Six Friendly Reminders To The Stressed Out Student As Second Semester Begins
1. Your mental health is IMPORTANT
All aspects of your health are important but I really want to emphasize your mental health. It is extremely underrated and gets tossed to the side a lot of the time but it is so critical to your overall well-being! Just like with any other realm of health, I want you to remember that there are good days and bad days. Some days you feel on top of the world and other days you’re under the weather. This happens with mental health too and it is completely normal. What isn’t healthy is if your good days become few and far between and your bad days seem to be all of the days. Don’t ignore that and tell yourself it’s nothing. Don’t continue to work yourself to death when your mind is screaming for help. Listen to your mind and emotions- they actually have some really good things to say! Take time for yourself. Be aware of where your mental state is every day. Give yourself grace. And fight for your mental health. Fight, fight, fight. Because being physically healthy doesn’t do much for you if your mind isn’t present and well enough to take in all of the beauty and splendor that is this life.
2. Self-care is not selfish
Actually, self-care is pretty altogether selfless. You can’t do your best at anything, or help others with their problems, if you’re not first taking care of and helping yourself. Fill up your cup before you start filling up those around you. Or soon your cup will be too empty to do much of anything. Sometimes I literally schedule in my planner time for self-care so that way I actually do it. Whatever works for you! But please, don’t neglect yourself. This is crucial to having a content mental state- doing things that allow yourself to restore and flourish!
3. Grades aren't everything
GASP! Did I really just say that? That grades aren’t everything? Yes, yes, I did. I know it is a hard concept. I struggle to believe it myself. But it is the TRUTH! At the end of the day grades matter but they matter much less than we give them credit. My momma always tells me that out in the real world she has never, not ONCE been asked what her college GPA was. She says they care that you have the degree, but they don’t care if you had an A- your junior year in that abnormal psychology class! I think that’s pretty powerful. Knowing that while trying your best is important, what might be even more important is giving yourself the grace to get a letter grade you didn’t want and love yourself anyway.
4. It's okay to have fun too
It’s easy to get so sucked into the academic part of school that we forget there is more to it than just exams and hours of studying! You’re allowed to have fun! Go have some fun. Hangout with your friends. If one night you stay up too late talking when you should have been studying, let it go! Of course, don’t only focus on your social life but at least let it have a little time. It’s all about balance. You can have grades you are proud of and memories that last a lifetime too!
5. Deep breaths
Seriously, take a breath. Inhale. Exhale. And another... or 700 more. Don’t forget to breathe.
6. You can do this
You are strong. You are smart. You are loved. And you are capable. You really can do this. I know it seems like the end is nowhere in sight and you don’t know how you’ll ever make it through these next four months. But you will. Take it one day at a time. One minute at a time if you have to. Don’t focus on how far you have to go. Focus on what you’ve already accomplished.
