How to Deal with Anxiety and Depression in College

The thrill of moving in, meeting new friends in your hall, going out and having a good time, and adventuring across campus without fear of the unknown is no longer. Day by day, stress and exhaustion are becoming even more prevalent across college campuses.

Below are a few ways to deal with anxiety and depression as a college student. Whether you’re at home taking online courses or on campus, there is always an outlet to ease your mind.

#1: Talk to friends, both virtually and socially distant.

Socialization has become increasingly hard, especially on a college campus, where you arrive with the hopeful mindset of seeing new faces, making new connections, and doing new activities; to not have that is brutal.

However, in today’s society, with the help of FaceTime, Skype, video game chat rooms, and phone calls, there are so many ways to communicate. Not only that but what is the best way to connect with someone?

Over a meal, of course. Go out and grab a meal with a friend or even an acquaintance that you hope to become closer to.

It’s easy to say you’re lonely, but it’s hard to not be. Make the extra effort, even if it is weird and unnatural, and make that phone call, or sit outside with someone.

#2: Find a new hobby.

This semester is odd for living standards for many colleges. It is with these changes, however, that every student has the opportunity for a new hobby. Going into this semester, I had no knowledge of who my suitemates were in my dorm building.

However, due to being stuck with each other constantly, we developed some new fun habits. Some of these include my suitemate teaching me to play guitar, as well as sharing our favorite TV shows and music tastes.

With all of the private time we have been given, it has become easier than ever to find a new passion.

#3: Explore your home turf.

If you’re on a college campus, chances are you are close to, if not connected or within, what is known as a “college town.” Now is probably the best time to go and see what there is to do within these towns.

While most small businesses are closed and there are low numbers of people within the streets of towns or city centers, go and see what there is to offer. Even make a plan with some friends for the future! Of course, make sure you’re still doing everything at a distance.

#4: Exercise!

I’m sure many people have been hearing about this one a lot, but exercise has been and will always be a key factor in personal health. There are hundreds of at-home workout regimens that you can find all across the internet.

Whether you’re aiming for weight loss, muscle toning, or just generally getting in shape, everything is accessible at the click of a button.

It is not only good for your body; exercise helps with just about every piece of your psyche as well. The proper amount of physical activity aids sleep, stress, and general serotonin levels. So, get active, and give yourself some time for self-improvement.

#5: Document the Little Things.

Quarantine has made it extremely difficult to see the bright side of many situations. One factor that has led to my overall happiness is a bit of journaling. Oftentimes we don’t see the good within the current bad state of affairs of our lives.

By striving to find the good things and writing them down, even if it’s as simple and trivial as you drinking a glass of water, write down the positives of each and every day.

The ability to look back and be happy with events not only allows you to stay in tune with your surroundings, but it is also a fantastic reminder that diamonds in the rough really do occur.

College life is a time of a complete change. And now, more than ever, feelings of social anxiety and loneliness have swept college campuses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The tips listed above are simply the groundwork for ways to maintain yourself and a good attitude during the course of the semester.

Of course, not all of these will help, and some are more distractions. But that’s fine, as it is just a start. Maintain good faith, keep spirits high, and, once again, wear a mask.