The Four “R”s: Tips on Navigating Your Mental Health in College

The Four “R”s: Tips on Navigating Your Mental Health in College

College. People say it’s wonderful. You’ve been longing for this day for several years now, you can’t wait to explore everything it has to offer. But let’s pause for a second... You have a thousand questions flooding through your mind. Why am I  feeling overwhelmed when I have more freedom in my life, endless possibilities and things to explore, and new friends to hang out with?  

If you are feeling stressed, you are not alone. In fact, when we enjoy more freedom, we also take on more responsibility. Suddenly we are “adults”, and nobody ever taught  us how to navigate adult life. Maybe this is the first time that you, and only you have to decide what to have for your next meal, what class to take in your upcoming semester, and even questions like “what do I want from my future?” All these questions feel frightening, especially when facing them for the first time. 

You are adjusting to a new environment and adjustment is HARD, change feels uncomfortable. Leaving home, family, and good friends behind feels like an ambiguous loss. What you are craving is finding a new balance. School itself might feel different: projects take longer to finish than high school homework, classmates aren’t always keen on building new friendships, people have more to worry about than just getting good grades. It takes several trials and errors to rebuild this new “homeostasis”. 

But despite all the challenges that come your way, you still have the capacity to enjoy yourself and thrive in college. Here are some tips to help you cope better with the inevitability of college stress: 

Recognize the signs 

The first step towards healing is to recognize “what went wrong”. We all have ups and downs. It’s common for us to feel on edge, anxious, tired, or unmotivated occasionally when we are put in stressful or depressing situations. However, if you notice that “downtime” has persisted over some days or affects your daily functioning, then you might want to look more deeply at the gravity of your current situation. Two major mental health concerns among college students are depression and anxiety, so a good starting point is to look out for signs like low mood, loss of interest/pleasure, lack of energy, inability to sleep/ excessive sleeping or ruminative worries.  

Relax 

Yes, relax. It sounds simpler than it is. When we fill in our schedule, oftentimes we forget about relaxation time or even feel guilty about taking a moment of pause. But the truth is, just like our phone battery needs to be charged regularly, our “mental energy” needs to be “recharged” as well. The need for relaxation is natural and just. However, unlike the way phone batteries work, relaxation is personal. What works perfectly for others might not work on you, and vice versa. If you are unsure what works best for you, try a few methods and listen to your heart and body. Journaling, painting, jogging, yoga, and meditation are some common activities. But if you feel most at peace doing something “uncommon”, no worries! This is your way of finding restoration. 

Reevaluate the situation 

Challenges in life aren’t always a bad thing. It can be the right time for us to reevaluate the situation and set manageable goals. We can grab a piece of paper and a pen, and identify all of the important aspects of our life - school, relationships, work, sleep, relaxation... Take a minute to think about them. How much time and energy do we need for each part to meet the expectations we place on ourselves? Ironically, doing some math in this situation can help you figure out if you need to make some small changes, like taking fewer classes, cutting down hours spent on video games, or simply reassessing the expectations you put on yourself in the first place.

Reach out 

Finally, reach out to people when you are not feeling your usual 100%. It is only natural for us to withhold our feelings in moments of despair, but to get through these painful times, we need a little bit of help from the outside. Not only can talking to others connect you with the resources you need, talking about problems and sharing painful emotions with those you love can be profoundly healing.  

So go talk to your friends and family, meet with your professors, utilize your school’s mental health services, seek a therapist and know that help is not too far away. Remember: seeking help is not a sign of weakness, but proof of a strong support system, and most importantly, the motivation we need to get better. 

At Repose, we are here to help you through your journey. No matter where it takes you, or how painful it may feel, our clinicians can help support you through it all. Our clinicians have rich experience working with college students. We understand the unique challenges you meet and appreciate the courage it takes to hold on. Through therapy, we will guide and support you through making sense of “what is going on” and can help you make meaningful changes in your life. If you are ready to start your journey, schedule a consultation with our client concierge to learn more about what we can offer you. Click here to learn more about the option of online therapy if scheduling feels difficult for you, and click here to learn more about therapy for college students at Repose. We are in-network with NYU’s Wellfleet Student Health Plan, as well as Columbia’s Student Health Insurance Aetna Plan. Our team comprises of multicultural, and multilingual clinicians to help better match your needs. We welcome you. 

-Yaojia Sun, MHC-LP