"I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self indulgent. Caring for myself is an act of survival." – Audre Lorde

In a society where depression and mental illnesses are prevalent, it is important to take a step back and take necessary measures to insure that we our taking care of ourselves. Especially in a college setting, students are constantly putting other priorities before both their physical and mental health. Ignoring the maintenance of your mental health is the fastest route to burnout and long-term health problems down the road.

The National Alliance on Mental Health reports that:

Over 11 percent of college students have been diagnosed with anxiety, and over 10 percent have been diagnosed or treated with depression.

80 percent of college students reported that they have felt overwhelmed by their workload in the past year.

45 percent of college students even reported feeling hopeless.

Approximately 73 percent of students who have a mental health condition have had some type of mental health crisis while at college.

These statistics are alarming. College should be a time to learn, grow, and prosper; it should be challenging, but not leave someone feeling hopeless.

Here are some simple ways that can help you to put your self care first:

Keep a Journal

via Transformational Leaders

Journalling is the heart's way of singing. Keeping a journal is a way to get all of your unfiltered thoughts onto paper. Any emotions you have but may not be ready to talk about can be expressed when you journal. Feeling overwhelmed? Journal. Feeling happy? Journal. Feeling like you are going to scream at your roommate? Journal. The only rules to journaling are to start writing. Journaling is proven to be more effective if done daily for at least 20 minutes a day.

Find An Outlet

Whether it’s shopping, working out, binge watching Netflix, or getting lost in your favorite book, figure out what helps you escape reality. Did you notice how alcohol or drugs were not mentioned? Try to find things that are also beneficial for your health that can serve as an outlet. Resorting to alcohol and drugs is not a way to escape your reality – in fact, those substances often make stress, anxiety, and depression worse.

Meditate

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Meditation is a way to clear and refocus your mind. The best element about meditation is that it can be done anywhere. There are many apps, so when you are on the go you can still practice self care. Some great apps for meditation are Headspace, Take a Break, and Omnvana.

Take advantage of Your School's Counseling Center

All school’s provide a counseling center with varied amounts of services offered to meet the needs of the students, most of them free of cost. Find out what services your counseling center offers so that if you ever need them, you know where to go.

Take a "Mental Health Day"

Image via MadameNo

Give yourself a day to rejuvenate. The key to taking mental health days is not to take them when you have multiple assignments due or the day of a huge interview. If you take a mental health day while you have a lot to do, you will not be able to relax and will ultimately just feel more stressed. Schedule your mental health day for a time after a huge exam, or maybe when your roommates are going home. On your "mental health day," do whatever you want: f

Moral of the story? Learn what helps you de-stress, and take advantage of that; taking your self-care seriously will help you maintain and even improve your health.