As a college student, life can get pretty crazy and it may seem like there aren’t enough hours in the day. You’re probably familiar with the infamous “all-night studying session.” Its key features include:
- A headache from staring at your computer screen for hours.
- Empty energy drink cans strewn across your room.
- A to-do list that continues to grow despite your best efforts.
Pulling an all-nighter is just one staple of college life, alongside emailing for assignment extensions and panicking about finals.
None of these aspects are beneficial to your mental health, and with mental health conditions on the rise, it’s probably a good idea to take every action you can to help your mental health.
3 Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Well-being
Time Management
I know I’m not alone when I say I’ve been told about the importance of time management more than I can count. The repetitive nature of being told how to properly manage every hour in the day can get annoying, but the relevance of it never diminishes. In fact, learning new ways to manage your time better can consistently help relieve extra stress and anxiety caused by class work.
Take some time at the beginning of each semester to organize your calendar and make a note of when everything is due. You may get caught up in the chaos later on in the year, but you’ll be thankful you set yourself up for success in the beginning.
Even just laying everything out in an online calendar can make the overwhelming times a little more bearable. You will most likely be juggling classes, homework, jobs, friends, and taking time for yourself. Unfortunately, there’s a limited number of hours in a day, and you can’t always do everything. Learning how to manage your time will help you from getting in over your head.
Don’t Be Afraid to Say “No”
Everyone tells you to say “yes” to everything when you get to college because you never know when an opportunity will present itself. While this is valuable advice, it is also essential to keep in mind that “no” can and should be used from time to time.
Taking on too many projects at once or getting too involved can create an impossible workload. Even if you think you can come up with the best plan and manage your time effectively, things don’t always go to plan. It’s okay to turn something down when it means you can relax a little bit and take time to recenter yourself. Say “yes” to things you’re excited about and want to do, not just something you think you should be doing.
Part of getting involved includes things you’re interested in, so take advantage of your passions and don’t sacrifice your well-being to do something. Sometimes saying no to someone else means that you can make time for yourself. Self-care is important to ensure that you don’t get burnt out, so keep saying “yes” to the things that are important to you!
Clean Your Room
As much as it may hurt to admit, my mom is right; I should clean my room more. It doesn’t have to be spotless and “glisten in the sun” clean, but it doesn’t hurt to have a tidy and uncluttered space to work and relax in.
You can even take a day during the weekend to pick up your room and unwind. Take some time to listen to a good podcast or your favorite album and just take a break from all the demands of the day while doing some chores. It can make a huge difference.
At the end of the day, it’s important to remember that life is going to get hectic and crazy and out of control, so don’t get too overwhelmed with trying to make everything go perfectly smoothly. Instead, be proactive, learn how to pre-organize, and set yourself up for success. Whether you lay out everything at the beginning of the semester or plan out chunks of time throughout the year to regroup, organize in a way that works for you.
It may not seem like it, but poor mental health and stress on your mind can lead to poor performance in other areas of your life. It can damage your relationships with your friends, ruin study motivation, and affect your physical well-being.
Three simple ways to eliminate unnecessary stress in college:
- Manage your time
- Don’t overload your calendar
- Keep your room organized
Staying organized isn’t easy, but with time and practice, you will get the hang of it!
Author Bio
Joining the team for a second year, Morgan is a sophomore at the Walter Cronkite School in Downtown Phoenix for ASU Barrett Honor College. She’s a native Arizonian, and taking after her dad, she loves writing and art of all mediums. Morgan is excited to gain new experiences through her second summer as an intern at GradGuard and form new relationships with the GradGuard team.
