College is ridiculously emotionally and physically draining, and it can be hard to find quick, simple ways to maintain emotional health especially. Here are six steps you can take to ensuring emotional stability.
1. Make Time to be Alone
I'm sure you have heard this a million times, but do you really ensure that you get some quiet time to yourself every day? It's super important. We all need time to process everything that is whirling around us, and when we don't allow this to happen, our emotional health is usually one of the first things to crash and burn. Spending some alone time in silence usually allows us to notice how we our feeling, both emotionally and physically, and gives us a break to just be ourselves without any worries.
2. Daily Prayer is Key
When you bring all those emotions you have been feeling throughout the day to our Lord, life becomes ten times easier (maybe not immediately, but you will notice the difference over time). Ask at the beginning of the day for all the graces needed to manage the incoming nuclear explosion of emotions that will be your day. And at night, offer up all the emotions you've felt throughout the day and give thanks to Christ for being there right with you through it all. It helps. I promise.
3. Journal Your Emotions
If you have been in counseling or therapy, chances are your counselor/therapist has suggested this strategy. Often times, writing down what has happened throughout the day and how you feel about it helps you process the emotions and move on. If you want to take it a step further, write down all the things that were good about your day and then write down what went badly. Then try to problem solve by writing down either steps you can take to prevent those bad things from happening again or ways you can change your attitude to the problem so that it won't be so emotionally draining in the future. This can take anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes mattering on how much you want to invest in it.
4. Invest in Close, Healthy Relationships
We all need healthy relationships, and having someone to confide in and help you through emotionally rough times is extremely important. Make sure to invest in these relationships, whether it is a family member, friend, counselor, or religious and allow yourself to be vulnerable and open up about how you are feeling. It can be uncomfortable and scary sometimes, but it is worth it!
5. Stay Away From Drama
Girls, you know you feed off the drama, whether it is as a participator or a spectator. However, I have never seen a case where drama has benefited anyone long term. It drains everyone emotionally and often ends in tension that cannot be resolved effectively. If your friends group is one whirlwind of drama, it might be time that you reconsider your friendships.
6. Balance Work and Play
We all have different work ethics when it comes to school and homework. Some invest way more time in friends than homework. Others need to be pulled away from their desks and forced to socialize. Whether you are one or the other, a balance is needed. Remember that you are investing thousands of dollars to get an education, but college is also about formation, so you need to take time to invest in relationships that will help form you into the person you want to become.
