Protect Your Mental Health!
The information provided here are self-help tips for stress management, self-esteem, boosting your mood, and making friends. This information was taken from the SCSU Counseling Services website, and it is not intended as a substitute for counseling. If you think you have a more serious issue surrounding these mental health topics, please visit Counseling Services. Don't delay! Take care of yourself and get the help you need. You deserve it.
Making Friends
College is a time of excitement, challenge, and growth, not only academically, but socially as well. However, being in a new environment for the first time may not be an easy transition for everyone. At first, it may be difficult to feel comfortable with new peers and make some friends.
Luckily, there are lots of things to do on a college campus. Enjoying an activity can be very uplifting and help you to feel better, either by yourself or with others. The following are steps to consider when making friends or opening yourself to new experiences:
- Step One: Be positive. The more positive energy you put out, the more likely you are to receive positive energy in return. Be polite, friendly, and open. How can you do this? See step two.
- Step Two: RELAX and BE YOURSELF! Be proud of who you are. People will like you for you, taking the good with the not so good. We don't judge others nearly as harshly as we judge ourselves. No one is perfect, so don't try to be! The more relaxed you are, the easier it is to get along with and interact with others.
- Step Three: Figure out who and what type of person you want to hang out with. People generally connect with those who are most similar to themselves. Share common interests or activities with others - it allows you the opportunity to get to know someone a little better and become friends.
- Step Four: Put yourself out there. Get involved in things you enjoy. Go where people are in order to meet them! They won't come to you if you sit around waiting. Join a club, attend lectures, go to University functions, join a study group, or go to the library.
- Step Five: Stay connected. Call or visit on a regular basis to keep the friendship going.
Luckily, there are lots of things to do on a college campus. Enjoying an activity can be very uplifting and help you to feel better, either by yourself or with others. The following are steps to consider when making friends or opening yourself to new experiences:
- Step One: Be positive. The more positive energy you put out, the more likely you are to receive positive energy in return. Be polite, friendly, and open. How can you do this? See step two.
- Step Two: RELAX and BE YOURSELF! Be proud of who you are. People will like you for you, taking the good with the not so good. We don't judge others nearly as harshly as we judge ourselves. No one is perfect, so don't try to be! The more relaxed you are, the easier it is to get along with and interact with others.
- Step Three: Figure out who and what type of person you want to hang out with. People generally connect with those who are most similar to themselves. Share common interests or activities with others - it allows you the opportunity to get to know someone a little better and become friends.
- Step Four: Put yourself out there. Get involved in things you enjoy. Go where people are in order to meet them! They won't come to you if you sit around waiting. Join a club, attend lectures, go to University functions, join a study group, or go to the library.
- Step Five: Stay connected. Call or visit on a regular basis to keep the friendship going.
Mood Boosters
Sometimes you just get drained of your energy, hope, and drive, making it difficult to do what you need to feel better. You can’t beat it through sheer willpower, but you do have some control— the key to feeling happier and healthier is to start small and build up. Feeling better takes time, but you can get there if you make positive choices for yourself each day and draw on the support of others. Here are some mood-boosting tips:
- Take a warm bath or wrap yourself in a comfortable blanket.
- Talk with a friend, family member, or significant other.
- Allow yourself to feel upset, but also try and do nice things for yourself.
- Go for a walk or watch a favorite movie.
- Do yoga or meditate. Deep breathe.
- Take a nap or read a good book.
- Exercise. Get creative - draw, write poetry, journal, cook, paint, etc
- Eat regularly with well-balanced meals.
- Take a warm bath or wrap yourself in a comfortable blanket.
- Talk with a friend, family member, or significant other.
- Allow yourself to feel upset, but also try and do nice things for yourself.
- Go for a walk or watch a favorite movie.
- Do yoga or meditate. Deep breathe.
- Take a nap or read a good book.
- Exercise. Get creative - draw, write poetry, journal, cook, paint, etc
- Eat regularly with well-balanced meals.
Stress Management
For the most part, stress is healthy - it adds excitement, challenge, and opportunity to your life. Too much stress, however, can seriously affect your physical and mental well-being. It can cause high blood pressure, ulcers, or even heart disease. Luckily there are ways to beat this unhealthy stress!
- Physical Activity: Release the pressure you are feeling through exercise. Running, walking, dancing, playing tennis, or working in your garden are just some activities you can try.
- Share Your Stress: It helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. A friend, family member, or teacher can help see your problem in a different light or help you feel better.
- Know Your Limits: If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don't fight the situation. Learn to accept it - for now - until you can find away to control it.
- Take Care of Yourself: You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. Schedule time for both work and recreation - Do an activity you enjoy, visit with friends, or just sit back and relax.
- Be a Participant: One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to get involved outside your world. Offer your services in the neighborhood or volunteer at organizations. This can help you make new friends!
