National Mental Health Week

Although National Mental Health Week is coming to an end, it still deserves a great amount of recognition. People often avoid acknowledging their own, and others mental health status, but why? There seems to be an ongoing idea that has been around for a long time that suggests that struggling with your own mental health may be a sign of weakness, or something to be ashamed of. It is time to erase that negative stereotype.

Physical and mental health are equally important in order to live a long, happy, and healthy life. So, think of it this way, if you are experiencing a physical illness or injury, how do you feel? Do you feel ashamed of yourself? Do you blame yourself? Do you hide this from your peers and family members because you are embarrassed? No, you most likely would not blame yourself for a physical illness or injury, and you would most likely seek help and advice from trained professionals and close family and friends to deal with, and overcome this physical illness or injury. How is this any different from experiencing a mental illness, or struggling temporality with your own mental health? I would like to argue that it is no different at all, and that is why any negative stereotypes surrounding mental illness need to be objected.

In my opinion, it is socially acceptable in todays society to experience physical injuries or illnesses because it is considered, for the most part, out of ones control. The issue with this is that still, in todays society, mental illness is not fully accepted, and people are still being blamed for struggling with their own mental health. When making the comparison between mental and physical health, I do not mean to undermine, or not acknowledge the significance of the impact a physical illness or injury may have. Experiencing a physical injury or illness could definitely have a negative impact on ones mental health. The two cannot be completely isolated from one another, and that is why we, as a modern society, cannot view mental and physical health as two completely separate entities.

No matter who you are, how smart or athletic you are, or how loved you may be, no one is happy, or is expected to be happy and stress free all of the time. Everyone experiences hardships, and sometimes those who are under the most pressure to be the perfect student, or the perfect athlete are the ones who are struggling the most, but are too afraid to taint their image of perfection to seek help. By saying that, I am not attempting to create different categories of people who are more or less likely to struggle with mental health because as I previously mentioned, it does not matter who you are, everyone struggles with their own mental health, just like everyone struggles with their own physical health.

I believe that the differing views among society regarding physical and mental wellness may stem from the fact that physical struggles are, most often, more easily visible than mental struggles.  You can visibly see a broken leg, but you cannot see the emotional pain that someone who is struggling with their mental health is suffering through.

Mental health is hard to describe because there are so many different variations of struggle that someone may face. No matter what you are feeling or struggling through, no matter how big or small, it deserves attention, it deserves to be heard. Allow yourself to be vulnerable, and do not be afraid to ask for help, you may be surprised by how many people are willing to listen. There are so many resources out there to assist with improving and maintaining mental health.

As college students we can be very susceptible to struggling with our own mental health during our college career. At this age one may be consumed with how their peers, professors, and even their own parents perceive them. It is crucial that we recognize that struggling with mental health is not a sign of weakness, and it is not something to be ashamed of. No matter what you may be feeling, you must recognize that it is okay to experience these feelings.

Many tragedies, such as suicide, that may be the result of mental health struggles have a greater chance of being prevented with increased acceptance and awareness among society. You do not know what the person sitting next to you in class is feeling, you should not judge others, or fear the judgement of others.

Just remember that you are never alone in the battles that you face internally. There are always people that can provide advice, love, and resources to help fight your internal battles with you.

Coping With Stress and Anxiety in College

College is something that every adult raves about. All you hear as a teen is that “college is the best four years of your life!” Well, sometimes I feel inclined to disagree. I know this might sound shocking to some, but there are a lot of things about college that I’m not so fond of.

College brings out the best and the worst of me. I work hard and it has paid off so far, but I have a strong tendency to gravitate towards stress and anxiety. Living a healthy lifestyle is about more than just nutrition and exercise, it also has a lot to do with mental wellness. Lately, I’ve been struggling to cope with the increasing amounts of stress that college has brought me.

I find myself crying at the end of some days because I am constantly worrying about financing my study abroad program for next semester, doing well in my classes, doing well at work, saving money, and so on. The problem is that I don’t need to be worrying as much as I do, I need to just do the best that I can, and know that my best is good enough.

Right now college is strange for me because I’m stuck between wanting to go back in time and wanting to graduate and move on with my life. I feel like I’m in this weird in between stage that I don’t know how to handle. Next year will be much better for me because I am studying abroad in Ireland in the fall, and then I am (finally) living in an apartment in the spring. Living in my own apartment and having my own personal space will finally make me feel independent, and I will have the freedom to cook my own meals and have my own bathroom. I know that these little things will make me much happier in the long run.

BUT don’t get me wrong, at the end of the day I know that I am happy to be a college student at UNH, but sometimes I allow my stress and anxiety to get the best of me. Living with anxiety is not enjoyable, and I’ve finally decided to accept it and really do something about it. I am starting to take all natural medication that is supposed to help me relax, and if that is not helping me, I am planning to visit my Doctor at home. Here are some tips that I am trying in order to cope with stress and anxiety, I hope they can be beneficial for others as well!

1. Be Mindful. Make a conscious effort to be mindful, and live in the present moment instead of worrying about the past or the future. This can be difficult because in this day and age people never really live in the present moment when they are always on their phones, or in my case, worrying. Just start to pay close attention to everything you do from washing your hands to eating, this will make everything you do more meaningful.

2. Do Something You Love Everyday. What makes you happy? Is it exercising, watching your favorite tv show, hanging out with friends? Whatever it is, DO IT! Personally, I love being by myself and listening to music. I love discovering new music, it helps me relieve stress and tension, and it makes me happy. I listen to music for at least an hour at night to help me unwind and fall asleep.

3. Know Your Limits. You know yourself better than anyone, so listen to your body. If you feel exhausted, stop studying and go to bed. If something that you are doing is overwhelming you and causing stress, cut back on that activity. Constantly pushing yourself to your limits can only harm your mental wellness in the long run.

4. Know When to Ask For Help. This can be hard for people to accept, and it is definitely hard for me to do. If you feel as though your stress level is increasing and that it is out of your control, talk to someone, anyone. I personally talk to my mom because she knows me the best. I also plan on talking to someone through the counseling center at my school to get an outside perspective on my own mental wellness. And let me tell you, there is nothing wrong with that! It can be really valuable to here another opinion, and get an experts advice.

College should be one of the best times in your life, but it will not always be that way. My advice to you is to do everything you can to stay balanced and happy while in college. There is no better time than now to discover yourself, and discover a balanced lifestyle.

~AML