As if moving away from home on their own wasn’t daunting enough for many new college students, adding finances, deadlines, making new friends and more to the mix and you have the perfect recipe for mounting mental health issues such as stress, anxiety and depression. For college students, there is a lot of advice about staying physically healthy and strong, but for many of the collegiate community, looking after their mental health is more important. We’ve put together some top tips to help you stay mentally strong and healthy whilst studying for your degree.
College Counseling
College counseling services are usually available to all students, even if you do not suffer from any specific mental health issues. Whether you have a history of depression and anxiety or have only just started to experience stress and worry, regular visits to your counselor at school can help you to keep your mind clear and remain in control of your studies and your personal life. When it comes to mental health problems, any counselor at school will agree that preventing them from occurring in the first place is always best. So, don’t wait until you feel really bad before asking for some support.
Peer Support
College can be very daunting when it comes to making new friends and meeting the people who you are going to stay in touch with for life. But, on the other hand, college will also most likely be home to some people who don’t make you feel that great. When it comes to choosing your social circles and getting peer support, making wise choices is important. There’s no better time than college to learn that quality surely is better than quantity when it comes to who you choose to be your friends. That being said, it’s impossible to meet the great people who are sure to be somewhere at your college if you never get out. Joining college societies, groups, teams and attending college events is a great way to socialize and meet wonderful people who will be able to offer you support.
Meditation
Whilst at college, getting into the habit of practicing mindfulness meditation daily can set you up for life. Meditation is becoming more and more popular as a method of controlling our emotions and keeping our emotional health in check. Practiced for years by Buddhists, meditation will take up just a small amount of time in your day and you will feel so much better for it.
Diet
Making sure that you pay attention to your diet in college is not only important for your physical health and controlling your weight, it can also play a huge part in improving your mental health too. Eating right provides your body with the nutrients that it needs in order to be healthy and strong, including your brain. Eating the right foods for improving and promoting a healthy brain is recommended by many counseling programs online, and anyone can benefit from it regardless of their student status.
Looking after your mental health in college is just as important as caring for yourself physically.