College is supposed to be one of the best times of your life. Making new friends, partying, and self-discovery are the cornerstones of the college experience, not to mention getting a degree and finding out what you want to do for the rest of your life. However, that is just the positive stigma surrounding students once they enter. In reality, college is much harder on your mental health. Many students, including myself, suffer from anxiety and loneliness at college. The negative stigma around mental health issues should be eliminated, as millions of students deal with it every year. But how exactly do you conquer anxiety and loneliness?
First of all, you have to realize that you are not alone. Millions of students every year deal with mental health issues. Anxiety makes it feel like that you are alone in the world, but you are not. The same goes for loneliness. Loneliness happens to everyone, but it is still negatively stigmatized that if you are lonely, there's something wrong with your social life. The truth is that loneliness is common and OK to deal with because there are people in similar situations as yourself.
As for loneliness, there is a negative stigma that loneliness is caused by unlikable personality traits and introversion. This is usually an excuse for lonely people to blame themselves for being lonely; however, you shouldn't blame yourself. Genetics also play a factor in loneliness, and "loneliness loops" are common.
In order to conquer anxiety and loneliness, you also have to destress yourself. Academics and many things outside of your control often cause anxiety, so you have to realize that self-care always comes first. If you start feeling anxious during a class or while at a party, try to relax and breathe, and if worst comes to worst, just leave the room. It is ok to prioritize self-care, as long as you know how to find a healthy balance.
If anxiety and loneliness start causing distractions no matter where you go, extra help should be considered. Therapy also seems to have a negative stigma around it, which deters people from actually going. There are usually on-campus therapists, but if your school doesn't have the best mental health benefits, try finding an off-campus therapist if you can afford it.
The most important thing to remember when dealing with anxiety and loneliness on a college campus is that there are a lot of other students that are dealing with the same thing. The negative stigma around anxiety and loneliness is unwarranted, as it is a completely common thing to go through. Even if they are affecting you during the day, just keep reminding yourself that you'll get through it. Because you are stronger than you think you are when you deal with mental health.
