From Stress to Success: Managing Mental Health as a University Student

Nearly 20% of American adults face some kind of mental health illness. This is a shockingly high number of people who are dealing with negative mental health problems.

Many of these Americans are college-aged students. But what is the reason for that?

There are plenty of things going on in college that can impact a student's mental wellness. Rather than getting into what affects a student, we would rather focus on how to prevent this from happening and ways to cope with dealing with the stress that will come in college.

If you're in college, this guide is for you. Keep reading to learn more about managing mental health and everything you can do to make sure that you are managing your mental well-being!

Mental Health and College

While college can be a great time, it is also going to test you physically and mentally because of the stress you could be put under.

Managing your stress and managing mental health can significantly impact your college experience.

For starters, you're most likely at college to excel academically. If you are too stressed or overwhelmed, this is most likely not going to happen. It can impact your academic performance, your ability to concentrate, and even your ability to remember vital information for exams. 

College is also a time for personal growth and to prepare you for the real world and the career you will have after you finish school. It's important to maintain a positive sense of self in college to feel confident in your abilities to get a career. Dealing with stress in a healthy way will prepare you with the skills and resilience you need for the workplace after college. 

How Stress Impacts You

When you feel stress, you may just feel it in your body physically. You may sometimes feel it in your mind. However, stress is actually impacting you more than you may think. 

Here are some of the ways that stress can start to affect your mental health and your entire life as a whole.

Physical Health 

If you deal with chronic stress day in and day out, it is going to eventually hurt your physical health. It can lead to headaches, muscle tension, digestive issues, heart disease, a weakened immune system and so much more. In addition, it can exacerbate health conditions that you are already dealing with. 

When you think about stress impacting your musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous, and reproductive systems, it becomes a scary thing. This is why it is so important to manage stress before it gets this far.

Mental Health

In addition to feeling stressed and having it affect your mental health, it can significantly negatively impact your mental health. The second your mental health is affected, it becomes a much more serious issue.

Being stressed over a long period of time can lead to increased anxiety, more likelihood of developing depression, mood swings and increased irritability. These mental health issues can be extremely detrimental and even dangerous.

Most suicides stem from a mental health disorder like depression, so it is extremely important to know ways to cope with this if it happens to you. If you ever feel that you are going down this path and need help, it is so important to reach out to your network and to a counselor to get the help you need.

You can also reach out to the 988 Lifeline hotline to get the help you need. There is always someone there that can help you. 

Sleep 

Stress can make it difficult to fall asleep or stay asleep. It can also lead to nightmares or vivid dreams.

Over time, lack of sleep can lead to a variety of health problems, such as fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and an increased risk of accidents. Not only that, but it can also lead to more stress.

That is why battling stress head-on can help you in so many ways. 

Relationships

We need relationships and a social network to help us battle stress and feel like we have connections. However, stress can actually hurt these relationships. 

Stress can make us more irritable, short-tempered, and less able to communicate effectively. It can also make it difficult to connect with others and build meaningful relationships. For the relationships that we already have, it can push us further away from them as we isolate ourselves. 

The strain that is put on relationships can be hard to mend. This is why it is so important to communicate with friends and family how you are feeling so they have a better understanding of what you are going through. 

School Performance

It is extremely common for stress to interfere with our focus and concentration. This means that it can interfere with our overall performance in school. 

This is because there is a decrease in productivity because of the brain fog and lack of focus.

Over time, stress can lead to burnout and a decreased ability to cope with challenges.

Tips to Reduce Stress 

Being in college can be an extremely stressful time in your life. There is a lot going on, from balancing your studies to making friends and trying to be social when you can. Then you add on the pressure to be a part of different clubs, Greek life or sports, and so much more, and the stress just becomes worse.

Luckily, there are many ways that you can reduce your stress even at a time when it feels that there is so much going on. Here are a few tips to reduce your stress.

Identify Sources of Stress

The first thing you need to do when you try to reduce your stress is figure out where it is coming from. What is causing the stress you're feeling?

