We all know how incredibly frustrating school can be sometimes. From meeting deadlines to engaging in social activities, being a college student is not easy.
One way students can be at peace with themselves while dealing with many responsibilities is by focusing on their physical, mental and emotional well-being.
For Mental Illness Awareness week, we asked students around campus to talk about their own experiences with mental health and the different ways they practice self-care. From skincare routines to breathing exercises, students shared some of their most effective tips and tricks on how to maintain a productive life through a healthy mind.
Alexis Lazo, Marine Biology. She/Her, Senior fourth year. Photo credit: Mariana Lopez
“If I’m having a stressful day, I like to go on walks. After being in class all day or in my apartment taking Zoom classes, I like to walk with my dog and be outside. I walk down to the beach or watch the sunset. I just love being in nature,” Alexis Lazo said.
Alexys Ungria, Communications. She/Her, Senior. Photo credit: Mariana Lopez
“I’ve been getting into spending more time with myself lately, whether that means meditating or journaling. It helps me reflect on any type of stress that could be affecting me, feeling burnout or just feeling like I can’t get things done. A lot of the answers that we really need are within ourselves and meditation is just a way of looking inward to see outward solutions. Sometimes that means being alone with only yourself and your own thoughts,” Alexys Ungria said.
Arnaizia Call, Liberal Studies. She/Her, Junior third year. Photo credit: Mariana Lopez
“Self-care is important because you get overwhelmed with a lot of stuff. And if you are not focusing at least one hour, two hours or half an hour of the day on yourself–you feel very stressed. For my self-care I usually choose a day out of the week, for me it’s Fridays. I usually relax. I don’t do homework. I don’t schedule myself. I just focus on me. I usually read the book ‘101 Essays to Change Your Mindset’ and I go to the gym. Then I come home. I take a shower. I do my face care and I just make sure I’m pampered for a day. I think it’s important for you to have that one day to just care about yourself and your body and your mind,” Arnaizia Call said.
Riley Ohman, Hospitality. She/her, Senior fourth year. Photo credit: Mariana Lopez
“I like to spend some time to myself in the evenings. Usually when I do that, I like to do yoga stretches, meditation, and journaling. I also like to do face masks, paint my nails, listen to good music, and really just taking time for my own thoughts. This helps me because I get more in tune with the way I’m feeling. For students like me who are doing a lot of online classwork, it’s good to find a secret space around your house away from work to be able to separate home from school. This way I’m not so stressed out all the time, and I’m able to take a breath,” Riley Ohman said.
Tristan Coleman, Public Relations. He/Him, Senior. Photo credit: Mariana Lopez
“I know a lot of people who put too much on their plate and are being pulled in too many directions end up not having time for themselves. Same thing goes for assignments. If you are trying to multi-task too many you end up not doing any of them. Instead, try to focus on getting one assignment done at a time and putting all your effort into that one assignment. You really have to put yourself first and not spread yourself too thin,” Tristan Coleman said.
Emily Lowry, History. She/her, Senior fourth year. Photo credit: Mariana Lopez
“At least for a little bit every day I make time for myself to do my favorite hobby, which for me it’s arts and crafts. At the end of the day when I’m done with all my work I just turn on a movie, a TV show or a YouTube video in the back and I do my arts and crafts. It lets me turn my brain off and allows me to have an outlet that makes my day-to-day stress a lot less. I think people need to find something they love to do whether it is arts and crafts, the gym, driving around or even taking yourself on a date night,” Emily Lowry said.
Otto Martinez, Marine Biology. He/Him, Senior fifth year. Photo credit: Mariana Lopez
“If I’m having a stressful week or a stressful day, I really enjoy biking. I started doing it once covid hit and it became a fun workout. It’s a great way to relief stress, listen to music and relax. If i’m trying to get out of my head, getting out of the house helps. Even if it’s just going to the mall or a bookstore, whatever gets you out of the house, whatever makes you feel better–go do it,” Otto Martinez said.
