Midterms, all-nighters, barely eating 2 meals a day... All too often these describe the weekly or day to day life for college students in the United States. According to Best Colleges, one in four students face some kind of mental health issues and almost 40% won't end up seeking help.

As a young person, you can see how these numbers and statistics can be daunting. While it can be a challenge to some, mental health is by far one of the most important priorities and also one of the most overlooked in college life.

Being a part of the statistic of college students who face mental health issues, I've come to learn how important it is to honor your mental health and stability in order to make you a happier, more productive person. With that being said, there are a couple key tips that I've learned from myself as well as observing others that can be a step in the direction to better your health. Without further ado, here they are:

1. Maintain Hygiene

This one seems like a no-brainer, but the number of friends I've seen who shower only about once a week has shown me what a real issue this is. This argument goes back to the idea that if you don't physically care for yourself, you make it difficult for yourself to be productive, positive, or even comfortable. As many people know, not maintaining personal hygiene is often a key sign of depression and other mental disorders, however, a simple shower, hair wash, face wash, or teeth brushing can give your body the boost you need to get out of bed or off the couch.

2. Get up off the couch

This one goes hand in hand with the above rule. In order to get yourself out of a funk, you need to keep moving forward. Whether that means walking to dinner with a friend, going grocery shopping, or even just going to the library, your body and mind will thank you for getting off the couch and absorbing some fresh air.

3. Ease off the uppers

This one is interesting as many college students don't seem to quite understand the devastating effects that can come from using uppers such as non-prescription Adderall (Ritalin or Vyvanse), MDMA, cocaine, and ecstasy. Even a one time use can begin to build not just physical dependence but tolerance as well (Drug Abuse Online). The effects of the stimulants not only increase tolerance with each use, but the neurotransmitters that release reward chemicals in the brain such as dopamine and serotonin become absolutely fried. When the brain is exposed to stimulants such as these, they are triggered to release copious amounts of reward chemical (the dopamine and serotonin) which is what results in the "high". With all your dopamine and serotonin being released at once, once the high ends, drug abusers often show signs of depression and other mental disorders as a result of the burning of those chemicals at such a high rate. The resulting dependency occurs as abusers begin to realize the depression and often results to abusing the drug in order to bring themselves out of it. While I wish I could tell everyone just not to do these drugs, it was found that around 30% of college students (varying by campus) use non-medical stimulants (CNN). I know we don't live in a perfect world. Trust me. The best thing you can do is stay away from these harmful drugs, but some other simple tips can help those who are unable to quit stay out of a deep sinking depression. These tips include taking vitamins such as HTP-5 (which helps promote neurotransmitter health), drinking water, and keeping your appetite normal by forcing yourself to eat can all help aid or ease some of the side effects. Obviously, the best way to keep your mental health sharp is to simply not do the drugs. You don't need Adderall to study. You don't need MDMA to have fun at a concert. And you certainly don't need any of them to have a good time.

4. Surround yourself with those who are good to you

This one shouldn't be as hard as it is, but a golden rule I've learned is that when it comes to friends, expect quality over quantity. By just having a couple good friends who are loyal, good-hearted, and don't put you at risk, your quality of life will improve drastically. Don't hang with those people who make your life more difficult and most certainly if they can't handle you at your worst, they don't deserve you at your best.

5. Lay off social media

This one has been huge for me. Being someone who used Instagram since I was in eighth grade, I never thought I'd be able to delete my account, but, 3 months later after deactivating my account, I couldn't care less about seeing everyone's photos or keeping up with their day to day life. As I said above, focus on the friends who matter, not the 500 others who you haven't seen in forever but love to post pictures every other day.

6. Find a therapist

You don't need to be "crazy" to see a therapist. You don't need to be "crazy" to see a therapist. You don't need to be "crazy" to see a therapist. I say this over and over again because of the stigma that's often attached to therapy. Therapy is a powerful tool that can help young people not just have someone to vent to but have a professional who can spend time with you developing tools to communicate and deal with your emotions effectively. My personal belief is that every young person should see a therapist or counselor about every 2-3 months AT LEAST. Check your campus for resources and give it a try, because I promise you really can benefit in huge ways from just one appointment.

I know not every student can follow all of these, but my hope with this article is to help students realize the tiny steps they can do that can make huge differences in their everyday life. Just utilizing one of these can have a huge improvement. Care for yourself and put yourself first and I promise you, things will get easier. Remember that we still have so much life to live. When things get hard, think about moments that lie ahead of you in the future. How do you think you're going to feel on your wedding day? Or your college graduation? Things might seem huge now, but I promise you, they'll be so insignificant in the end and you still have so much life to live.