How to cope with mental health in College. A few mindful tips to cope during the tough times.
Mental Health
Introduction:
Mental Health has been a topic that many do not like to talk about. But it is an important topic that needs to have some light shed on it. I have struggled with Depression and Anxiety for years now. It began with self-esteem issues that developed throughout the years of elementary and high school. It later developed more around social situations. I didn’t realize what was wrong with me until I heard a friend say the word Depression. I began researching about mental health and how to deal with it. Over the years I have found what works best for me to minimize the severity of my illness.
As I entered College, I found that there were many options that would help control my mental illness. On campus, I am able to talk to a professional nurse or therapist for free or for a small cost. They also can help students find support groups related to their problem. Colleges have amazing staff for when it comes to dealing with mental health.
Tips to Cope with Mental Health in College:
Talk to Someone:
This one may be obvious, but it does help to vent about what is on your mind. Another option is to write down how you feel. It helps to read what you wrote down to show the progress of you getting better. I use to bottle my feelings up when I was in high school. But this only hurt me more when I didn’t talk to someone. Now that I have resources to vent to, I feel more comfortable and see my progress on getting better.
Find a Passion:
When you are depressed, it can be hard to find the motivation to do something you use to like. For an example, I use to do art a lot when I was younger. As I got older, I stopped because I felt like the art was not good enough. Fortunately, I started up again when I hit college and realized what I want to do after graduation. I started with sketching on scratch paper and remembered how much I loved to draw. Over these past few years, I have moved from traditional art to digital art.
Sometimes finding a different medium of what you like to do is a great way to start finding your passion again. In other cases, you may find something you have never done before that sparks a new passion. Keep pushing to motivate yourself. Try different things and join a safe community or group where you can express yourself freely.
Read Articles:
If you are someone who doesn’t understand what is going on in your head or want to know more on mental health, search the internet for articles. I highly suggest The Mighty because they cover many health topics for every age. Reading articles that relate to what you are going through helps you feel like you are not alone. Mental illness should not be tucked away, but rather talked about. Learning more about it will help you find other ways to help cope.
Thank you for reading “Mental Health in College”
Here is a quick video to help students get through Mental Health in College.
