3 Ways to Handle College Stress During COVID

 With COVID, students are facing more stress than ever. Not only do they have to worry about studying, but students are also concerned with contracting and transmitting the virus, managing the ever-changing rules and regulations, and facing isolation and loneliness. A study showed that 71% of college students reported an increase in anxiety due to COVID (link). Being able to maintain one’s mental health during college while in a pandemic can be a challenge. Try these strategies today to help manage college stress during COVID.

Moments of Joy

When life becomes stressful our minds tend to focus on the negative moments. We can help combat this by intentionally putting moments in our day that bring us joy. They can be small moments: going outside for 5 minutes to get fresh air, drinking a favorite flavor of hot tea, or listening to an uplifting song. Try picking two small moments to put in your day that you look forward to.

Routine

During COVID many of us feel out of control and are pressured by the many outside factors that can affect our daily life. To help during these uneasy times, try taking back some of that control and setting up a daily routine. In this routine make room for adequate sleep time, moments of joy, eating nutritional food, going outside, and self-care time.

Support

Being isolated due to COVID can be difficult. Reaching out to friends and family is important when feeling disconnected due to social distancing. Try to stay connected with others by planning weekly video calls with friends or family. Make these calls fun by watching a fun movie or TV show together or baking the same recipe with each other. 

Thinking about reaching out for therapy? Email us at mmastny@mentalwellnesscounseling.org to schedule a free consultation call.