If you are a college student, you know that this time of year is starting to get stressful. Midterms and homework start to pile up and you feel like you can't catch a break. You study like there is no tomorrow and you bust your butt trying to be the best you can be, but sometimes it feels like you aren't doing the best and you start to become harsh on yourself and it starts to take a toll on your mental health. Life also comes into play as well. Maybe something did not go right that day or work is stressing you out or a family member is ill and when things like that happens, it is hard to make yourself a priority. You can't be at your best if you are not putting yourself first and making sure that you are okay. Being in college, I have struggled with that concept. I felt, if I thought about myself I would not be able to get homework or studying done. I never focused on my mental health and what I needed. I have struggled in college and it has not been easy. I have had to retake classes, I changed my major three times, and saw that I was not "graduating on time".

I was depressed because I was disappointed with myself for doing poorly in my classes and felt I was letting my family down. I didn't love myself and though I put on a smile and said I was okay, I really wasn't. It wasn't until January of 2019 that I looked at myself in the mirror and realized that I was not okay.

I realized it is okay not to be okay and that I wanted to change how I saw myself and how I saw my life. So, I started to work out, I changed how I ate and started to do things for me and did not care what others thought of me. I started to make goals.

I made long and short term goals and by having those, I was able to focus on what I needed to do next in my life. I made a goal to smile and make someone's day, each and every day. I know how it feels when you feel there is no one you can turn to and that bad days do come. I wanted to become healthier.

I have lost 25 pounds and I am still losing. I am starting to love myself for who I am, even though it is tough sometimes to do so. I took a mental health class and became more aware and educated about what mental health really is and how I can help others and improve my own. I am a big advocate for mental health.

I lost a friend to suicide when I was in high school and he was also my brother's best friend. I wish mental health was talked about more because it is real and it is a reality and people brush it off like it is nothing. If there is anything that I can express, it is to take care of your mental health.

Be happy with yourself and love yourself. If that means you need to space yourself away from others, then do it. If that means you need to take a break from life and take your time, do it. If that means you need to take a break from studying, do it. If it means that you need to cry and scream, do it.

Your worth is priceless and if others tell you differently, tell them to hit the curb because you do not need that kind of negativity in your life. Talk to someone, whether that be a friend, family member, or a complete stranger.

Don't keep things bottled up, let it out and start working on it. We as humans are harder on ourselves then we are on other people and we just have to give ourselves a break. So, please, make your mental health a priority because you are worth it and you deserve to be happy and once you do, you will be happy and proud of yourself that you did.