9 Transformative Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health in College
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While college is an exciting time of transformation, introducing new experiences, friends, and environments, it can also stir feelings of worry and apprehension. Depending on the gravity of these emotions, students might experience increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, or other mental health issues.
Recent studies indicate that students nationwide are struggling with maintaining their mental health, a difficulty that has been heightened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Healthy Minds Network, in association with the American College Health Association, revealed in a 2020 study that college students reported "lower levels of psychological wellbeing post-pandemic relative to Fall 2019." Further, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine found in a November 2020 study that nearly 60 percent of LGBTQ+ college students "were experiencing psychological distress, anxiety, and depression during the pandemic." In February 2021, a Boston University survey indicated that 83 percent of 33,000 students felt their mental health "negatively impacted their academic performance."
Such anxieties existed before the pandemic, as well. A Harvard Medical School study from 2018 revealed that one in five students reported having suicidal thoughts over the course of a single year. Among LGBTQ+ students, rates for suicidal ideation, suicide attempts, and self-injury all had increased since the survey was last administered in 2009.
But there is hope for those struggling. Thrive Global, a behavior change media and technology company, spoke with B. Janet Hibbs, Ph.D., a family psychologist and co-author of The Stressed Years of Their Lives: Helping Your Kid Survive and Thrive During Their College Years, about dealing with “the sky is falling” anxiety. This form of anxiety is overwhelmingly persistent, and can be detrimental if left unaddressed.
Below, find mental wellness tips recommended by Dr. B. Janet Hibbs, and other strategies that can help college students take control of their symptoms. Keep in mind, however, that while these are valuable, they are not a replacement for professional therapy. Make sure to reach out to an expert if needed.
Develop healthy habits
Regular exercise, eating nutritious foods, and getting good amounts of sleep (about 8 to ten hours a night) will help reduce the symptoms of anxiety, Hibbs says. But it's sometimes difficult to stay on the healthy track due to long class hours, tests, and a busy social life. You might get less sleep one night but Hibbs stresses the importance of self-acceptance and reminds students that "you will make mistakes and that you can recover and learn from them."
Practice self-care
College life can be very overwhelming while balancing classes and a social life, so it’s important to schedule some time just for yourself. Try to do something that you enjoy every day, whether it be meditating, watching your comfort television show, or going for a walk. This alone time can recharge your mind and decrease the pervasiveness of anxiety. In fact, Harvard Medical School and other institutions tout the benefits of self-care for elevating moods and reducing stress.
Find support groups
It's important to not suffer in silence and to find others who may be dealing with similar problems. Active Minds is a non-profit organization that helps students find groups within their campus that can provide peer-to-peer support. They have 450 chapters throughout the U.S. If Active Minds doesn't have a group in your school, Hibbs recommends students seek similar support systems on campus.
Set goals
Establishing goals, either educational or personal, encourages motivation and can help determine your direction. You might write these out in a bulleted list, or channel your creativity with a vision board. Compile a stack of magazines and cut out images and words that represent your aspirations, or utilize digital templates on websites like Pinterest and Canva.
Look for support online
If you're not ready to open up to your peers in person, there are resources online that can connect you to a mental health professional. Talkspace, an online therapy company, has a network of more than 2,000 licensed therapists that talk to patients via text, audio or video messaging. Other "tech-centric" resources include Better Mind, which connects students to tele-counselors, Runaway App, which connects students to trained volunteers, and the Buddy Project, a non-profit that links suicidal teens to supportive peers via Twitter.
Avoid negative self-talk
Negative self-talk can present itself as putting blame on yourself, catastrophizing a situation, filtering the positive moments out of a scenario, prioritizing perfectionism, and so on. Try as best as you can to quiet this cynical voice in your head — instead, reframe your thinking and treat yourself with kindness. Research shows that positive and productive self-talk lowers levels of depression, stress, and pain, and promotes better mental and physical health.
Maintain relationships with family and friends
Whether it’s the first week of freshman year or spring semester of junior year, homesickness is real and can affect you at any point. Maintain connections with friends and family at home, so that when these feelings of loneliness unfold, you can immediately reach out to those people. The same philosophy goes for new friendships you form at college. Again, a close friend on campus will be a solace when you’re experiencing feelings of sadness or uneasiness.
Visit the campus counseling center
Nearly every college or university has an on-campus counseling center, which provides clinical services and resources for anxiety, depression, sexual assault, eating disorders, and other concerns. These centers typically offer individual therapy sessions, group therapy sessions, referral services, and workshops dedicated to encouraging mental and emotional wellbeing. Plus, these consultations are often confidential and free of charge. To identify the location of your counseling center, try googling your college’s name and “counseling center,” or refer to your school’s website.
Speak to a therapist
Again, while all the aforementioned tips are helpful, they are not a substitute for one-on-one therapy. So, be sure to reach out for professional support if you need it. If you visit your school’s counseling center, you may be referred to an off-campus therapist who is better equipped to help you and your needs. However, you could bypass the counseling center and find a therapist on your own. In that case, try to speak with a parent, guardian, or trusted adult to discuss logistics such as insurance coverage and potential out-of-pocket costs. Consulting your primary care physician could be beneficial as well, as they could refer you to a specialist in your college’s area.
Read Thrive's report into the surprising reasons behind the student mental health crisis here.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, you can call the National Alliance on Mental Illness HelpLine at 1-(800)-950-NAMI (6264) or visit their website.
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