How to Stay Mentally Healthy in College

Whether you go to college straight from high school or you take a year out or more to get a handle on life first, there’s no denying that this period of your life can be challenging. There are deadlines to meet, papers to write and lectures to attend – all this alongside maintaining a healthy social life, exercise routine and often even a pretty intense job. Many students struggle with their mental wellbeing when in college. This article offers some advice on how to stay relaxed, comfortable and on top of every challenge without dropping the ball in terms of schoolwork.

Keep to a Loose Schedule
Don’t try to plan out every hour of every day but keep careful track of what needs doing and try to give yourself clear deadlines of when it should be done. Break down large tasks – say researching and writing a paper – into smaller chunks so that you can spend an hour or two at a time on them instead of rushing them over a couple of days. Being disciplined and sticking to this schedule will help to ease the pressure on you. You should also block out periods for me time and socializing to remind yourself that it’s not all work.

Budget Carefully
Money-related stresses are one of the biggest problems that eat away at college-goers. Many, whether they’re undergraduates or graduate MBA students, will have already taken out private student loans to help pay for their courses. However, in most cases, it is only possible to hold down a part-time job at the very most while studying, leaving most individuals significantly out of pocket. That’s why it’s so important to look after your finances while at college. Create a clear and exhaustive budget and stick to it – right down to the penny. Record all elements of your expenditure every week and compare it against any income you have. Once you’ve done this for a while, look back over these figures to see how much you could be saving. Try to prepare meals in advance and freeze them instead of ordering take-out every week. Have friends over to your place instead of going out all the time. Little changes like this can really relieve the pressure on your wallet.

Maintain Relationships in and Outside of College
Sometimes, talking about the same things with the same people all the time can get stressful. Try to call your family – or friends from back home – every week or so to check in and keep up with the rest of the world. Maintaining these relationships will give you something really great to potentially go back to after graduation. It will also give you a break from thinking about college and work. Of course, you should also take advantage of opportunities to make friends amongst your academic peers. Forming study groups can make cramming for tests and writing essays that much easier and more enjoyable, while meeting people with similar interests can really enhance your leisure time.

Spend Time on Yourself
We mentioned the importance of me time and this cannot be stressed enough. Make sure you have at least an hour or more every day to relax, unwind and do what you love. Hang out in your room, watch TV, go for a walk, practice an instrument – whatever makes you happy. Just try to make sure it’s pressure-free and fun.