At the beginning of my college career, I was isolated from the COVID-19 pandemic. I was nervous about moving on my own to college and beginning to take college classes, and while I knew it was something I was capable of, I was extremely nervous. I had no in-person classes and any student organizations I wanted to get involved in would be done virtually. Dealing with all of this was tough.
I knew that all of this would negatively impact my mental health. It caused an increase in feelings of anxiety and caused me to worry about the world around me, as well as my future. College during the pandemic is extremely tough. I knew that I needed to take charge of my mental health one way or another. I knew that going through the right steps to make myself less anxious would not only help my academic performance, but would allow me to be more social, spend more time doing the things I love, and make me happier in the long run.
I will be honest, admitting that I was struggling was something extremely difficult to do. I had to be honest with myself about a lot of things. I knew what I needed to do and I began to reach out for help. I began to utilize the Counseling Center at UK to begin therapy, where I always knew I had someone to talk to about anything and everything I would ever need to discuss. Making the choice to attend therapy was without a doubt one of the best decisions I have ever made.
I know conquering your mental health is tough, but it’s worth it in the long run.