Managing Mental Health in School

Dealing with mental health issues while attending school is one of the most frustrating and confusing things ever. A bad mental health day typically has no physical symptoms and you can’t easily get a doctor’s note, so you’re usually stuck in a conflicting situation. On top of already struggling with own mind, you have to figure out a way to either make it through your classes or muster up the courage to miss them. There have been times when I’ve admitted to teachers that the reason for my absence is because I’m not doing okay, and I typically get one of two answers:

“Yeah, most college students struggle with some type of anxiety or depression. You just have to finish up the semester and relax on break.” (AKA brushing it off…)

Or…

“Mental health is not taken care of on college campuses and there should be a better understanding of it – if you ever need to miss a day don’t be afraid to let me know.”

So, you can see that sometimes I get a positive response to being honest with my professors, but that requires the courage for me to open up in the first place.

If you’re ever feeling like your mental health is taking over and you’re stuck on the decision of whether or not to go to class, here are my tips for you:

Evaluate How “Bad” You’re Feeling

I know that every day you have to manage your mental health doesn’t feel the greatest, but take a step back and figure out how “bad” it actually is. Basically, what is your level of functioning today?

Can you get out of bed?
Are you able to go out in public?
Is your anxiety manageable?
Can you sit through a lecture? Even if you don’t participate?

If I’m making the decision of whether or not to attend class, I try to decide that if I were to just get out of bed, would I be okay to sit quietly through a lecture? Or, is my anxiety at the point where any social interaction will cause me to break down? If you think you can make it to class, just try. Remember, you can always leave if necessary.

Meet At Least One Person In Each Class

I know, I know. For us in the social-anxiety-gang, just “meeting someone” doesn’t come easily. However, I bet that you can be friendly enough to one person, get their number, and have a mutual relationship where you help each other out with assignments.

By having at least one contact in each class, you can have them send you the material or let you know what happened on a day you may miss. This way, you can stay caught up with everything and worry less about your grades.

Excuse Yourself If Necessary

There have been so many times where I’ve had to physically remove myself from a classroom to avoid having a meltdown in front of everyone. Most of the time, I just find a quiet hallway or go to the bathroom to calm myself down for a few minutes. I also almost always call my mom whenever I’m feeling down, even if she can’t do anything directly, just so I don’t feel so alone. Take all the time you need and don’t feel any shame for doing so – your mental health is your priority.

Find Your Calm

What I mean by “find your calm” is to have a go-to strategy for coping with your anxiety (or whatever you’re going through). Like I mentioned before, I always call my mom so she can help to bring me back to reality and get out of my head. Another thing I like to do is take a walk outside while listening to my favorite music. There’s something about the fresh air and sunshine that instantly makes me feel better, alongside silencing my thoughts with some music. Figure out what works best for you in order to make yourself feel better before attending class or getting involved with school. Some common ways to manage anxiety are:

• Journaling
• Yoga + meditation
• Exercise
• Being creative
• Talking to someone

Give Yourself a Break

One of the hardest things I’ve had to learn this year was that I don’t need to operate at 100% all the time. Personally, I always feel the need to take on every opportunity that’s thrown at me, go above and beyond on my studies, and never waste any time doing something that isn’t productive. Doing this only leads me to burn out. Allow yourself to step away from your school work for a little bit, scheduling in breaks every so often to prevent yourself from overworking. Spend time with friends because you won’t get this time back. Know that it’s okay to say “no” to certain events or invites. Not everything has to be perfect, we’re only human.

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Overall, I personally believe that it’s okay to sacrifice your school work for your mental health sometimes. I know – that’s hard to hear, especially if you’re an overworking perfectionist like me. But, nothing is more important than your well-being and your grades won’t really matter in the long run.

This past semester I struggled a lot with my mental health, missed a few classes, and had to accept lower than (my) average grades on some assignments. However, I still came out with all A’s. This just taught me that everything will be okay in the end as long as you focus on taking care of yourself.

I wish you all the best of luck this next semester, lots of love to you x

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