An issue that most college students face during their academic career is dealing with anxiety and depressed emotions and this is a problem that is often overlooked and little is done to help students manage and overcome their mental health barriers. According to Sean Cook, author of For College Parents, For College Students, mental health issues can affect any individual at any age but most issues surface during the ages of 18 to 25. Also, Cook informs readers of the statistics of mental health in colleges and offers staggering statistics including the research that one in ten students in college have considered suicide. This is an issue that hits home for students as well as parents or anyone that is encountering a stressful time period in one’s life.
One important aspect to remember is that an individual with good mental health does not mean that they never encounter losses or stressful situations, but it is the manner in which an individual with good mental health deal with the situations to ensure that they will bounce back and move forward from the turmoil. According to Dr. Jeanne Segal, Melinda Smith, M.A., and Robert Segal, M.A., this ability to bounce back from adversity, turmoil, and stress is called resilience. People with good mental health will be able to stay positive through the struggles and be able to remain focused on what is important and ultimately be able to return to the normality of life relatively soon. One important aspect of resilience is the ability to deal with the emotions that one encounters during a stressful or traumatic situation. This eliminates the anxiety or depression that one can encounter because the individual with good mental health will be able to manage and express their emotions in a healthy manner.
Unfortunately, one’s mental health is a product of their early life experiences and sometimes negative experiences will result in poor mental health. Dr. Segal, Smith, M.A., and Segal, M.A., shed some light on what experiences could negatively impact ones’ mental health. For instance, poor connection to one’s primary caretaker, experiencing a traumatic loss, learned helplessness, side effects of medication, and substance abuse can all lead to poor mental health. According to Allison Van Dusen, author of Parents’ Guide to College Depression in Forbes, college students ages 18 to 22 are dealing with developmental changes, living on their own for the first time, dealing with academic expectations, staying up all night, and possibly experimenting with drugs and alcohol. Fortunately, all hope is not lost if an individual experiences one or more of these experiences. It is never too late to start taking better care of yourself and changing your poor habits that could be affecting your poor mental health. There are natural ways in which one can begin improving ones’ lifestyle, but it is noteworthy to remember that if you or someone you know is unable to sleep, using substances to deal with their emotions, or have thoughts of suicide, a professional should be notified immediately.
In order to begin the road to better mental health, one has to be surrounded by an outstanding support system. This support system can come in many forms and can be ones’ family, closest friends, or a romantic partner. In order to maintain this healthy support system, you must commit yourself to spending face-to-face interaction time with them to help with venting about the stressful situation or dilemma or even just to take your mind off of things and to have an enjoyable evening on the town. Because of the new social media age, face-to-face interaction is really overlooked and when enduring a stressful situation, you need to get yourself outside of the computer or cell phone screen to experience the empathy and support that your support system has for you. The people in your support system should be good listeners and allow you to express your emotions freely without any judgment or criticism.
Other natural methods that one can use to positively influence their mental health include feeling helpful or useful. This could be as simple as helping a coworker with a difficult task or perhaps being a strong support system for someone else. This feeling of being needed and valued helps with ones’ self esteem and self worth. Practicing self-discipline also helps to positively influence ones’ mental health because by helping to train your mind how to handle stressful situations will lead your mind to do the routines automatically. Also, enjoy leisure times and activities and make them a priority, not an option. If there is something that you love to do or have wanted to do for some time – just do it. Even having the feeling of relaxation helps to ease the mind and spirit in order to let your body recharge. Finally, in order to help eliminate poor mental health, avoid poor mental health practices such as worrying. Although it is tough to eliminate worrying altogether, by accepting the way life is progressing and finding the good wherever possible, one can move forward through the worrying process.