- Check off your tasks: Trying to take care of everything at once can be overwhelming, and as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, then do one at a time, checking them off as they are completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first.
- It's OK to Cry: A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety and it might prevent a headache or other physical consequences.
- Create a Quiet Scene: Do some visual meditation of a country or ocean scene in a quiet area. Deep breathe. You can also read a good book or play music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.
- Physical Activity: Release the pressure you are feeling through exercise. Running, walking, dancing, playing tennis, or working in your garden are just some activities you can try.
- Share Your Stress: It helps to talk to someone about your concerns and worries. A friend, family member, or teacher can help see your problem in a different light or help you feel better.
- Know Your Limits: If a problem is beyond your control and cannot be changed at the moment, don't fight the situation. Learn to accept it - for now - until you can find away to control it.
- Take Care of Yourself: You are special. Get enough rest and eat well. Schedule time for both work and recreation - Do an activity you enjoy, visit with friends, or just sit back and relax.
- Be a Participant: One way to keep from getting bored, sad, and lonely is to get involved outside your world. Offer your services in the neighborhood or volunteer at organizations. This can help you make new friends!
- Check off your tasks: Trying to take care of everything at once can be overwhelming, and as a result, you may not accomplish anything. Instead, make a list of what tasks you have to do, then do one at a time, checking them off as they are completed. Give priority to the most important ones and do those first.
- It's OK to Cry: A good cry can be a healthy way to bring relief to your anxiety and it might prevent a headache or other physical consequences.
- Create a Quiet Scene: Do some visual meditation of a country or ocean scene in a quiet area. Deep breathe. You can also read a good book or play music to create a sense of peace and tranquility.
Self-Esteem
We all need positive self-esteem to feel good about ourselves. Positive self-esteem means that we don't judge ourselves based on what others think or say. High self-esteem is being comfortable in your own skin, knowing that you are a good person, and feeling good about it! On the other hand, low self esteem is when you feel badly about yourself, and who you are, and have little confidence or control over your life. If you are not feeling good about yourself, you may hold yourself back from finishing projects and even self-sabotage so that you purposely do not succeed. But there is hope! There are tools you can use to improve your self-esteem. These steps can be hard work, because you have to practice them, but with time and persistence you can start to feel better!
- Accept yourself: Know that you are a good person despite any flaws or imperfections you may have. Think about this: Do you judge others' flaws as harshly as you do your own? Probably not. Go easy on yourself.
- Take control: Make your own decisions - and change the things that need to be changed. You have the right to be in control of your destiny. Take pride in that and do something about it.
- Think positive: Catch yourself talking negatively, then take that negative statement and make it a positive one. For example, if you tell yourself everyday that you will pass Biology, then you will start to feel that you can, and you will probably start acting more positively, like studying more, etc.
- Be good to yourself: Let yourself enjoy life. Relax, take a walk, do the things you like. It may seem difficult amid exams, work and the hectic pace of college life. But we all deserve and need to do enjoyable activities. Even if it's only 15 minutes a day to meditate, that's time you've spent treating yourself well!
- Get involved: Try things that you have always wanted to try. You can meet new people and develop new friendships. You will also learn new skills that will help you feel better about yourself.
- Become self-reliant: Don't depend on other people to make you feel good about yourself. Compliment yourself. That way, you won't sit around waiting for someone else to boost your esteem - you can do it yourself!
- Set goals: Set sights for your future. It is important to have things to look forward to. When you decide what you want to do and when you want to do it, you make an investment to learn more about yourself that that can build inner strength and confidence (i.e., SELF-ESTEEM!!!).
- Accept yourself: Know that you are a good person despite any flaws or imperfections you may have. Think about this: Do you judge others' flaws as harshly as you do your own? Probably not. Go easy on yourself.
- Take control: Make your own decisions - and change the things that need to be changed. You have the right to be in control of your destiny. Take pride in that and do something about it.
- Think positive: Catch yourself talking negatively, then take that negative statement and make it a positive one. For example, if you tell yourself everyday that you will pass Biology, then you will start to feel that you can, and you will probably start acting more positively, like studying more, etc.
- Be good to yourself: Let yourself enjoy life. Relax, take a walk, do the things you like. It may seem difficult amid exams, work and the hectic pace of college life. But we all deserve and need to do enjoyable activities. Even if it's only 15 minutes a day to meditate, that's time you've spent treating yourself well!
- Get involved: Try things that you have always wanted to try. You can meet new people and develop new friendships. You will also learn new skills that will help you feel better about yourself.
- Become self-reliant: Don't depend on other people to make you feel good about yourself. Compliment yourself. That way, you won't sit around waiting for someone else to boost your esteem - you can do it yourself!
- Set goals: Set sights for your future. It is important to have things to look forward to. When you decide what you want to do and when you want to do it, you make an investment to learn more about yourself that that can build inner strength and confidence (i.e., SELF-ESTEEM!!!).
