College is a time of self-discovery. Living on your own and becoming independent in the blink of an eye can be taxing on anyone. For young adults with complex hormones and demanding workloads, it can be even more challenging. As the semester reaches a point of high stress and activities become more demanding, it’s important to remind yourself and your friends of steps you can take when obligations start to harm your mental health.

Mindfulness is an important skill to learn and it can help while adjusting to independence. It is commonly associated with meditation, but there is no set way to meditate. The focus of mindfulness is checking in with your body, mind and surroundings. Adding two minutes to your morning to breathe and focus on what your body is feeling helps to center your mind and is a quick, straightforward way to prioritize your mental health.

Time management also plays a vital role in mental health. As frustrating as it can be to accept and put into practice, being proactive can positively influence your day and make your whole week run smoother. We always say “I’ll do it tonight” or “I’ll do it this weekend,” but that mindset causes work to pile up and can get very overwhelming. Being aware of how you are using your time can help alleviate some of the tasks weighing down on your mind. Instead of laying in bed right after dinner, do some mindless tasks that need to be done: take out the trash on your way to the bathroom, put your laundry away while watching a movie or even take a few minutes before bed to respond to that email you’ve been ignoring all day. To-do lists always look more intimidating than they actually are and if you take time to do smaller tasks as time allows, the stress of completing everything goes down substantially. 

When you feel your mental health is beginning to deplete, you should have a few coping strategies in your back pocket. Suppose you are in a situation where you feel yourself becoming anxious or feeling out of place. In that case, it is always okay to leave and take a walk or even go sit by yourself. There are also many creative outlets to blow off steam or bring some sunshine to your day. Singing in the car, doodling on your iPad and writing whatever comes to mind can all be great ways to relax. Some people even find solace in exercise by walking, running or lifting weights to work off any stressors of the day.

While there are many habits you can create and coping strategies you can use, it is never a bad thing to seek outside help. Friends are always a great resource and sometimes having someone who will listen makes all the difference. Counseling services are available on campus for students – sessions are less than an hour and can help with understanding your mental health. If you are interested in setting up a consultation, email the counseling services office at counselingservices@william.jewell.edu. 

Mental health is just as important as physical health. Taking the time to notice how you are doing and acting accordingly is a hard skill to develop but anything is possible with a bit of focus and prioritization. Take care of yourself – you’re doing your best.

It is no secret that stress is high during finals week. Are there a few things that you can do to eliminate stress and have a smooth finals week? We think, yes. Here are a few tips to keep your finals prep in check.

Make a list and keep your area tidy.

Before studying, make a list of items to review for each final and keep the list separated by class to prevent yourself from getting overwhelmed. Bonus points if you clear your desk or find a tidy place to work; a clear workspace equals a clear head.

Study in intervals.

Once you’re ready to start studying, take tasks one at a time and focus on one subject. If you struggle with concentration, try setting a timer for 10 minutes and rewarding yourself with five minutes (or less) of TikTok time between each study session. 

Actively review content.

One of the most important things to remember during finals prep is that studying does not mean rereading. To retain information, it is best to actively engage with a topic, which can range from retaking notes to annotating to explaining concepts to a friend who needs a study break. Focus and intention are all that matters when it comes to studying. You will most likely waste your time just scanning an entire textbook or reading through old notes. What really matters is what you can apply and build upon. 

Don’t worry too much.

Remember that you have learned a lot over the semester – so give yourself some grace. No matter how you choose to study, it can and will help you in the end. While cramming the night before is not something I would recommend, it is at least something you can do to improve your score on finals. 

This finals week, try and stay ahead on studying, keep a clear mind and take things one at a time to mitigate stress. 

I had a meeting with one of my favorite professors a few weeks ago. We started the meeting with the usual pleasantries and questions about how things are going. I told her they were going surprisingly well. I was ahead of schedule on multiple projects, had just gotten a good grade on a paper and was balancing being a student-athlete with the workload of senior-level courses. 

