Sometime in the middle of this semester, I ended up in a funk. And this feeling of being drained and unmotivated has been a shared sentiment among most other people that I have talked to. Maybe it is because daylight savings gave me my yearly dose of seasonal depression or the moon in Cancer (for the astrology buffs). And perhaps suffering from the infamous frat flu was the cherry on top of all that.
Whatever the reason may be for this lousy feeling, I seem to be among the many college students that have been collectively neglecting our mental health. You may be too.
The first step I take in assessing my mental health is to ask myself how I’m doing. I don’t go with the knee-jerk response of “I’m fine,” but try to assign an emotion to how I feel. According to UCLA professor of psychology Matt Lieberman, finding a word for an emotion reduces the stress caused by that emotion.
Another way I understand emotional patterns is by using a mood-tracking journal. It works by assigning each day a color that corresponds to a particular mood that you felt the most that day. Remaining consistent with a mood journal has helped me catch myself falling into a funk and finding ways to manage it.
After identifying my negative mood, I try to find ways to overcome it. This includes practices such as:
- Journaling. Journaling is not limited to writing, but also includes recording audio recordings of myself talking through my feelings if I do not have the energy to write
- Exercise. Exercise is not exclusive to hitting the gym. It can include low-impact activities such as going on a nature walk or even a stroll around the block. Also, yoga and pilates are great low-impact exercises that I do by simply following along to a Youtube video in my room
- Take a break. The demands of school and work can be very overwhelming, so it is important to slow down or just stop completely for a little bit.
- Give myself grace. The college education system is challenging, there is no denying that. Feelings of doubt from imposter syndrome and the overwhelming stress of pursuing a college degree inevitably lead to these poor mental states. It is important to recognize that I’m doing my best and that I should be proud of myself for everything I have done to make it this far!
Although managing my mental health is much easier said than done, it is worth all the effort that goes into it. I think that it is especially important to identify any unusual emotions that I’m experiencing as soon as possible because of the fast-approaching ultimate stressor that is finals week. So let’s finish off this semester (mentally) strong!