Mental health deterioration is a growing problem among young people around the world, especially among students from various colleges and universities. Several surveys have been conducted at the best universities in the world to find out the mental health status of students and the results are very alarming.
According to surveys, more than 95% of students have some form of mental illness, and many of them are freshmen just starting their professional college. Over 30% of students suffer from clinical depression, 6% of them have suicidal tendencies and many students attempt suicide. Of all students who dropped out of college or university, 62% said they dropped out because of problems with their mental health.
Here is a list of mental health tips that students with mental health problems can use:
- Have a support network: Having people you trust can improve your mental health as a student goes through a lot, both good and bad, and having people to freely communicate with student faces, from various sources during his study.
- Eat well: Everyone is encouraged to take care of their body, but most of the time, people suffering from psychological damage suggest adopting a healthy lifestyle that includes eating right, as many scientists have found that consuming healthy foods improves brain function and empowers people to be more active and have a positive outlook on life. It also gives them the strength to face the various obstacles that people face in their daily life.
- Be more active: Including some form of physical activity in your daily life can improve both your physical health and your mental health. Going for a run or exercising regularly can be a form of therapy to improve your mental health by increasing blood flow, which provides more oxygen to the brain, which can help recover from constant fatigue. Physical activities such as swimming, cycling, walking, dancing, and exercising allow a person to reduce stress levels, which can help with many mental health problems such as anxiety and depression.
- Sleep well: Sleep and mental health are closely related as any change in one is reflected in the other. If a person’s sleep schedule changes, it may be due to an imbalance in their mental health, and vice versa. A poor sleep schedule has been linked to a weakened immune system and mental health problems. Hence, good REM sleep is essential to maintaining and improving a person’s mental health.
- Getting Rid of Toxic Habits: We know that getting rid of toxic habits is much easier said than done, but one thing we can say without a doubt and that is that giving up a toxic habit can greatly improve one’s physical and mental condition. Bless you. There are some habits that hurt less than others, but living a healthy lifestyle means having productive traits. Toxic habits like smoking and drug use, including heavy drinking and alcohol use, can result in quick recovery, but any highs come with lows that can have serious effects on your health, both physical and mental. People with mental health problems are more likely to take medication than temporary relief, but this drives them further into a state of depression and makes their mental health problems worse. So, giving up drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes is the first step in improving mental health.
- Avoid the influence of social media: social media was created so that we can stay in touch with our loved ones. But in the last few years it has been used for everything else. People share photos and videos of current events in their lives that they can see. But these photos always show vacation photos, graduation photos and other accomplishments, people rarely show their flaws and shortcomings, and in many cases, people share fabricated photos. Constantly watching such images can create a feeling of ineffectiveness or a loss of self-confidence, which can be the cause of many mental health issues such as anxiety, low self-esteem, and even depression.
Understanding the reality of social media and not being disturbed or upset by the events of others is very important in order to improve one’s mental health.
- Make time for yourself: College life can be very stressful and hectic. It is therefore important to take time for yourself. Take a break from what is causing you a lot of anger and stress, stop for a moment and take some time for me. Use this time to do whatever you want, your hobbies, watching movies, going somewhere, eating your favorite food, visiting family, whatever helps you relieve stress and relax.
Taking regular breaks from demanding tasks is a great way to improve a person’s mental health and increase functionality by allowing them to relieve some of the stress at work from time to time.
- Set Realistic Goals: In order to improve an individual’s mental health, it is important to set small or realistic goals that can be achieved in the near future with reasonable effort. It gives the person a sense of accomplishment and helps them gain confidence and self-esteem. Therefore, it is important that the goals are not so competitive that they overwhelm the person in mental distress.
Take small steps to improve your work capacity, self-confidence, and skills that will better prepare you for bigger tasks and problems.
- Break out of the monotonous routine: The human brain lives on different and new stimuli. In a monotonous routine, the cognitive function of the brain is limited by doing the same activities and seeing the same things over and over again. It reduces the vigilance and the capacity of concentration of the individual. This increases boredom, which can also be an underlying cause of stress.
Find ways to be entertained and find creative ways to break your monotonous cycle. Do new and interesting activities that will allow you to learn something new and get rid of boredom. It gives you the opportunity to get rid of preventable stress which can lead to many problems. It will improve mental health.
- Effective Stress Management: Stress in itself is not considered an illness, but has been described as the root cause of many other mental disorders such as depression, anxiety, psychosis and post stress disorder. -traumatic, among others. At the same time, no matter how hard we try, stress is an integral part of the functioning of the human brain. This is why the effects of stress management are so important in improving a person’s mental health.
There are many things a person can do to effectively manage their stress level, such as:
- Talk to Your Campus Counsellor: Every college and university has a campus advisor who deals with a variety of topics related to student well-being, including their mental health. That’s the reason; They encourage interaction between struggling students who may be struggling with high levels of stress and mental health issues. A campus counselor can help you identify the underlying causes of your problems and take the necessary steps to resolve them.
- Seek professional help: Although all of the above measures are effective and proven to improve mental health, they still do not judge the importance of consulting a mental health professional. There is a stigma around seeing a healthcare professional for your mental health, which seems to prevent many people from seeking professional help for their mental health issues. You should always prioritize your mental health and get the medications and treatment you need after a proper diagnosis from a psychiatrist or mental health professional.
Hope this article has helped you identify the importance of addressing the mental health issues that many students face today and gave you some tips that can help improve mental health.