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It’s a long, tiring day and you’ve finally made it home. You’re exhausted from the classes, homework and socializing that college has to offer. Your phone buzzes with an update on your Facebook feed before you can even get settled in at your desk. Another friend of yours just posted about their depression…
Depression is more Common than you Think
It’s important to know that it can be easy for you or a friend of yours to feel like they are alone in the world. In reality, there are many people who share your feelings and want nothing more than help with their depression too. It might not seem like much but having someone else hear about what is going on in your life will make all the difference. You don’t have to do anything except speak up, reach out and get started after reading this blog post!
With so much being written online these days (especially when it comes to mental health) it can be hard knowing where we should turn first for advice. There are some reoccurring themes on how to beat depression that you’ll find being repeated often. Much of this advice can be helpful, the tried and tested natural methods work for many, and will likely work for you too.
The Stress of College
Going to university can be a difficult time for many. College life can be fun, but it can also be quite stressful; with assignments, relationship break-ups, exams, part-time employment, lack of sleep, hangovers… the list goes on. It is common for it all to become a bit overwhelming at some stages during your tuition, and for many it become too much for them to handle alone.
The main cause of depression for many young people is actually stress. The pressure and anxiety that come with the responsibility of doing well in college can be too much for some, leading to a spiral into despair that they are unable to pull themselves out of. Below are some tips on how to best deal with your college stress and depression.
How to Deal with the Depression
- Make sure to have enough time for yourself each day – this is crucial for anyone who suffers from depression or anxiety, but especially important if you are in college! Take care of yourself by going to bed early and sleeping in as often as possible. This will give your body a chance to recover after all the stressors it went through during the day. If you can pinpoint what it is that is causing your anxiety and stress, take steps to fix that issue. Are you always sad after big nights out drinking? Try to cut back on your alcohol intake and socialising, so that you give your body time to recover and heal as well.
- Get more exercise. Exercise has been proven to help with depression, anxiety and stress. Put on some of your favourite workout clothes or go for a run in the morning to get those endorphins flowing. If running isn’t your thing, start working out more at the gym, or organise a trip to go out rock-climbing with your friends. The more workouts you can do in a week the better, and you’ll notice the difference very quickly if you’ve been lethargic, lazy, or just hungover for a long period before this.
- Something that goes hand-in-hand with exercise is diet. If you’ve started working out more, you’re going to want to make sure you’re eating right to maximise the benefit of your new routine. Diet has a huge impact on your health and wellbeing, and can be really tough to change if you’re used to eating junk food. If you have the willpower, try and cut out all sugar from your diet for at least two weeks (ideally more than that). Sugar is very addictive so it can make changing other habits difficult; by cutting it out of your life completely for a while, those cravings will diminish significantly.
- Talk to your university friends about how your feel. If you’re far away from your family, it might be best to talk to those around you, so they know and understand what you’re going through. Talk with your college mates, tell them how you feel and why, just discussing this will help ease the burden you feel. Friends family are usually the first people to notice there’s something wrong and they’ll be more understanding than most.
Depression can at its worst, feel like a death sentence – but depression is treatable, and you’re not alone. If you’ve found yourself struggling this semester at college don’t worry! There’s a plethora of ways you can improve your situation starting from today. Give some of the above tips a go, and you’ll be back to your normal self again in no time!