Do you miss home? Are you worried about getting straight As and a 4.0 GPA? Do you feel like you can't balance your work and social life?

There are so many thoughts that could be going through your head on a daily basis to cause stress. That is why figuring out where it stems from first is important. 

But how do you go about doing this?

One way to identify your sources of stress is to journal. When you jot down things that you're feeling, you'll start to notice a trend in what brings you the most stress. From there, you can attack the stress head-on now that you know what is causing it. 

Exercise Regularly 

There is a large link to exercising more and feeling less stressed. That's because exercise can actually cause you to relax and release tension that you are holding in your body.

Exercise also decreases levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. Not only does it decrease those chemicals, but it also stimulates the production of endorphins. These endorphins are natural mood-boosting chemicals that can help to reduce stress and anxiety.

So what amount of exercise is the right amount? There is no right answer, but trying to get at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, whether it's a brisk walk, a yoga class, or a gym session can be extremely helpful when it comes to reducing your stress levels. 

It is also a great idea to figure out what kind of exercise works best for you since everyone is different. One person may benefit tremendously from practicing yoga on a daily basis while someone else may prefer to go on runs a few times a week to reduce stress. Whatever works for you is the right answer! 

Just make sure that you are always staying active even when things get a bit busy! 

Practice Mindfulness 

Mindfulness is a practice that can drastically reduce your stress. This is the practice of being in the present moment, which means that it can look different from one person to the next. 

However, the key to practicing mindfulness is to focus on the moment in the present and not be distracted by anything else. This helps to calm the mind to promote relaxation and reduce stress.

So what are some different ways to practice mindfulness?

Meditation

For starters, you can try out meditation. However, meditation is not for everyone and that's okay! But if you want to try it, here's how:

• Find a quiet place
• Focus on your breath as it enters and leaves your body 
• If your mind starts to waver, gently bring it back to attention to your breathing 

There are many different types of guided meditations out there that can help you to ground yourself. This is especially helpful if you feel that your mind wanders often or if you get antsy during meditation. 

Journaling

Journaling is a great way to practice mindfulness. You can write down your thoughts in the present moment to keep you feeling present and in touch with your own feelings and emotions. 

You should always jot these down without feelings of judgment. They are your feelings and you shouldn't try to change them. 

Over time, you may start to notice patterns and themes that emerge which can help you with stress management. 

Walking

While walking is also a form of exercise, it is just as great of a form of mindfulness. When you are walking, you can stay present in the moment.

You can pay attention to how your feet hit the ground, the feeling of the sun on your face, the movement of your legs, and the feeling of the fresh air on your skin. 

You should notice sights around you, sounds from around you, and smells as well.

Being present at the moment during your walk is what makes this a mindful activity. Walking is not always mindful if you are not paying attention and staying in the moment, so keep this in mind when you go on a walk to destress! If your mind is wandering and constantly thinking about what you are stressed about, it is not going to be helpful. 

Eating

Just as you can practice mindful walking, you can also practice mindful eating. This means that you pay attention to every sensation you feel as you eat. Pay attention to the taste, smell, and texture of the food you're eating. 

Take your time chewing the food. While you're chewing, notice the different flavors that you get in your mouth.

Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is one of the most important things that you can do for yourself. If you don't sleep well, everything else in your life can be thrown off. This includes feeling more stressed! 

It's essential to get enough sleep to help your body and mind recover from the day's stress. It is best to try to get at least seven to eight hours of sleep every night.

Sleep not only impacts our brain health and how we feel stressed, but it also impacts every other part of our bodies like our circulatory system, our hormones and metabolism, and so much more. When these things become out of whack, we will also feel out of whack even if the rest of our lives seem to be going well. 

That is why getting enough sleep is so vital to our health! 

While this may sometimes seem impossible in our busy lives, establishing a bedtime routine can also help you to relax and prepare for sleep.

Eat a Healthy Diet

Eating a healthy, balanced diet can help to reduce stress by providing your body with the nutrients it needs to function properly. If you are constantly stuffing your face with fried foods and sugary foods, your body is not getting essential nutrients.

