3. Keep track of mental health concerns
When a student’s college schedule gets busy, it’s easy to lose track of what may be happening
with mental health issues. Maintaining a journal to track mental health concerns helps to stay
in tune with feelings and emotions. However, if negative feelings and symptoms are getting
worse, students should seek immediate mental health support from health professionals.
4. Surround yourself with good people (even if
it’s virtually)
The college mental health crisis only became more pronounced for college students during the
pandemic. Feelings of stress, anxiety, and isolation came to the surface for many students
who could no longer engage in the campus community with friends. This lack of social
interaction caused depressive thoughts for many. A Harvard Youth Poll found that 51% of
young adults felt down, depressed, or hopeless. Thankfully, a return to campus is expected to
come as vaccine distribution continues to expand, and students have found many ways
to connect virtually with friends and family members over the past year. Video platforms like
Zoom are now a common way to connect for virtual events, such as happy hours, movie
nights, dinner dates, and game nights. A survey by TimelyMD found that 39% of students
hope to continue using Zoom and FaceTime to connect with loved ones even after the
pandemic.
5. Practice mindfulness
College is stressful and fast-paced, making it easy to feel disconnected from your own
needs. Mindfulness meditation is a great way to not only relieve stress but improve memory
and focus. Meditation has also been shown to help anxiety disorders and enhance mental
health treatment. When students are feeling stressed, these recommendations for mindfulness
or meditation can be helpful. The Jed Foundation (JED) offers more information and
resources on mindfulness for students.
6. Avoid drug and alcohol use
Many young people turn to alcohol and substance use to self-medicate. While struggling with
a mental illness does not directly cause substance abuse, it can lead to it. Instead of seeking
mental health treatment, some students use drugs and alcohol to ease the symptoms of
an undiagnosed mental health condition. Substances may offer short-term relief of symptoms
but cause detrimental long-term effects in the long-term. Drugs and alcohol can worsen or
trigger symptoms, leading to more mental health problems.
7. Find ways to get involved
Nonprofits around the world are working to problem-solve and develop innovative solutions
for the public health crisis. Harvard Medical School published an article stating that
“volunteering helps people who donate their time feel more socially connected,” which can
help decrease loneliness and depressive thoughts. And the pandemic even created new ways
to volunteer and give time to worthy causes through virtual methods.