Spring! It’s the season of growth and change! And boy is it hitting hard, huh? How has the semester been for you so far? Are you taking some time for yourself? Are you eating well and laughing about things often?
For me, it’s been as busy as it’s ever been. And I’m going to get a little personal this time. As a senior, this last semester is hitting me especially hard, something I’m sure many other seniors might echo. “Finish strong” is the constant mantra that repeats in my head, a growing sense of urgency forcing a desire to fill my days and set myself up for the future ahead. But what does that really mean? It’s weird - I have to think about what’s next, but now I want to take in the things around me so desperately too. Being a senior makes me realize where I’m at, how much time has passed, and what I might have missed because I was too busy walking. It’s not my first sleepless spring semester, but it might be my last! Trying to make the most of it is all that I can do now.
I want you to make the most of it too, each and every day. To that end, here are a few mental health tips to keep yourself going. Today, being a student, a worker, or even just an existing human being is no joke. With everything going on, you sometimes have to consciously make the space to find peace and rest for yourself.
Project OCEAN works under the Counseling and Psychological Services department to engage students in mental health education and provide them with resources for mental health support. It’s run by students who create content and hold events to inform students of different mental health topics, and they also offer a certifiable suicide prevention training workshop called QPR to students for free! This was our old team, and I took this while we were tabling at Week of Welcome!
In a discussion with Dr. Michael Barraza, the Associate Director of CSULB’s Counseling and Psychological Services department (CAPS), I asked him about red flags when it comes to mental health. Personally, I feel like being in a state of negative mental health has been more normalized and that it’s often joked off. For the students seriously struggling with their mental health, I wanted to know how we could tell when something is actually wrong. He stated that the need for a mental health check-in might manifest itself in an inability to function as you normally would.
“The main way students feel something is wrong (and I do too) is when they are struggling to keep up and do what they expect themselves to do. Some mental health red flags can be sometimes lashing out or being short with others,” Dr. Barraza said. “An inability to relax or enjoy previously enjoyable activities, or an increase or decrease in sleep or appetite.”
A graphic I created while working at Project OCEAN
When asked what we should do after recognizing the signs, Dr. Barraza encouraged us to create spaces for thoughtful mental health discussions and to talk with others, even if they aren’t professionals.
“Talk to someone. It doesn’t have to be a clinician, but someone you can be open and honest with about how you are actually feeling and doing.” said Dr. Barraza. “We should also create space for conversations on how folks are really doing or presentations where folks come in and discuss their particular struggle with mental health.”
These steps go hand-in-hand, and it’s important for us to come together as a community to support growing discussions on mental health. In the Honors program especially, it’s important for us to be mindful of the impact that work, social, personal or academic stressors have on us. If we had a pie chart of our own personal emotions, what would yours look like? Would stress, anxiety, fatigue, irritability, etcetera make up the amount of slices you’re happy with?
I know that many of us are often overachievers in some aspect of our lives, and even if not we each have our own stories and trials. Even Dr. Barraza mentioned the impact of understanding mental health on honors students, stating that you can recognize when someone may need help if they look like they are not caring for themselves.
“So appearing disheveled, wringing their hands, biting their nails, lack of appetite, difficulty waking, and/or an inability to focus due to preoccupation w/something else in their lives.” said Dr. Barraza. “In the honors program, it looks much the same.”
As someone who works regularly with students, Dr. Barraza has seen different layers of mental health throughout campus. We aren’t alone, and that’s a great thing, but on the downside many of us are also feeling some form of burnout. That’s why we need to be a community, and work to understand and be patient with one another. We are all human, and we deserve to rest and take things at our own pace sometimes.
“Finishing strong” doesn’t mean the same thing to everyone, and as you learn more about yourself and grow, it’s important to consider your own needs and what that means for you. Try your best, that’s all you can do. As long as you’re happy and healthy at the end of the day, taking things easy isn’t always bad. It’s okay to do better simply for yourself. I want to try to do better for me too.
Lower campus