Self-care is one thing they don’t teach you in school but is nonetheless a critical skill you need to learn.
Unfortunately, it’s common for many people to neglect caring for themselves, which can have both short- and long-term effects on physical and mental health. To improve your wellbeing, try to stop these common behaviors.

1. Stop Treating Sleep as an Afterthought
Getting poor sleep has an all-encompassing negative effect on your physical and mental health. Without a healthy sleep pattern, you increase your risk of developing a variety of illnesses, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and psychiatric disorders. Your life expectancy even suffers.

It is thus vital to your wellbeing that you practice good sleep habits. Sleep needs vary from person to person, with some people requiring nine hours of sleep to feel rested and others only need seven. The eight-hour rule is pretty much a myth, as eight hours may be too much or too little for you, and you shouldn’t force yourself to get eight hours if it doesn’t feel right to you.

Getting good-quality sleep begins with having proper sleep hygiene. This means doing things that help your sleep, such as having a consistent sleep schedule, and not doing things that hinder your sleep, such as drinking alcohol before bed.

2. Stop Neglecting Exercise
If you have a mostly sedentary lifestyle, you’re not doing your health any favors. Neglecting your body’s need for exercise causes a variety of issues, such as weakening your muscles and bones and upping your risk of heart problems. According to several studies, there is a strong link between exercise and health.

Ideally, you should exercise for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, to maximize its benefits. However, even a little exercise is preferable to having none at all. If you can’t fit in five days per week, just getting in a brief workout during the weekends can be beneficial.

Exercising isn’t just for your physical health. It can also boost your mood and self-esteem and help to ease
depression and anxiety by promoting the production of four feel-good brain chemicals: epinephrine, serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins. This is why exercise is so commonly recommended by healthcare professionals of all kinds, from general practitioners to mental health workers.

3. Stop Burning Yourself Out
Job burnout is all too common. One survey found that 23% of workers felt burnt out more than half the time and 44% did at least some of the time. When you’re burnt out, you may feel exhausted physically and emotionally while lacking the motivation to do your best work.

There are many ways to deal with job burnout, all of which are tied to good self-care. Socializing with someone to whom you’re close, refraining from alcohol and caffeine, or talking to your employer can all help manage burnout. There are also local resources from NAMI-UW that may be able to help.

If you’re a business owner, a virtual assistant can help ease your workload by scheduling appointments, performing personal errands, or managing events, for example. There are multitude of job boards that compare virtual assistants and their rates and experience levels and offer reviews.
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If you want to improve your personal life, proper self-care allows you to keep yourself at your best. With just a little know-how and a few lifestyle adjustments, you can begin to change some of your bad habits today and start to feel happier and healthier.

​Among college students, mental health issues are prevalent. Recent statistics highlight the fact
that 50% of students rate their mental health as below average or poor, while 30% reported
trouble with school work because of a mental health issue. Depression or anxiety, substance
use or eating disorders are common among college students for a handful of reasons, including
the pressure they are put under to perform and the transition away from a built-in support
system from family.
Regardless of the type of mental health issue at play for a college student, taking care of one’s
self in college and beyond should be a high priority. Fortunately, college students have several
ways to help cope with mental health concerns, both on campus and off. If you are struggling
with mental health issues, seek help as soon as possible. There is no need to suffer alone.
Mental Health Challenges College Students Deal With
Although mental health challenges among college students vary widely from one person to the
next, depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, and eating disorders are the most prevalent.
An estimated 44% of college students in America report symptoms of depression. These
symptoms include feelings of hopelessness or prolonged sadness, sleeplessness, loss of interest
in social activities, and fatigue that results in a loss of motivation. Depression can be triggered
by several different factors, including a transition away from family or adjusting to a new
lifestyle on campus.
Anxiety is another common mental health challenge among college students. Feelings of being
overwhelmed impacted 85% of college students in a recent survey, due in part to high stress
levels. The pressure to make new friends, balance social and school activities, and determine a
career path can generate anxious feelings quickly among college students.
Drug and alcohol use disorders can also rear their ugly head in college. The National Institute on
Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism recently reported that nearly 20% of college students meet the
criteria for alcohol use disorder, meaning they drink to excess regularly. This has a serious
impact on physical and mental health, and makes achieving goals in college a challenge.
Eating disorders are also common among college students, although this is a more predominant
issue among women. An eating disorder may involve binging and purging, or extreme dieting
combined with excessive or unhealthy working out. Like substance use disorders, eating
disorders can wreak havoc on one’s personal and academic life.
Ways to Take Care of Your Mental Health In College
When mental health challenges like depression, anxiety, substance use or eating disorders are
present and impacting a student’s life, steps should be taken to help ease the issue at hand.
This starts with understanding that mental health issues are not something to be ashamed of,
nor should getting help be an embarrassing task. College campuses are doing more than ever to

provide support for students and their mental health throughout their years at school, including
offering free support groups, resources for therapy, and access to mental health professionals
both on and off school grounds. Also, college students can take the following steps to improve
their mental health.
 Taking care of your physical health – Having a steady routine of exercise and a balanced
diet can go a long way toward both physical and mental health. Studies show that these
simple but important aspects of daily life have a significant impact on minimizing the
symptoms of depression, anxiety, and even substance use disorder.
 Take a break – college is a high-pressure environment, and without a break from it all,
students can develop mental health issues. Planning breaks from campus altogether, or
a respite from studying here and there, are necessary tools in combatting mental health
challenges.
 Get support – whether through friends, family, or a mental health professional, having a
strong foundation of support is necessary when mental health issues arise. Don’t be
afraid to seek out the support you need from those around you.
 Set realistic goals – whether academically or personally, having achievable goals is
necessary for keeping the stress of college at bay. If you’re unsure if your goals are
realistic, speak with a coach or a counselor on or off campus and adjust as needed over
time.
 Keep track of your finances – Since the cost of college isn’t getting any cheaper, it’s
important to set a budget as a student and have awareness of your finances so you can
plan ahead and don’t have any surprise financial emergencies that might induce stress.
The Bottom Line
Throughout your college years, it is crucial to focus some of your energy on keeping your
mental health in good shape.
Although it may not be possible to prevent challenges such as depression, anxiety, substance
use, or eating disorders from appearing in college, there are several things you can do to help
combat these issues. From maintaining good physical health and keeping goals in check, to
seeking out the support you need from those around you or professional sources, mental
health issues do not have to consume your life.
Understand the symptoms of mental health issues for yourself and others close to you, and
know you aren’t alone in getting the help you need as a college student.
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Andy Kearns is a Content Analyst for LendEDU and works to produce personal finance content
to help educate consumers across the globe. When he’s not writing, you can find Andy cheering
on the new and improved Lakers, or somewhere on a beach.