Taking care of your mental health – the ultimate guide for students

Today is World Mental Health day! Unfortunately, amid exams and assignments, students often trivialise or forget about taking care of their mental health. If that seems like you, then here are some ways to take care of your mental health as a student.

The basics

A healthy body means a healthy mind. One of the best things you can do for your mental health is to take care of your physical health. That means getting enough sleep, exercise, water, and food! Try to get 8 hours of sleep a day, and 30 minutes of exercise or active movement.

Take breaks often

Everyone says that breaks are important, but rarely do we actually take breaks. Breaks are incredibly important to maintaining good mental health, since they can decrease stress and increase motivation and focus. You can use the time during your breaks to practice self-care!

Find an outlet for your feelings

In order to have good mental health, you need to have an outlet for your emotions. Otherwise, all those feelings of anger, stress, and frustration will remain pent-up inside you, and you might eventually just snap. Outlets can be physical, like running or tennis, or they can be more verbal, like writing your feelings in a journal or venting to a friend.

Make time for hobbies

Doing what you enjoy is vital to your well-being. Try to make time for hobbies and other things you enjoy, since this will give you an extra boost of seratonin. It’ll also give you something to look forward to! If you’re swamped with work and you don’t have time for hobbies, then consider dropping a class or quitting an extracurricular. Your mental health is more important than your grades!

Socialise!

Humans are social creatures; we aren’t meant to be alone. Interacting with other people and having fun with your friends can be a real boost to your mental health! Try to call, text, or see a friend at least once a day. If you don’t have time to go somewhere with your friends, you can always just Zoom them from home 🙂

Reach out for help

Finally, if you feel like your mental health has taken a turn for the worse, seek help! There’s absolutely no shame in reaching out to someone because you’re struggling. It’s very important to get professional help for any health problems, and mental health is no exception.

Here are some helplines for anyone who needs them:

• USA – 800-273-8255
• UK – 0300 123 3393
• India – 1800-599-0019
• Philipines – +63 2 921 4958
• Indonesia – 62 811 3815 472
• UAE – 800 4673