My entire life, I’ve always dealt with mental health issues. I’ve been to therapy more times than I can count on my hand, and I’ve always struggled with the best way to cope for myself. I’ve found myself unhealthily coping with alcohol, social media and more, which usually led to even more of a downward spiral. Just last semester, I found myself in that situation, which made things so much worse for me. However, I’ve really worked on myself these past few months to get to a better spot, and now, I’m feeling the best I have in years. Here are some of the changes I made to my life leading to me becoming the best version of myself.
- Implementing walks
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I am not a gym rat by any means, and if anything, I could definitely work out more than I do now. However, one thing I do a lot to keep myself active and feeling better is going on walks. Whether it be to the pharmacy, campus or the grocery store, if it’s in walking distance, I will walk. Especially now that the weather is (hopefully) warming up soon, I will implement walks into my daily routine, as I notice walking places clears my head.
- Going to therapy
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I always have a difficult time talking out my feelings, which tends to lead to a bit of a downward spiral at times. However, I’ve been going to therapy every two weeks through Cook Counseling, and it has been super helpful to have a routine of getting to talk about my feelings. Getting to talk out even the small things in life helps me feel a lot better about myself and the things I stress over. I know therapy seems daunting, but keeping it in my life consistently has changed me for the better.
- Cutting off toxic Friendships
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When I was at my lowest earlier in the year, I came to the realization that a lot of my friendships were toxic and not benefitting me in the slightest. Cutting off toxic people has shown me just how good some of my friendships are, and being able to put my heart into the relationships in my life that actually mean something to me has been so rewarding. I love my friends so much, and being able to put my focus into these friendships has been so rewarding.
- Reaching out to My professors
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One of the biggest things that causes stress for me is my schoolwork. It’s no secret that college is hard, and sometimes, when you start to struggle, it can be hard to come back from that. Going to your professors for help is so important when this happens, because they are there to help you. Just the other week, I did terrible on an exam. I decided to reach out to my professor and he offered for me to retake it, giving me several tips to succeed. There’s nothing wrong with asking for help!
- Having a comfort Activity
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Some people choose painting, reading or watching TV, but my comfort activity is playing “The Sims.” I get to really embrace my creativity through the game, and setting aside an hour or so per day to play makes me feel a lot better! It gives me something to look forward to at the end of a busy day.