If you are feeling disoriented and lost during your first college years – you are not alone. The volume of change coming your way is overwhelming, and it is quite easy to get behind studying, hobbies, homework, life in general and work.
Handling balance in life is complicated by default, so getting an idea of keeping up with prioritizing things and staying healthy is crucial.
Any help here will be useful, so take a look at the top 10 tips for students on how to stay mentally healthy at university or college.
- Give yourself time. You don’t have to know right now what to want from life. And that’s okay.
You are at the beginning of your journey. Even adults are often not sure if they’ve chosen the right path in life. So, the main skill you can get is being flexible to external changes and to the fact that you will change as well. You can edit your preferences in life whether it is courses you take at university or any other choice. Don’t rush on your decisions, give yourself some time to understand your needs and desires deeper to plan, prioritize, and organize your learning process.
- Don’t set a goal to overachieve all the time.
It is all about balance and choosing the moment and project to focus more on and to learn harder.
Try not to compare yourself to others and concentrate mainly on your areas of interest and specialization that you are good at.
If you scatter your attention and effort on everything, you will most probably burn out faster and acquire fewer skills due to a superficial approach.
- Stay physically active.
Researches demonstrated that regular exercise prompts the generation of new neural connections, which means you will remember the stuff you’ve learned better. In addition, physical activity enhances overall discipline and it will be easier for you to reach more goals while staying in tune with your body and mind.
Though it is obvious, getting enough sleep and trying to eat as healthy is indispensable. Food and a nice night's sleep are the sources of simple pleasure accessible to most people, so it would be nice not to miss it.
- Emotional rest.
Having a lot of assignments to complete, you need a proper rest. Track time that you are spending on social media because even though it seems that you are resting, you are still processing a lot of emotionally loaded information. Digital detox is a trend for a reason, and it is a good idea for students to spend some time apart from the beloved blue light.
- Know your limits.
If you feel that you don’t like a certain course, or subject – don’t punish yourself by pursuing it further. Also, valuing your time means spending it on something important or at least on things that please you.
Mediation can become an important tool to support your inner health. It helps streamline your thoughts, see things from another perspective, and improve concentration overall. There are many tools like Calm or Headspace that will guide you smoothly into meditation if you want to start. It also improves self-esteem and reduces anxiety, known to be widespread among young adults now more than ever.
- Take time to identify your passion and interest.
If you are going through a tough time in university, your hobby will be a perfect haven to retreat to recharge and distract yourself. A hobby will help balance some stressful situations related to studying.
You are going through defining yourself, your goals, and your place in life right now. You might already have hobbies from school, but you should be open to new ones because you can be surprised how many things are available that you can be good at it without even realizing it.
- Unnecessary pressure instilled by parents and other students is enough.
Don’t get hard on yourself. We all have our ups and downs, and putting yourself first is important.
- Set small goals and implement them one by one.
The best way to achieve something is to start small. If you face a complicated topic or subject, divide studying it into thematic blocks and move from one to another at your own pace. If you aim higher than you can achieve right now, it will only lead you to frustration and most probably procrastination. Make small, yet regular steps towards a big goal. This way you will not overload yourself with tasks and will be able to enjoy life outside of campus and studying.
- Learn to prioritize and delegate if possible.
It is one of the most important skills out there that will help you stay calm and focused on just the right number of tasks that can be done. If you feel that you have an assignment and there is no way you are going to finish it on time due to any possible reason, order term paper or any other type of paper and avoid overthinking. You can invest this time into proper rest, learning, or any other wonderful aspect of student life.
P.S. If you feel that it is difficult for you to cope with all the pressure of entering the new chapter of your life or maintaining balance in your life, don’t hesitate to ask for help. You can consult your counselor at university or ask a teacher to give you proper direction, but you don’t have to do it alone.
