Today’s college students are under more pressure than ever before, with 80% of students saying they are “sometimes or often” stressed out. If you’re struggling with school-related anxiety or mental health issues, we’ve put together 5 ways to cope with stress in college.
- Try To Stay Organized
- Get Enough Sleep, Eat Healthily, & Stay Active
- Make Time For Yourself
- Get In Touch With Your Professors
- See A Therapist If Necessary
1. Try To Stay Organized
College classes are a lot harder than high school classes, and many students are now dealing with part-time jobs, internships, and other responsibilities that they didn’t have before college. It’s essential to be organized, manage your time, and stay on top of your work to avoid becoming too stressed and overwhelmed.
To budget your time accordingly, you can keep track of your responsibilities with a to-do list, weekly schedule, planner, sticky notes, email alerts, or phone notifications.
Many colleges even provide free tutoring, time management seminars, and other academic resources to struggling students.
2. Take Care Of Your Physical Health
During midterms or finals season, it can be really tempting to cut back on sleep and subsist solely on junk food to get everything done quickly. However, getting enough sleep and eating healthy food is essential for your mental health and maintaining good grades.
Instead of pulling a pizza and energy drink-fuelled all-nighter to get a paper done all at once, you could try working on it in intervals while leaving enough time in your schedule for food, sleep, and self-care. Taking short breaks to walk, stretch, or do calisthenics can also be beneficial.
3. Make Room For “Me Time”
Some college students are so high-achieving that they leave very little time in their schedules for self-care or downtime. You don’t have to sign up for every student club, volunteer group, and internship on top of a full-time course load to succeed in life.
In fact, it’s good for your mental health to make time to go for a relaxing walk, watch a movie, have a meal with friends, or do something else that’s purely for your own enjoyment.
4. Contact Your Professors
If you’ve been having a really hard time focusing on your schoolwork due to anxiety, depression, PTSD, ADHD, or another mental health condition, it might be helpful to speak with your professor about what’s going on. You’d be surprised how many professors are sympathetic toward their students’ struggles. Some are even willing to grant extensions.
You might also be able to get accommodations from your school’s disability resource center by providing a letter from a licensed psychiatrist or psychologist.
5. Visit A Mental Health Counselor
College can be highly stressful in its own right, and many students struggle with anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or substance abuse while trying to manage their stressful schedules.
Moreover, 13% of students will be victims of sexual violence while in college, and women and LGBTQ students are at especially high risk.
If you’re suffering from a mental health condition or have experienced trauma, a therapist or psychologist can help you live the life you deserve. Even if you’re “just” struggling with school-related stress, roommate conflicts, or having trouble adjusting to life away from home, therapy can still be extremely beneficial for your mood and overall well-being.
College Stress & Anxiety Therapist In California
It can be hard to manage all the stress and anxiety that comes with being in college, especially when you’re still trying to figure out who you are and what you want to do with your life. If you’re a student at UCLA, USC, Caltech, or another school in the Greater Los Angeles area, Dr. Taji Huang can help you cope with your academic stress.
She can also help if you have anxiety or depression or if you’ve been a victim of sexual assault or another traumatic event.
Contact her Glendale office today to schedule a therapy session.