Are You Taking Care of Your Mental Health?

No doubt students are hard-pressed with preparations for class and surprise tests, tight deadlines for projects and assignments, huge work load and intense competition, but they should give top priority to their physical and mental health.

In fact, a good mental health should take precedence to all other things as that can only determine the future success of the students.

However, it is worrying that many students are falling victims to depression and other mental illnesses which affect their studies, diminish their confidence, lower their self-esteem, and create suicidal thoughts in them.

Majority of educational counselors in the US have stated that psychological issues are increasing among young students, which is also one of the reasons for gun violence and other unprovoked attacks inside the campus.

Students can take care of their mental health with these simple ways mentioned below.

1. Look for signs of stress, anxiety, and depression

As per the US National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI), more than three-fourth of students feel pressurized with their workload and 50% of them suffer from severe anxiety related issues that affect their academics as well as personal life. More and more number of students are already under stress without even knowing it. Signs of stress include tension, chronic headaches or muscle contractions, trouble in concentrating, excessive anxiety, excessive worrying, eating disorders, and changes in sleeping pattern. Stress is dangerous for students and can obstruct their performance in tests, submission of assignments, and lower their attendance. Stress can also trigger anxiety issues and depression. People suffering from excessive stress shows withdrawal symptoms and lose interest in everyday affairs.

2. Pay attention to physical health

A strong and healthy body is usually governed by a healthy mind. To take care of mental health, you will need to be physically fit. A fit body can fight off the stress, anxiety, and depression efficiently and effectively. Being fit enables us to remain positive even in the most adverse conditions and trying situations. Moreover, a good diet and exercise produce feel good hormones such as serotonin and endorphins that help us to remain calm and composed. Taking a serotonin-rich diet such as eggs, milk, bananas, dark chocolate (in moderation) create the feel good hormones in our body. Including some physical activities in our routine keep us upbeat and toughen us both mentally and physically.

3. Enhance your social life

Being around a group of acquaintances, maintaining contact with a close circle of friends, remaining close with family, and establishing contact with new people give us a sense of security and keep us positive. Humans are social animals, after all, and we survive and thrive when we collaborate and cooperate with each other. If you happen to relocate more often and find yourself adjusting to new environments without the help and comfort of old friends and family, you can also seek the help of interest groups or support groups. You can join with an interest group, whose members share a common interest as you, be it adventure sports, hobbies, spiritualism, etc.

4. Try meditation and relaxation techniques

Meditation helps in maintaining the peace of mind and driving away negative thoughts and stress pretty efficiently. Students can also try relaxation techniques such as yoga and tai chi to maintain physical and mental balance. Also there are several techniques that can help students to remain mindful, focused, and live in the present moment. Stress and anxiety are caused due to over-thinking and excessive worrying and these methods will help in easing stress and anxiety.

5. De-clutter your life and enjoy simple pleasures

Students can de-clutter their lives by appreciating simplicity and living a simple life. Minimalism is in vogue now and it is in for good reasons. It helps us to focus on our priorities and our needs. The rest of the things are noise and mean little to us. Students must also enjoy a break and some downtime for meditation and contemplation. These will help them to know what they really want and what they are supposed to do.

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