Not only are you depriving your body of essential nutrients, but you are also feeding it chemicals and toxins that are just going to stress the body out even more. 

While you can treat yourself every once in a while, you want your main diet to be healthy.

Aim to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. Here are some examples of foods that you want to incorporate into your diet:

• Oatmeal
• Quinoa
• Asparagus
• Broccoli 
• Berries
• Tea
• Dark chocolate 
• Salmon and tuna as well as other lean proteins such as chicken and turkey 
• Pomegranates
• Mushrooms 
• Avocado 

There are many other foods that you can incorporate into your diet, but these are some of the best foods to reduce inflammation and stress in the body, which will impact your mental stress as well.

Prioritize Self Care

It's easy to get caught up in the demands of work and life, but taking breaks and prioritizing self-care can help to reduce stress. This means that you should not always be doing things that you think you should be doing. Sometimes you need to prioritize what you want to do and give yourself a break so that you can reset.

Take regular breaks throughout the day, and make time for activities that you enjoy, such as reading, listening to music, or taking a bath.

We'll discuss more about self care later!

Stay Social 

We are social creatures. Humans need connection in order to survive. In fact, there are a ton of negative health consequences of loneliness. That is why it is so important to make sure you are prioritizing social activities. 

Creating a network of friends and family that care about you is crucial. You need to be able to rely on others in times of high stress and need, and having this network is what will allow you to do that. 

This doesn't mean that you have to be social every day, though! Sometimes you are going to want to spend time curled up on the couch watching your favorite show or reading your favorite book alone. And that's okay!

However, you don't want to do that every single day. You are going to need to schedule in some times of human interactions to ensure that you feed your brain what it needs to reduce stress.

Practice Time Management

One thing that stresses people out is feeling like they don't have enough time, You may be someone who feels that way often, which is going to stress you out on a daily basis. However, this kind of stress is not going to help you be successful.

That is why implementing time management strategies is so important to your college sucess. This is going to look different for everyone, but there are some ways that can help you more than others. 

For starters, make sure that you are using a planner and a calendar. This can help you keep track of everything going on in your life - from your social life to your exams and papers that are due. You can even write in when your parents are visiting you for the weekend! 

Keeping track of everything will significantly reduce the stress and overwhelm you may feel as things continue to pile onto your plate.

You can also use technology to your advantage. There are multiple time management apps out there as well as ways to prevent distractions with technology.

You will also want to reduce the amount of times you multitask. This is an extremely unproductive way of getting things done, even if it feels that you are being more productive in the moment. 

As part of time management, you also need to learn how to stay no. If you say yes to everything that you are asked to do or to join, you are only going to be adding to your stress. You can't physically or mentally be everywhere and get everything done that is on your to-do list. 

That means that you need to say no to the things that you don't have time for, aren't important to you, or drain your energy. When you learn to say no, you will be making more time for the things that are important to you as well as prioritizing your own needs.

See a Therapist

If you find that stress is starting to impact your everyday life, it may be time to see a therapist for professional help. There is absolutely nothing wrong with getting the help that you need to manage your stress and learn healthy ways to cope with what you are going through! 

In fact, in recent years, more and more people are going to therapy to discuss their problems and get the help that they need.

A therapist can help you talk through your problems and even simply offer a listening ear. They can also give you coping strategies to help you deal with stress and figure out any underlying issues that you may be dealing with.

If you can dig deeper and understand unresolved and underlying issues, then you may be able to start aiming at getting rid of that stress so that you pinpoint the problem rather than just cover it up on the surface. 

How to Practice Self Care Regularly

There are so many different things that you should be doing to reduce stress. Practicing self care is just one of the many things that you should be doing to reduce stress! 

There are so many different ways to practice self care, and it may look different for you than it does for your best friend. Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about implementing self care into your routine!

Move Your Body 

Similar to reducing stress, moving your body is a way of self care.

