Mental health struggles of students

by Kirsten Deane​

Adapting to a new environment is never easy, especially if it’s one which holds your future opportunities. Going from high school to university can be terrifying, overwhelming and ultimately, draining. You can never be prepared for the changes that are coming your way…the workload, the people you interact with and even the times when you have a free moment. It all takes a lot of adapting.

​More often than not, university students struggle with anxiety and depression as a result of the changes they’re forced to go through. It’s a lot easier to take precautions for your mental health than to try and get it back on track once the damage is done. I know we hear it all the time, and trust me, I don’t like saying it but time management has a great deal to do with the mental state of a lot of university students. It’s stressful enough knowing how much work you have on your plate, it’s even worse having to worry about not having enough time to complete it all.
Feeling as if you aren’t going to meet the deadlines that are expected of you will definitely cause your anxiety to sky rocket. That’s where the simple part comes in: breathing. When we’re stressed out and anxious, it not only affects our mental state but our physical state as well which causes the vicious cycle of our physical state affecting our mental state and vice versa (our poor brains really got the short end of the stick!). Taking note of your breathing can help slow down your anxiety and remind you that you’re here and you’re doing just fine.

We all worry about disappointing ourselves and our parents when it comes to our academic careers. This worry can turn into a crippling fear if it’s not handled properly. You’ll find yourself feeling down more often than you know you should, no longer feeling like yourself. You’re most likely to go through this and that’s okay, as long as you make it clear to somebody close to you that you aren’t feeling the way you usually do.
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​It can be a scary thought coming to terms with the fact that you need help with the expectations university is laying on you. However, most universities do provide platforms and spaces in which you can speak about what you’re going through, the smartest thing to do is to be aware of these spaces from the beginning so if anything comes up, you know where to go.We often forget that our lecturers were students once upon a time and experienced the same struggles that we are. Work up the courage to let your lectures know that you’re struggling to juggle the workload and to meet deadlines. Lecturers are companionate people, they can relate to you, that means it’s most likely that they will help you by accommodating you and your mental health./

Yes, it’s important to dedicate time to your studies but it’s just as important to dedicate time to yourself. I always pushed myself to spend excessive amounts of time on my studies, giving myself minimum time to just, well, be me. I thought I was doing just fine until my anxiety landed me in hospital (believe it or not, this happens to many students). I was ignoring all the signs that my anxiety was starting to overtake my body. I would struggle to sleep at night, my eating habits were unhealthy and I would find my emotions rising and falling like a rollercoaster! I am still struggling to get in touch with my anxiety and control it, but as I have learnt, being aware of your anxiety and the state of your mental health, is the first step. By spending time with yourself, doing the things that bring you joy, you begin to notice what negatively affects your mental health and what helps to heal you. Have moments to acknowledge that you are only human and you need to take care of yourself. The future is important but so is the present!