Welcome back, new and returning students! It’s officially the second half of the school year and the Bulletin hopes your first half went as you hoped.
As we get accustomed to being back on campus, many students are coming to understand the course load they will have this semester. Although it’s of the utmost importance to stay on top of it all and maintain a high GPA, our mental health is also something that seems to be forgotten. Everyone has a different journey to improve their mental health and can take many different paths, but in the end, we all have the same end goal; to be the best we can be every day.
If you ever find yourself in a bad mental state, there are a variety of ways you can take care of yourself. Some steps include:
1. Biweekly Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) meetings provide therapy dogs that give people a break from their typical schedule. Petting a dog can give you a unique level of happiness. If you’re not particularly interested in socializing with others, CAPS is also a center where you can schedule an appointment if you ever want a trained and/or licensed specialist’s opinion.
2. Journaling can be a helpful way to write your thoughts and see change on a daily basis. Going through a busy college schedule can get stressful if you’re not taking time to unwind. So next time you’re bored or have a lot on your mind, take out a piece of paper and a pen and see where your thoughts take you.
3. Making connections with the right kind of people is a critical part of living through college. Having the right people around you makes it easier to make good decisions and allows you to lean on someone when you need help.
4. Sleeping is a critical aspect of everyday life. With commitments such as staying on top of your classes, extracurriculars, or your job, sleep is not something easy to come by. Create a schedule that includes sleep can help. That’s sleep in the evening, or just finding a couple of hours a day to rest.
5. Many people find it to be beneficial to focus on their physical health rather than mental health. In the long run, exercise benefits you both physically and mentally.
It is important to remember that with everyone’s busy schedule, sometimes worrying about these types of things may not be of your utmost concern. You can set alarms to make time for relaxation and especially after studying, it is great to unwind and give your body the proper amount of rest. Some might believe it’s something that can be taken care of later, but start now and help yourself put the best foot forward this semester.