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Back to School - Get off to a Good Start!
Mental Health Matters!

It's that time of year again. You're back with all of your friends, don't have any exams to worry about yet, and live for school events like football games and dances. You feel great now, but we'll go ahead and remind you how important it is to take care of yourself... and that includes your mental health. In the last year, over 30% of students were so stressed out that their school work suffered. You probably know what activities help relieve your stress, but in the spirit of starting over, we thought we'd give you some tips.

Plan Carefully. Use a day planner to organize your days. Whether you only have a few classes or are juggling a job or athletics, it can be hard to balance homework with other activities.

Get to sleep. Staying up until 2am to finish a paper or to study for a test seems like a good idea at the time, but when that alarm goes off in the morning, you'll regret it. Sleep deprivation sneaks up on you and really takes its toll. So put your laptop away, silence your cell phone and go to bed!

Practice Healthy Living. Sleep, exercise and eating habits all play a role in your physical health and wellness. Excessive weight gain can affect your body image and self-esteem, and lead to depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. To stay healthy, find some simple and easy physical activities that you enjoy and can easily work into your day. Get moving and visit www.MyPyramid.gov to learn more about healthy eating habits.

Avoid excessive drinking. You may think that everyone else is drinking, so why shouldn't you? The reality is that most students overestimate the amount that other students drink. It may be tempting to use alcohol to relieve your stress, but remember that it is a temporary fix. In the end, you will feel worse, since alcohol is a depressant. It is also more likely that binge drinking will increase your stress rather than decrease it.

Get Involved. Consider joining some extracurricular student groups, if you haven't already. Not only will you make new friends and spend time doing something you enjoy, these groups can be a great way to alleviate some of the stress from school by giving you something else to think about.

Manage stress. Students sometimes turn to unhealthy activities to cope with stress. If you're stressed out, there are healthy steps you can take to feel better, Go for a walk, exercise, take up a hobby, participate in an extracurricular activity, and/or talk to a friend. Click here to learn about more healthy ways to manage your stress.

Communicate. Many students have never had to share such a small space with someone before - let alone a perfect stranger! Living with other people can be stressful. Work through conflicts before they blow up. Regularly communicate with your roommate(s), and set rules that you both can agree on. And remember, you don't have to be best friends.

Watch your spending. Many college students are on a tight budget. Fortunately, restaurants, movie theatres, and museums often offer student discounts. Be creative - it is possible to have fun without spending money. If you are having a hard time paying for school, visit your campus career center for help finding scholarships and managing your money wisely. Be careful with credit cards. It is very easy to get into debt, so spend wisely and avoid impulse purchases.

Seek support from other people. This may be a roommate, a friend, your parents, a professor, your R.A. or someone from the counseling center. Sharing your feelings reduces isolation and helps you realize that you are not alone. If you are constantly feeling overwhelmed, stressed or depressed, talk with someone you feel comfortable talking to.

Helpful Fact Sheets:

10 Tips for your Mental Health

Other helpful web sites for students:

College Health Guide

Credit Card Tips for Students

Revolution Online College Health Fair

The Jed Foundation

Half of Us

ULifeline