My name is Madeline and I am a social media intern here at Anchor Therapy. I am currently a junior in college and it has taken me quite a while to figure out how I can prioritize my mental health. Between taking six classes, working two jobs, and trying to balance friendships and schoolwork, it can be very overwhelming and my mental health often used to take a back seat. I always find myself wanting to do everything I can at the same time to make sure I am having the traditional “college experience” that I have heard about my entire life. This year especially I have been making more of an effort to prioritize my mental health and do what is best for me. Here are my top five tips on how to balance your mental health while being in college.
Anchor Therapy is a counseling center in Hoboken, NJ with psychotherapists specialized in helping children, teens, adults, and couples with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, trauma, and life transitions. Anchor Therapy is accepting new clients and is now providing in-person sessions and telehealth (video/phone) sessions to residents of New Jersey and New York.
1. Friendships Can Go In Stages
The most important lesson that I have learned throughout my time in college is that some friendships are not going to last as long as you think they are. I used to constantly get down on myself when I realized I was drifting away from friends I thought would be in my life forever. I had to realize that some friendships are meant to be in your life for a season and that is okay. I used to blame myself for that distance and thought that there was something wrong with me. I even thought that no one liked me. In actuality, that is 100% not the case!
There can be a lot of pressure to have this massive friend group in college when, in reality, having a small, close group of friends is the most beneficial to my mental health. People are put in your life for a reason and it is best to take lessons you learned from the friendship and grow from the experience. When I realized that most friendships are not going to last forever and that it was not my fault when distance grew, I saw my mental health become better than ever.
2. Take Care of Yourself
I know it seems redundant to tell someone that a great way to prioritize their mental health is to take care of themselves, but it truly is. Taking care of yourself looks different for each person. For myself, it means staying in on nights I am anxious in order to have self-care nights. When you do things that make you feel calm and confident, your mental health will get better. I also realized that there are a lot of things in my life that I can’t control, so I decided to go to therapy.
Seeing someone for stress counseling, cognitive behavioral therapy, anxiety/depression counseling, etc. can truly make a difference in how you live your life. I see my therapist once a week and it is an amazing feeling to talk with an unbiased person. Your mental health counselor is removed from your situation and can assist you in prioritizing yourself and your mental health.
Taking care of yourself looks different for everyone but finding what makes you feel great on the inside and the outside is a key component in prioritizing your mental health.
3. Have a Routine
Having a set routine has been an important part of my mental health journey. During my first two years of college, I would stay up until 5:00 am and then wake up for my class in the morning, feeling extremely tired. I would take naps throughout the day and found myself feeling depressed and unmotivated. This year, I decided to go to bed around 10:00pm each night and wake up by 8:00am in the morning. I take a shower, make my coffee, and write a to-do list for my day. I have set times throughout the day intended for school work, and listen to my body cues telling me when I am hungry or need a break. Having a routine has honestly changed my mental health journey so much and I attribute it as the primary reason why my mental health has drastically improved in comparison to last year.
Finding a routine that fits best for your schedule and lifestyle is what will change your motivation levels and leave you feeling much more motivated to do work throughout the day.
4. Be Present and in the Moment
It is so easy to find yourself swept up in the hustle and bustle of college life. You wake up and immediately go to class, you do homework all day, maybe go to work and find time to see your friends. The days seem to go by so quickly and it feels like sometimes life is passing you by. I think this advice goes for all stages of life, but being sure to be present at the moment is truly one of the best ways to maintain your mental health. While I walk to class each day I try to think about what I am grateful for that day and why. It can be as simple as my coffee tasting better than normal or something as great as a date going well the day before. Being sure to take in the things in your life that make you happy is something that has helped me significantly in my journey to prioritize my mental health.
5. Socialize
This goes without saying but you are in college, so live it up! I am sure many people can relate to the feeling of having too much schoolwork or not being in a good mood, but there have been more nights than I can count that going out with my friends has put me in such a positive headspace. Socializing can look like many things- It can be grabbing coffee with a friend, making dinner with your roommates, or hitting the town at night. There have been so many times in my college experience where I feel like I am getting dragged down by schoolwork and I put my social life to the side. Socializing and getting out of the house is beneficial to managing stress and anxiety because it gives you something else to think about. Being with friends and experiencing joy is one of the greatest remedies to dealing with stress in college.
While I'm no expert in stress management, these five lessons I have learned in college have truly helped me in my journey to managing my mental health. Discover what works best for you whether that is seeing a stress management counselor, finding healthy coping mechanisms, or listening to some of my advice. Managing your mental health in college needs to be your priority. I know it is really easy to put your mental health on the backburner but managing your mental health in college can be a great way to truly learn more about what makes you…you.
Madeline Weber
is a social media intern at Anchor Therapy in Hoboken, New Jersey. She is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Delaware, looking to pursue a graduate degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. As an intern at Anchor Therapy, Madeline is committed to helping produce content for the practice’s social media presence and blog.