About ten minutes later I was crying on our Zoom call. She mentioned my plans to study at the University of Oxford next year – something I was supposed to do this school year – and I expressed my nervousness about the pandemic changing my plans again. Suddenly, I went from happily discussing how well I was managing this year to watching tears stream down my face on my Zoom camera. Watching yourself cry in real-time is one feature of Zoom I would have preferred to never find out existed. 

I thought that I was fine and then I wasn’t. I kept myself so busy this year that I managed to ignore that this pandemic doesn’t have an end date. In fact, I blocked most things about the pandemic out of my mind. I think we all have – it’s one of the only ways to cope. 

“This clearly has been bothering you,” my professor said in our meeting. It was clear to her that this year has caused me some anxiety, even though it hadn’t been clear to me.

I can remember telling my family how surprisingly normal school was when the year started. I’ve been living with my friends, spending days studying at the PLC and attending my classes. I’ve been sleeping the appropriate amount and eating the appropriate amount and getting good grades. My immediate family is healthy and fully vaccinated. By all indications, I am fine. 

I’ve been so fine that when I hear people talking about how professors should give students more grace this year, I’ve rolled my eyes a little. Sure, we’re in a pandemic, but haven’t we all figured this out by now? Shouldn’t we toughen up and get over it? Isn’t the stress we’re feeling just normal school stress? 

The thing is, it’s not normal to cry on a Zoom call over whether or not I will eventually get to study abroad, something that is a foundational part of the rigorous program I’ve spent the past three years working so hard to complete. It’s not normal to stress about if I’ll get quarantined for my final few weeks at Jewell. It’s not normal to worry about how the only time I could schedule my second vaccine is twenty-four hours before I take the biggest test of my college career and debate whether or not I’ll be too sick. 

I recently had a panic attack, another thing that is not normal for me. I had just sent an email to a group of professors regarding a project for The Hilltop Monitor. I started shaking and my vision went blurry. I was spiraling, and for the next twenty-four hours I was physically sick with anxiety. My panic attack was about more than just sending an email.

This year I felt painfully vulnerable every time I turned in an assignment or emailed a professor. My classes all require me to constantly write and present my ideas to then be critiqued, which I usually enjoy. I spent more time worrying that my words were embarrassing or unintelligent this year. I think education is something incredibly personal, and it requires a level of vulnerability. It’s hard to be vulnerable with people who you only interact with through a computer screen. I struggle with how impersonal and isolating my education has become.

All of my classes are virtual. Sometimes, I feel like my professors are not even real people, just email addresses and accounts on Zoom. I wonder if they feel the same way about me. I used to stop by their offices or hang around class a little longer if I had a question or just wanted to talk. Now, I debate if my question is worth typing up an email and scheduling a Zoom meeting. Most of the time, it isn’t. 

The other day, I realized that it had been over a year since I had seen any of my English professors. Throughout my college career, I have written hundreds of pages of my thoughts for these professors to read. They’ve spent hours writing feedback on these pages. They’ve had a profound impact on me, and I’ve grown so much as a person and a student because of them. Last March was probably the last time in my life I will ever see any of them.

Our professors are doing the best they can to make sure we have a positive college experience while being safe. For me, it has been an overwhelmingly positive experience. I am learning and making memories with friends. I am doing just as well in my classes as I always have. I know my professors are always there for me – it might just not be in person. It’s not their fault that students feel disconnected, but that doesn’t mean the disconnection isn’t difficult. College during COVID-19 is difficult for us all. 

If you’re feeling unmotivated or unsupported or just sad, it’s okay. It’s normal. Being a college student is harder this year, even if you get so absorbed with survival that you forget. Just because you appear to be doing well doesn’t mean things aren’t tough. Give yourself grace. 

“This has clearly been bothering you,” my professor told me as we talked to each other through a computer screen.

Whether you realize it or not, this pandemic has probably been bothering you, too. I felt a lot better once I was able to identify the emotional toll of virtual learning. Processing the impact this year had on us won’t be easy, but it’s going to be an important part of moving forward.