Find Quiet Time.
Finding quiet time to recenter yourself is important. Everyone reacts to stress differently, so before you go to college, pay attention to how you respond to stressful situations and learn what coping tools work for you. Does getting lost in a book calm you down? Is it helpful for you to write your feelings in a journal? Do you relieve stress by going for a run? Figuring out what works best for you beforehand can help you prepare for future challenges.
“Plan to have time each day to do devotionals, read your Bible, or just spend time with the Lord,” Kleckner says. “I found it helpful to take time to drive around Warsaw. It let me have time to myself, call my family to catch up, and learn more about the town I was living in!”
Diving into the Bible is a great way to read the stories of people who struggled in their lives and turned to God for comfort. You can start by reading the Psalms to look at followers of God who trusted God through their hardships.
“Quiet time and devotional time are immensely valuable to help maintain a clear mental space and be in connection with Christ,” Frick says. “Giving yourself a safe space like that to process heaviness and stress is really helpful.”
Know You Aren’t Alone.
The same challenges that are affecting your mental health are impacting the mental health of college students everywhere. As you struggle with the stress of living in a new place, know that there are others around you who are dealing with the same issues.
“Everyone around you is always going through something, so being graceful and kind to others is really important,” Frick says. “When you’re in that mindset, it can help you create a mental space of being kind to yourself as well.”
It’s important to push yourself out of your comfort zone so you can feel connected in your new environment, but don’t forget to take a step back if you feel overwhelmed. Your family and friends are ready to face these obstacles alongside you.
It’s Okay to Ask For Help.
Asking for help might not be your first response, but it can make all the difference between when in comes to the mental health of college students.
If you’re worried about college classes, there are campus resources like the Learning Center that can help you understand the course material and bring up your grades once you get to campus.
Support systems exist to encourage you, but they can only do so if you open up to them about how you’re doing. Be honest with your friends if you’re worried about transitioning to college. Even if you’re unsure of what your friends can do to help, bringing up your feelings and concerns is the first step to getting the support you need.
The transition to college may not always be easy, but you can face this challenge knowing you have the strength of the Lord on your side. As you prepare for the life changes ahead of you, you can prepare to have positive mental health in college before you even get to campus.
“Entering college, there are a lot of changes, some expected and a lot unexpected,” Frick says. “If you are able to gently ease into being open to change and what the Lord can do through it, I think that can be really beneficial as you prepare yourself for freshman year.”
If you find yourself struggling with your mental health in college, counseling could be your next step. Counselors can provide assistance as you face your new environment and adjust to college life. The mental health is important, and no one should have to go through these challenges alone.
Grace College offers eight free sessions of counseling each year for its students. Learn more about how the Counseling Center helps our students maintain positive mental health in college.
