Let’s face it; sometimes life just feels really sucky, and that’s completely normal. Responsibilities, unexpected accidents, illness, and other stressors are all a part of life. Everyone’s story is different, and everyone has their struggles. As someone who struggles with depression, anxiety, severe health issues, and the typical ‘college life’ stresses of work and school, I want to emphasize how important it is to take care of yourself. Your health should be the number one priority on your list for a wide variety of reasons.
For starters, you can’t run on an empty tank. If you’re burnt out, overworking yourself, or neglecting your health, your body, nor your mind, will be able to function at their prime. Stress, anxiety, depression—the whole nine yards—can drain you and have a terrible impact on your mind, body, and overall well-being.
To avoid said impact, it’s important to understand how to cope with your negative feelings, fuel your body with the right things, and put yourself first! There are endless things you can do to cope with mental health struggles, but everyone is different, so try different things and see what works best for you. Here are the three things that have helped me a lot with my own struggles and challenges.
- Let It Out
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Bottling up your feelings and emotions can result in a snowball effect where they build and fester until it becomes too much to handle. Let it out by confiding in a loved one, venting to a friend, or talking to a professional. Not only will it feel better to get your troubles off your chest, but you can also gain some insight from others and even find love and support in their company.
When I was in high school, I was struggling with anxiety, depression, and a learning disability that made it harder for me to learn the material in my classes. I worked three jobs—which I hated—and I had a teaching apprenticeship during my free period, so I was very overwhelmed and constantly getting burnt out. On top of that, I was bullied a lot and I was sexually assaulted, which diminished my self-esteem and caused my depression and anxiety to skyrocket. I developed anorexia my senior year, and that’s when my health began to decline.
To cope with my mental health issues, I reached out to teachers I trusted. They helped me with what they could and referred me to my guidance counselor. I vented about all my struggles and she gave me amazing advice. I reached out to friends and family, who supported me, gave me helpful resources, and showed me there are better things to come. Eventually, a restraining order was put into place, my teachers helped me after school with my assignments, and I quit one of my jobs to alleviate some stress.
If I hadn’t reached out, I would have completely drowned under the immense pressure and stress I was experiencing. As a result, I highly recommend reaching out and confiding in people you trust. If you don’t feel comfortable talking, write it out in a journal if you want. It can be therapeutic to empty your thoughts onto paper and let your feelings unravel. It’s a good way to organize your thoughts and do some self-reflection too. Just don’t bottle it up; you don’t have to handle it all alone.
- Find Your Own Outlets
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After graduating high school, I started spending lots of time with friends, traveling, and dating. However, I got into a major accident and totaled my car. I was fine, but I became very anxious about driving. I worked over the summer before starting community college in the fall. I got a job on campus and managed an 18-credit course load throughout my first year. I made lots of new friends, joined the Leadership Academy as well as many clubs, and made my mark on campus. I was thriving in every aspect of my life and I felt on top of the world—that is, until I didn’t…
I was sitting in class one day when my heart started pounding really hard. I was shaking a lot, overheating, short of breath, and really dizzy. I got up to go to the bathroom and passed out. The next thing I know, a group of guys from my class is carrying me into the hallway. That was the first day my heart issues started, and I spent the rest of the semester wearing a heart monitor and taking spontaneous trips to the ER. Over the rest of my time at community college, I lost a tremendous amount of weight from my eating disorder, had a bad breakup from a toxic relationship, developed multiple other health issues, totaled my new car in yet another major accident, and stopped driving for good. I was anxious about food, exercise, health issues, driving, my job, my classes, and everything else I was dealing with. After it finally appeared that I had my life together, it all seemed to fall apart in front of me.
To cope with these things, I needed to do more than reach out to loved ones. I needed to find myself again and invest in things that make me happy. I got a job in the marketing department and pursued my love for content creation and writing. I started a blog, switched my major, and began journaling. I started attending casting calls in Boston and pursued my love for acting. I’ve since landed roles in short films, theater performances, commercials, TV shows, and more. I also began exploring my spirituality where I discovered new connections with myself, God, and the world around me. Despite my setbacks, I had earned my degree, maintained a 3.9 GPA, and by the time I graduated, I was accepted to UMass Amherst to further my education.
I never could have imagined achieving these things, especially considering the circumstances I was facing, but if you take chances, believe in yourself, and go after your goals and dreams despite your fears and challenges, you can truly achieve anything you set your mind to! Do things you enjoy, explore your passions and interests, and try new things. Finding outlets that shape you, give you greater purpose, and bring you happiness are great ways to overcome your mental funk and help you to achieve a better sense of self. It’s also a great way to find yourself, discover your passions, and fulfill your life with things and experiences you love!
- Practice Self-Love
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Take care of your body, mind, and spirit with a little self-love. Be kind to yourself and invest in some “me time” every now and then. Do things that bring you joy and treat yourself well. Tell yourself positive affirmations, journal, meditate, read—whatever lifts your spirit and your mood. Stay positive and allow yourself to rejuvenate.
When I was struggling with various challenges, I decided I needed to stop feeling sorry for myself and start loving myself. I needed to bring myself out of this funk and stay positive in order to overcome it. I started practicing self-care and self-love. Instead of being hard on myself for not doing enough, I let myself be ‘not okay’—I let myself feel all the things I was feeling.
Then, I picked myself back up and took care of myself. I started listening to motivational podcasts, I took bubble baths, and wore face masks, I watched my favorite TV shows with my family, I started doing the things I loved again, and encouraged myself to live my life, even though it was different than I wanted it to be. I told myself positive affirmations and acknowledged that I am strong enough and capable enough to get through anything. Although I still have my struggles, and I am still learning how to manage my situation, these things have really helped me, and I’m hoping they can help you too.
All in all, when things get tough, keep going. Let out your emotions, find what makes you happy, take care of yourself, and most importantly, love yourself. Sometimes it can be hard to see the bright side of things, but you can always overcome even the greatest challenges in life with the right perspective. Keep going and persevere—things always get better, and there are always greater things ahead of you, I promise!