In college, the world completely opens up. As a student, you have so many opportunities that pop up in every corner and you can say yes to any of them. You will want to say yes to almsot all of them. But unforunatley, you can’t.
You can’t because you can only do so much as a human and you have to balance your life with your academics. As much fun as college is, first and foremost, you are there to learn and be a student. Learning how to balance your academics and everything else can be difficult but definatley necessary.
The start of learning and practicing the balance is by putting your mental health first. You will want to organize your school work, job shifts, and time with friends so that you are not going overboard. Make sure to put in time to take care of yourself: it is the most important thing you can do for your mental and physical well-being.
By doing little self-care tactics everyday you will see improvements in how you act with your loved ones, better grades, and you will feel happier overall. Self-care is not difficult. It can be little things like turning off technology for 30 minutes to an hour every day, organizing your homework and sticking to the plan, or going for a walk as a form of exercise.
Cabrini has a gym that students have access to while on campus for free. Taking a break from your school work can be beneficial and your body will thank you later. Taking about 30 minutes a day to move in the gym or walk around campus will increase your blood flow and help you think better.
You can say no to the party your friends are going to if you honestly would rather just have a night where you want rewatch "Friends" or "The Office" and espically if you have a test to study for that is more important.
Mental health is not always about saying no to parties, exercising, taking bubble baths, and doing face masks. That is to help you relax and find your boundaries or recharge.
It is mainly about being aware of how you function and working towards and maintaining a healthy lifestyle that fits you. You can find different avenues that can help you with that lifestyle in college using the suggestions above as well as others.
Cabrini has free counseling for students on campus. You can walk in during walk-in hours and have a 15-minute consult, or you can go regularly and have a safe space to help you and be a support. The counseling services here are beneficial and so nice!
Another way to have a healthy lifestyle is to learn how you function best. If you are an introvert work to stretch your boundaries, but do what you can and once your social battery runs out, let yourself recharge.
College can have a lot of drama, especially during your first year. Do NOT let it get to you! It will fizzle out and will no longer matter in a month. Just remove yourself and continue doing what you love. Be your own mental health advocate.