If it makes you feel good, it's self care. That means going for a walk, doing a hot yoga class, or even going on an intense sprint run can be self care for you.

Spend Time Outside

Spending time outside and in nature is extremely good for our mental health. Whether you get outside to play ball with your furry friend or simply go to the park to work on your computer, getting that vital time outside is necessary to improve your mental wellness.

Not only is it crucial, but it is a cheap way to take care of yourself! It's free!

Run a Bath 

Most of us only shower or bathe to clean ourselves. However, taking a bath can be a great way to practice self-care.

Let yourself indulge a bit rather than rushing through the process. Get some bubbles for your bath, add in Epsom salts to reduce muscle tension, light a candle, and make yourself a glass of tea.

You will be surprised at the wonders that this can do to reduce your stress! 

However, make sure that you do this more than just once in a blue moon. Add this to your weekly routine. Maybe make Wednesday night a self care night where you set aside an hour or two to take a bath and take care of yourself without worrying about the outside stressors of college!

Get a Massage

There are so many health benefits of getting a massage regularly. This should be added to your self care routine! It doesn't have to be once a week, but even if you get a massage once per month or every other month this can have a lot of positive health benefits on your body.

Not only will it physically reduce tension in your body, but it will also reduce mental stress from the physical tension that you feel! This kills two birds with one stone.

Take Up a New Hobby

A lot of times we can get caught up in the grind of what we should be doing such as school work, join clubs, staying active, and more. However, because of that we do not stretch or challenge our minds. One way to do this by taking up a new hobby or following a passion. 

For instance, you may love knitting. If that's the case, you should spend a few hours per week knitting to grow your mind and challenge yourself doing something you love. On the other hand, you may love to volunteer. Factoring in time in your schedule to volunteer will not only do good for others, but also do good for yourself and your own mental health.

Go on a Date Night

If you have a significant other, one thing that you can do for South Kaaris to have a date night. It is a great practice to spend time with the person that you love! This can release endorphins and make you feel happier and less stressed.

If you do not have a significant other, you can always plan to go on a date night with friends or even just yourself. Taking yourself out to the movies or to your favorite restaurant by yourself can do wonders. Or, consider going on a dating app to meet someone new!

Read a Book or Have a Movie Night 

If you love to read, this is a great self-care practice. If you're not into reading, you may enjoy a movie night with your friends or by yourself. 

A lot of times we can feel guilty for doing something we enjoy when we know we have other things to do on our to do list. However, part of self-care is making sure that you are doing something for yourself and not something that you need to do.

Taking time during the week to read a book or have a movie night is a must!

Organize Your Space

Not everyone loves organizing, but decluttering and organizing your space can do wonders for your mental health. And it is definitely a bonus if organizing makes you happy! 

When you organize your space, you will be more productive because there's not as much clutter around. When there's more clutter around, your mind tends to be more cluttered as well.

Practice Gratitude 

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to practice gratitude. Gratitude is the opposite of fear, so when you invite this emotion in, it can make you worry a lot less about other things going on in your life.

Practicing gratitude can be something that you do every single morning, or you can choose to do it at night before you go to bed.

You can also find gratitude in the small things that you do throughout your day.

It's important to make this part of your regular self-care practice because it can help your mindset be more positive even amidst stressful times.

Managing Mental Health in College

Managing mental health in college is essential to your personal growth, your future career, your happiness, and your academic success.

However, college is not always going to be easy. There are going to be a lot of challenges that you face on a daily basis, and the more you face, the more overwhelmed you may start to feel.

That is why dealing with stress as it comes is extremely important in order to avoid what stress can ultimately do to you if left untreated.

After reading this article, you have many examples for what to do from self care to healthy ways to cope on a daily basis. 

One way you can manage the stress you feel is through connection. There is no better way to feel connected than to join the Honor Society! It is meant for anyone that has a goal and feels a pull to it. 

By joining, you join a group of like-minded individuals who will push you to be better and give you the support network you need.

Ready to join? Click here and learn everything you need to know to get started today!