At the risk of sounding a little biased, I’m going to go ahead and assume most of you are college students. That being said, you all know the familiar routine—wake up 20 minutes after your alarm goes off, run out of the door with your pajamas still on, maybe stop by the vending machine for your 9:00 AM Doritos, sit through class only to realize you have no idea what your professor said the entire time, go through the rest of the day in an exhaustion-induced haze, and then stay up all night, half doing your homework, half scrolling through Facebook or Twitter and wondering why it always takes you so long to get anything done; and if you’re anything like me, you’re going to have to go to work somewhere in there.
Oh, and one little thing I forgot to mention: stress the entire time.
Yup. Stress. Everyone’s annoying friend that just keeps coming back. Just the talk of college work alone is enough to awaken it; and top that off with a dash of anxiety and a sprinkle of OCD and you’ve got yourself a ticking time bomb that will snap at the thought of another minuscule task. Well, that’s pretty much what I deal with, every day.
Now, I know there’s always going to be someone that says, “Oh, wait until you’re an adult if you think you’ve got it bad now,” but as someone that is currently in the process of trying to lease a house with my significant other, I consider myself an adult already. There are no guidelines as to what people should consider legitimate, stressful problems, and I don’t think a lot of college kids understand that. They think their problems are too normal, or too minuscule to be taken seriously. That isn’t true, though, and with that mindset it is likely that they won’t get help or try to help themselves.
Schools need to be offering and advertising more support systems for college students that are in the same boat as I am. Luckily I go to a school that encourages students to come talk to one of our counselors, but I think many students still don’t even realize that talking to a professional can help them with things that they believe to be insignificant; and getting help early is important to prevent more serious mental health issues from developing.
College is hard, so why make it even harder on yourself? You need to be doing everything you can to maintain a healthy mind, because that positive mindset is what will make school and life in general much easier. If you need help but don't want to go to a professional, try talking to a close friend or family member. Sometimes even going on online forums about what you're experiencing will help.
The point is, find what works for you. Don't live your life miserably and weighed down by stress. Help yourself, because a healthier mind is a healthier you.
