Mental Health Awareness
Mental health is defined as a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being. Our mental health affects almost everything we do in life. It affects how we think, feel, and act. The state of our mental health, whether it is good or bad, influences how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Taking care of our mental health is important in all stages of life, but especially as we begin to transition into adulthood in college. We are taking on new responsibilities, and are having to adapt to living on our own. If our mental health suffers during this time, the transition can be even more difficult, especially if there are other underlying mental health struggles as well.
Joining a sorority, along with the demands of college and the new responsibilities, can add to the stresses at hand. After joining a sorority, a group of girls is holding you to a higher standard for several things such as keeping up grades, attending philanthropy events, and being leaders on campus in other organizations. This can be challenging for someone who doesn’t know how to take care of their mental health. One of the greatest lessons you learn in college is who you are and how to become like the type of person you are pursuing.
Here are a few ways you can take care of your mental health while balancing college, sororities, and extra curriculars:
1. Allow yourself to have bad days. Society sometimes will tell us that since we are young and “in our prime time of life” that we shouldn’t have bad days. This isn’t realistic as we are going through one of the most dynamic times of our life. So, allow yourself to have a bad day or several bad days! It’s okay to feel low, sad, or overwhelmed.
2. Reach out to friends and family. Your friends and family care about you and want to see you succeed. When you are feeling low, spend time with the people who are closest to you. Studies show that spending time with those who value you actually increases your dopamine, AKA the happy hormone that your brain produces.
3. Have a selfcare day once a week. This can be a Sunday night or whenever it fits in your schedule, but take time to relax and give your body and mind a break. Do a face mask, watch a movie, or eat a whole pizza if that’s what self-care is for you! It’s all about doing what is best for you!
4. Talk to someone. Whether it is a professional therapist or even just a friend, talking to someone can be enormously helpful. Getting all of the stress that might be building up off of your chest is a great feeling and can really help in allowing your mind to decompress before the stresses of the next week begin.
In conclusion, mental health is one of the most important things to take care of. If you feel like your mental health is seriously suffering, reach out to a trusted individual or a professional that can help you to take the next steps of learning how to take care of your mind. Everyone deserves a healthy mind and it is absolutely okay to ask for help in learning how to do that!
