t have little things that you miss. In my house, whenever we had a drink that came in a can, like a soda or a seltzer, we would drink it out of a plastic straw that we would put right in the can. There was always a full straw dispenser in the kitchen for whenever you grabbed a drink out of the fridge.
I know, I know, save the turtles. But plastic straws contribute to so little of our plastic waste big picture. It centers me in a way that it definitely should not considering it is just as straw, but nostalgia works in interesting ways. So, find your plastic straw. Find something that centers you when college can feel so chaotic.
- Be a Holiday Hoe hoe hoe
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There’s a lot of holidays that can pass in a single college semester. For example, this fall alone we have seen Labor Day, Rosh Hashanah, and the Autumn Equinox. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are all still to come. Dressing up for Halloween, eating some pumpkin pie, or even putting up a couple Christmas decorations might seem trivial, but it helps me remember how fun life can be when I am having a hard time.
When you are overwhelmed by anxiety or depression in college, celebrating holidays can be hard. In the same breath, when you are overwhelmed by anxiety or depression in college, celebrating holidays can remind you that life doesn’t have to be pessimistic all of the time.
- Don’t Hang out with draining people
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One of the best things about college is that you get to choose who you get to hang out with and when. Don’t forget that if one of your friends in college is draining you, you are free to hang out with them as little as you can. You are not trapped in relationships, and don’t forget that just because you are already settled into your new environment. This doesn’t mean isolate yourself, it actually means quite the opposite.
I used to find myself hanging out with draining people because they were the ones that reached out to me. Now, I say no to people that drain my mental health and reach out to the people that make my life better. Find people that you want to be in your life and pursue them, and don’t ever be afraid of rejection.
- Be late
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Hear me out on this one. I find that when I believed that being on time to every single commitment I had was essential, I was under way too much unnecessary stress. It was a product of my generalized anxiety, but it was something that I happened to have an epiphany about one day.
Absolutely no one cares if I am late to a lecture in college. I just ask the person next to me what is going on and move on with my life. The world does not end. If I am late turning in an assignment, I can get in contact with my professor and get it done for partial credit. The world does not end. If I am late to my job, I assure my boss it will not happen again and move on with my life. The world does not end. And, most importantly, if I am late meeting a friend, I can apologize to them and proceed as normal. They will not hate me, and the world does not end. Try being late to something. Deal with the consequences and realize that the world does not end. Have compassion for yourself and realize that the world has compassion for you.
- Get on Some wheels
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In college, especially when you live on campus and don’t have a car, you can feel stuck in one place. Find something: a bike, a scooter, a car, a bus, or a train.
I find that whenever I am on the bus or in my friend’s car, I feel free, like I could go anywhere if I wanted to. It reminds me that I am in control of my own life, and that though college feels big and intimidating, in the grand scheme of the world, it is pretty small. Get on some wheels in college; remind yourself that you are not trapped.
- Be the Depression Movie
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Everyone has that one movie that they’ve seen a million times. A movie they keep going back to when they are sick, have had a bad day, or are struggling mentally. Mine is Legally Blonde.
It’s a classic: funny, empowering, and emotional. I always pictured myself being Elle Woods, being strong in myself, always good to people, and quick to find the good in things. So, sometimes, I walk around campus pretending that I am Elle Woods. Everyone has their movie, so try to pretend like you’re in it. When it feels like I can’t deal with the stresses of college, I pretend I am Elle Woods. Find your Elle Woods and be them.
To be clear, these tips are not meant to be a replacement for professional help. If you are struggling, please reach out to a trusted family member or your college’s mental health resources. These are things that I have started to do for myself. I share them to inspire you to listen to yourself, to be in tune with how you feel doing certain things and beginning to identify what benefits your mental health and what does not. Success in college without mental stability is not sustainable, so be sure to never forget to take care of yourself!