After years of slogging in school, college is a new and exciting experience for all. Along with the responsibilities comes a taste of freedom and independence, especially when you move away from home. For most of us it helps in our holistic development but for some, it often becomes a burden due to certain external and internal pressures.
It so happens that the pressure of living up to expectations, the fear of not being the cool kid on the block, not being a part of the popular group or the stress of piled up work takes a toll on the mental health of a student. Taking care of your mental health is as important as taking care of physical health.
The most common yet the best advice is to talk to a friend. Find a confidant, they may not be of your batch or your age, maybe an old friend, anybody whom you can trust. It seems difficult to talk about it when you are fe
eling down but it gets easier once you start opening up, bit by bit, to someone.
Don’t succumb to peer pressure. Having a close circle of friends is better than having a huge group where you do not connect with anybody. Have fun, do whatever you feel is right but do not give in just because your ‘friends’ ask you to.
Participate in activities, volunteer for fests, join clubs or play a sport. Try to keep yourself busy with the things that you enjoy. It helps in refreshing you after a hectic day at college. Try out different things if you’re not sure about what you like.
You might want to skip meals because of your hectic schedule, the unpleasant mess food or just because of a loss in appetite but it is necessary to eat proper food. Go out for good food once in a while but keep your alcohol and caffeine intake levels limited. Drinking large amounts regularly prove harmful for both physical and mental health as the initial euphoria slowly wears off.
Most importantly, take self-care days off if required. Take a hot shower and lay down on clean sheets, tidy up your room, read a book or just listen to some music. Do what makes you feel better. But, don’t make it a habit or it will be more harmful than helpful.
Sometimes, it is necessary to take a break so as to bounce back on track with a better version of yourself. College is a time when we are still finding ourselves and taking care of ourselves is the least we can do to be at peace with our own mind.
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