College students are at a high risk of mental health issues due to high levels of stress. According to research from Harvard, 75% of college students experience a major stressful event each year and 20% of students experience at least six. This can take a physical and mental toll on many college students.
Being a student is hard as it involves financial hardship and juggling a big workload with a social life. In a lot of cases you’re also learning to live independently for the first time. We’ve compiled four tips for maintaining your wellness as a student.
Eliminate Stressors
Stress is hard on your mental wellbeing. We all know that, but it’s also detrimental to your physical health and can have many serious effects on it. The things that cause stress in your life will be different for each individual, so dealing with it will vary depending on what your stressors are. If it’s about money and trying to juggle a job beside your studies in order to afford tuition, then you can always take out student loans from a private lender. Doing so will allow you to focus fully on your education and pay back the monies when you have an income. If it’s your coursework stressing you out, things that might help include making yourself a schedule, asking your supervisors or lecturers for help, or simply lowering your own standards and accepting grades that aren’t perfect. Daily meditation is a great way to deal with all kinds of stress, and it’s free and takes up very little of your time.
Stay Active
Exercise is extremely important for our health, physical as well as mental, but it can be difficult to fit into a busy student schedule. Sometimes, it can also be hard to motivate yourself to do it. To help yourself stay active, find something that you enjoy, whether that be a dance style, a gym membership, or some kind of sport. There are so many ways to stay active, no matter what your physical limitations are or what budget you have. It can be as simple as taking a daily walk in the park or a five-minute workout that you found online, even stretching will be worth something.
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Focus on Your Social Life
Loneliness is another thing that will have a big impact on your general wellbeing. Even if you’re busy and even if you’re trying to focus on getting your degree, it’s important to maintain a good social network. Make sure to stay in touch with your friends and make time to meet up with them regularly, or find opportunities to meet new people, for example through university clubs and societies or some sport or other hobby you might have. Your mental health is closely linked to your physical health, so taking care of your mind is crucial, and human beings are social animals.
Learn to Cook
What you put in your body is important. It’s easy to get too busy with other things to bother cooking yourself a meal every night, and it’s easier to put something in the microwave, especially when you’re not used to cooking. Learn to cook your own food in order to limit your consumption of processed foods, which aren’t doing your health any good. Find some nice, simple recipes that don’t take very long, and be sure to get some vegetables in every day. It’ll have you feeling mentally clearer, more energetic, and less bloated almost instantly. Of course, you can always treat yourself to something unhealthy, but it shouldn’t be all you consume.
