The College Student Emotional and Mental Health Crisis

The time you spend at college will be some of the most cherished time of your life. Even with that being the case, it’s important to keep in mind that you are not a machine. College students often overlook their physical and emotional health in wake of so many activities and studying that surrounds them. So how can you live the student’s American dream while still keeping your head clear and healthy?

Organize your time

College stress comes from lack of organization and feeling of being overwhelmed by all the work you have to do. It’s not impossible to organize your daily college life and yet many college students fall into the trap of not thinking about time management until it’s too late and exams are around the corner. Make sure that you organize your weekly and daily routine as soon as your semester starts and divide your work into small manageable chunks. It’s important to keep your emotional health high and enjoy studying; otherwise you’re just going to torture yourself.

Don’t put work off

It’s easy to wave your hand at a book and say “I’ll read it tomorrow.” only to find out that tomorrow you get another assignment and your schedule falls apart. Don’t put off any work that you might have just because you think there’s enough time. College students often get college essay help online because they don’t have enough time to finish their work themselves. Work on every project as it comes to you and work every day, bit by bit. You will have plenty of freedom after you finish your semester in time.

Sleep regularly

With all the parties and activities going on, it’s easy to forget about sleeping. This is bad for many reasons, and the most important one is lack of energy the next day. You have lectures to attend, studying to do and papers to write. Try to think about the bigger picture and don’t fall into the category of college students who like to think on their feet, only to be swept away once the deadlines start knocking on your door. Sleep as much as you can, as often as you can, even if it means taking naps during the day. This will allow you to keep your physical health high and do a lot of work that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to because you would be too tired. You can even start studying during the night if that’s your thing, but remember to sleep regularly.

Eat properly

Chips and biscuits don’t count as proper food. It’s important to eat food such as cooked meals, vegetables and fruits. They provide you with necessary vitamins and energy you need to work as much as you do. Even if you’re one of the many college students who can’t cook, there are ways to eat properly. One of your friends can cook for all of you; you can eat at a cafeteria or make simple meals such as rice and soups. Don’t feed yourself with snacks and soft drinks. They are nice as a reward for studying, but they are really bad for your physical and emotional health in the long run. You will start sleeping bad, your metabolism will slow down and you will feel really tired even after sleeping.

Call home

The most prominent issue with college students and their emotional health is lack of communication between them and their home town. It sounds silly, but considers yourself lucky if you are attending college in your city, since moving away from home can be stressful and hard to deal with. Many students feel depressed and feel like they lack support of their family and friends. They are far away and don’t understand the struggle of college students. So call them and talk to them about it. Tell them about your day, about your new friends, about your lectures. In turn, they will tell you everything that’s been going on since you moved away. Let them help you stay motivated and energized for all the work you have to do. It’s important to keep a healthy relationship with your friends and family even though you’re attending college and living differently.

Prioritize your activities

Sometimes you will have to skip out on jogging and sometimes it will be your friend’s birthday party. The hardest decision facing college students is prioritizing what to do with the time they have. You will sometimes feel exhausted and yet you will have more work to do that day. To top it off, a boy or a girl you really like asked you out that same night. Give up on one of the extracurricular activities if it’s giving you too much trouble, since you do have lectures to attend and projects to finish besides that. Know your limits and learn to say no. It will keep your emotional health intact and teach you the value of time, because time in college is precious, whether we are talking about college in general or daily college life.

Find your herd

One of the most important things that college students should do in order to maintain stable emotional health is finding that special group of friends who just understand you. It doesn’t even have to be a group. It can be that special person who you can talk to about anything that’s troubling you. Keeping things inside is bad, especially when facing college student’s difficulties that only another college student can understand. Find a person or a group of people who accept you for who you are and are willing to help you go through college a bit easier.

While college is beautiful, it’s often stressful and it’s hard to find an anchor. Don’t fall into the category of students who live an easy college life until reality slaps them, because it’s often unforgiving. Maintain a steady schedule of studying, socializing and sleeping. Everything else will fall in its place.