Emotions are hard. Between classes, extracurriculars, Greek life, relationships, working out, jobs, and our own mental wellbeing, where is a person supposed to find the time to process and deal with the insane amount of emotions they feel on a day-to-day basis? In short, you either make time for yourself and your emotions, or you push them aside. While the latter option isn’t necessarily recommended by professionals, it is often what students resort to, intentionally or not, in order to handle them without being distracted from everything else we are expected to do (unless you’re me, then you’re just sarcastic about everything because life is easier that way) But who, really, is expecting all of this from us?
It's been proven that today's college students show the most signs of stress when compared to past generations. Rates of depression and anxiety are also skyrocketing with each new batch. With facts like these, it comes as no surprise that 95 percent of college counseling centers surveyed believed that mental health was a growing issue on their campus. Being an overly-active participant on my own campus, I can tell you how true this is. Work piles up, your bank account runs dry, you want to add more and more things to your resume and no one ever tells you to stop. But why do we feel this constant need to be doing something? Where do we think it will get us?
We take advantage of the fact that we are away. No one is there to tell us that we are overextending ourselves. No one is there to tell us that maybe signing up to volunteer those extra hours wasn't the best idea. While it's true that our professors and advisors expect a lot from us, no one expects as much from us as we do ourselves. We want to be the best, be the most involved, and have the most built-up resume when leaving college.
Though I applaud colleges and universities across the country for seeing and acknowledging that the rate of mental health issues in college students is on the rise, many universities don't take the time to sit down and have these types of conversations with students about how to keep life balanced when you are involved in so much.
If or when you begin to feel like the weight of it all is too much, don't be afraid to take advantage of your schools' counseling centers. Most colleges and universities offer some form of help center. If that isn't your thing, find a faculty or staff member that you have a good relationship with - that you can talk to.
For some, like me, it may be as simple as finding someone you trust to tell you when you need a break. Someone to tell you "hey, maybe you've done enough for today." Often times, just being around friends can have a relaxing effect. Go for a run if that's your thing. If not, go for a walk. Grab a snack. Declutter your room. With the increasing rate of suicide among teens and young adults, it is probably time we realize that maybe being everything and doing everything just isn't going to work.
Above all, make time for yourself. I know college is crazy and we are all juggling a million different things, but no grade is worth your mental wellbeing in the end. Think about five years from now, will that statistics test matter? Probably not. Though grades are important, remember to take a step back and breath. It's time to stop blaming our schools and professors, and looking at our expectations for ourselves.
