Alright gang, since fall is (hopefully) around the corner, I thought it best to give a few pointers in regard to mental health, and keeping it in check as we move into the colder months. With fall comes exams, essays, and a plethora of opportunities to be confronted with holiday obligations to family members. It can be stressful, disheartening, overwhelming...whatever adjective fits for your situation. And those are all things that can really wear a person down. So! That leads us to the point of this article - how to combat some of those adverse feelings that come along with the latter months of the year. The first way to combat any kind of stress and/or obstacle: get yourself a support system. For some reason, our society pushes us to act like we have everything together and that we needs to deal with our problems on our own, as if they're too trivial to burden someone else with. Please, don't buy into that! It only makes the issues at hand accumulate and fester, and you're going to end up with a lot of emotional baggage if you don't properly exhaust all of those negative feelings. So find an outlet - be it your faith, a trusted family member, a mentor, a close friend. I know I'll sound like a broken record, but talking really is the healthiest and easiest coping method to engage in. Next, I strongly encourage minding your physical health when faced with stress. In times of extreme anxiety or distress, people tend to regress into themselves and neglect sleeping, hydration, and a regular eating schedule. I know this probably sounds elementary, but when I'm confounded by stress, I'm not really focusing on getting my daily 64 oz. of water. Finally, if your situation has you feeling really bummed and low, try getting some sun or physical exercise. Lack of sun exposure has been linked to increased risk of developing Seasonal Affect Disorder (or SAD, which, if you can't tell from the acronym, is a recognized form of depression that people experience for a period of time, with peaked incidence in the colder months), and by running/working out, you get a nice rush of natural endorphins, which are essentially our body's happiness hormone, and aide in reducing low mood and feelings of anxiety. I realize this isn't a comprehensive manual for solving all your issues, but it's not meant to be. I'm not yet a licensed mental health professional, so I'm nowhere near an expert on this, but I hope it'll do you some kind of good, or serve as a reminder to take care of yourself first.
Keep it positive, keep it kind, guys.
