I’ve never been able to say no. Ever since I can remember, I’ve always felt like if others were happy, I would be happy, too. So looking back on this year, it’s no surprise that coming to college – with my pride and my selflessness – was hard. In fact, I struggled quite a bit. I didn’t want to let anyone know how bad I was doing, until it got unbearable. Assignments were put off until I didn’t have enough time to do them, and I took way too many mental health days than acceptable. I didn’t ask for help until it was too late, and I ended up having to drop a few classes I needed.
I put way too much blame on myself at first. I knew it was my lack of motivation and mental state that were causing it. There was always something going on in my life that affected my mood. It was hard for me to make friends, I lost and gained and lost relationships, and I worked more hours than I could handle with my time. It got to the point where I continuously put off going to class or completing homework on time.
Some of these strategies I figured out too late, but they helped me pull through to the end of the semester. Without them, I would have completely dropped out for the semester and tried again next time. But noticing the signs early on will help with making any sort of life transitions in your life.
Here’s some strategies to help yourself and get you back on track when life just isn’t going great.
- Talk to someone. Anyone. A friend, a therapist, even a trusted adult. I used to keep way too many emotions bottled up. Having people you can talk to really helps release the problems, and can even make them seem like they’re not as bad as you initially thought. You don’t have to spill your life story, but sharing your thoughts and feelings with someone can help you gain a new perspective as well as help you talk through things.
- Get a journal/blog/twitter/whatever to help you vent. If you’re really against talking to someone, a journal could help you work through emotions as well. I find it helpful to have a journal for planning my life, and a separate journal for writing any feelings I have. Some people prefer a blog, or even typing it out in 140 characters.
- Take a mental health day, but not too many. I was guilty of taking too many days to skip classes because I didn’t feel up to it. But, the occasional day off can feel refreshing. It helps you relax and destress from the harsh real world. I especially like to curl up with a good book and disconnect from the online world entirely. Just don’t make it a habit.
- Set reminders in your phone to do things. If you’re a serial procrastinator like me, you already know that getting stuff done is so hard, and you’d rather just put it off until the very end. But, if you set a time in your phone to get it done, and promise yourself to get it done, then you will do it. I did this with studying for finals and it helped way more than I thought it would.
- Ask for help if you need it. Whether it comes to work, classes, problems in life, or anything else, asking for help is the hardest step. As humans, many of us like to help out. Don’t be shy about people thinking it’s a burden – a lot of your friends and family will help if you really need it, because they love you unconditionally and want you to succeed in your life.
