October 27, 2023/12.a
How to overcome difficult periods? Well, if you’re like me, start with a long time to cry, whether out of frustration or sadness – I can never tell.
Here I will examine the different ways I deal with stress. I encourage you to take what resonates, and if all else fails, find what will.
Mental exertion can be very discouraging. You think you’re fine and everything is going as you want, and boom, one thing goes wrong and suddenly everything falls apart.
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This can cause you mental and emotional problems and it can also cause you academic problems.
When your mental health begins to affect you academically, it can further complicate your mental health. You may think to yourself: “I can do it, I can do it myself.”
Let me tell you, going it alone doesn’t help you or anyone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, it’s okay to be vulnerable and ask. Asking for help makes you stronger, not weaker.
Now, all of this is much easier said than done, let me tell you how I try to relax and how I manage to get through the tough times.
For starters, I don’t always take my own advice. Sometimes the feelings are too overwhelming to allow myself the much needed break I may need.
Something I try and do is fake it till I make it.
Let’s talk about how to do this.
I wake up, do my morning routine and then go to class. After class I do my homework and then go to work or my extracurricular activities. In between these routine aspects of my life, I eat a snack or meal.
I return to my routine, without diminishing the emotions I feel.
I’m not one to pretend they don’t know I’m an incredibly emotional person. I feel my pain, I listen to my pain, I allow myself not to be well.
And that’s exactly what I do. As I do this, I get back to my routine, doing things with friends, when I’m alone and thinking, I allow myself a much needed breath or cry.
I allow myself to hurt, cry, scream, take notes and write songs about the same thing I’ve been writing about for as long as I need to.
Allowing yourself to feel these difficult emotions is the first step to being well.
Another thing to do is take care of yourself. When you feel like you can’t cry any more than you already are, or be stressed any more, take care of yourself.
Apply a face mask, take a bubble bath, paint those nails, take a much needed nap.
If self-care is not your forte, without judgment, try going for a walk. Going for a walk can help you reconnect with nature. Grounding and just being one with nature can be so relaxing.
Most people will say “exercise cures all” … yes, this is not always the case; especially when you can’t even get out of bed. But if you can, try to go for a nature walk. Some places I like to go are Presque Isle, Bayfront or when I come home to Buffalo I like to go to Chestnut Ridge.
Another thing you can do to make yourself feel better is to talk about it. Leave it to a stranger, your parents, friends, family, a counselor or even just yourself in the room. Having a physical release from saying what you need to say can be incredibly freeing.
One of my professors gave me some good advice that I used when I was overthinking, overwhelmed and worried. She told me to just repeat out loud, “not now” until those thoughts were out of my mind.
I did this the other night when my mind decided to be my enemy and not my friend and it worked. Telling myself “not now” as many times as I needed was so helpful and the thoughts just disappeared.
Let’s say that none of these tips tell you, which is fine and valid, just cry. Watch or listen to something sad if you need it. Just give yourself the permission you need to let yourself feel all the emotions you need.
If you don’t allow yourself to feel what you need, it could result in more burnout than what you wanted to happen.
Just remember, allow yourself to feel what you feel, reach out to friends, family, counselors, whoever, don’t hide even though it seems like the safest thing to do.
Don’t stay alone, don’t hide. Everything will be better than okay in the end, as time goes on things will get better for you.
Gannon University offers great resources to help with any form of struggle. Contact the health center (email protected),
In addition to the health center and a team of therapists and psychiatrists, there is also the option of the TimelyCare application.
If you take anything away from this article, take this:
It’s okay to ask for help, no matter what form you take.
