Ally Romanes
Like most people, you may find yourself feeling overwhelmed from time to time. Stress is something literally everyone deals with and often struggles with. While a lot of times you are able to completely manage it, there are times things may feel out of control. Between the weight of school, work, and your personal life, it can get to be too much. It’s very important for you to take care of your mental health, especially while you’re in college. Here are seven mental health upkeep tips
Sleep
It can be hard to get a good night’s rest during college, but it is a must! The more hours of sleep you get, the more refreshed you will feel in the morning and throughout your day. Your brain needs sleep in order to perform. When you sleep, your brain helps your body heal from all the stress you encountered during the day. Getting more than five hours of sleep will also improve your mood.
Have A Support System
Having a support system will help keep you on your feet. Every student feels stressed and overwhelmed. A strong support system will show that you are not alone and means you will have people to go for help and encouragement. By having your friends, family, and professors by your side, success is much easier to obtain. You can’t do everything on your own! Don’t be afraid to reach out to those people in your support system.
Have A Healthy Diet
What you eat affects your body, mind, and spirit. The healthier you eat, the better you will feel. Eating a lot of junk food will slow you down both physically and mentally. Skip the chips and opt for a healthy snack!
Get Active
As Elle Woods once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” The more active you are, the more endorphins your body will have. Exercising will boost your mood, take your mind off of stressors, and will help you feel accomplished. You will also have more energy and motivation to get things done. 
Pray
There is power in prayer. Take all your worries, stress, and burdens to God. He is a source of comfort and strength. Praying about your troubles can help you feel some of your burdens are off your shoulders. Feel like you need a little extra prayer? Reach out to one of our campus chaplains!
Meet With A Campus Counselor
Take advantage of the counselors on campus—it’s free. Meeting with a counselor allows you to vent about the stress you are going through. A counselor can teach you great techniques to deal with your stress, like how to calm yourself before an exam or how to cope with feeling overwhelmed. A counselor can also be part of your support system. Meetings are confidential, so feel free to share anything.
Reward Yourself
You need to recognize how hard you work to accomplish your many tasks. Reward yourself by going out to eat, taking a nap, or watching a show or movie. Feel proud and confident about the work you’ve done and the progress you are making to own each day. Continue making goals and reward yourself again and again.
Everyone deals with stress differently but one thing is clear, we all need a little help every once in a while and hopefully, these seven tips will come in handy!