5 Mental Health Tips from the Mental Health Fair

by: Jasmine Gage '25

 

Recently, McKendree hosted their annual mental health fair, Mental Health Matters. It featured over 20 different booths that discussed plenty of ways to learn how to cope with a variety of mental health issues. From stress management to how to be a bit more positive toward yourself, these booths had plenty of ways for you to be able to be the best version of yourself. Down below, we will go through a series of different tips that can help you whenever a mental crisis arises!

 

1: Pour a Cup of Tea

One thing I believe most of us tend to overlook is a good cup of tea. Tea comes in various flavors and provides a bunch of health benefits. Tea can also be used to help regulate your stress levels, provide a clean energy boost, improve sleeping patterns, decrease anxiety, stabilize your mood, help with depression, deal with congestion, and more. The types of tea you could consider giving a try for anything stress-or-anxiety related would be green tea, peppermint tea, chamomile tea, lavender tea, lemon balm, passionflower, and more. If you seem to be dealing with fatigue from a current workout or sport, try green tea, ginger tea, ginseng tea, lemon balm tea, or chamomile tea! Since winter is slowly approaching, try grabbing a cup of tea with a warm blanket; you won’t regret it!

 

2: Pick Up a Journal and Start Writing

Have you ever thought about journaling? Sometimes we go through a lot in life and don’t really feel like explaining the emotions that tend to come up throughout our lives. Something you could do is explain your emotions through a journal. Journaling is a form of writing that consists of you writing to yourself. Think of it as a diary you would have as a kid. You don’t need to organize it like a formal paper, but instead choose to write freely. It can help you gain control of your emotions and improve your mental health as you continue to write to yourself. It also builds self-awareness since you're diving deep within your feelings and putting it all into your notebook. If you do start journaling, always remember that you don’t need to find the “perfect” words to describe what you're feeling; just write what you feel. They are your words and your emotions. It’s completely fine if you have a few words as long as you can understand yourself.

 

3: Try A New Hobby

I know our lives as college students tend to be very busy on certain weeks. You may say how you don’t have time for a new hobby right now, but sometimes when you're stressed or overwhelmed, you may need a hobby in order to release the tension. If you are looking for a new hobby, there are tons to choose from! One hobby that tends to relax a lot of people would be coloring. I know what you may be thinking; no one is into coloring anymore or it's all centered around kids. Actually, there are versions of coloring books that are marketed towards adults for stress and anxiety relief.

You can also do technology hobbies such as playing video games or creating Pinterest boards, brainy hobbies such as puzzles or reading a book, and simple hobbies such as taking a walk, sitting in the sun, or meditating. Remember that the hobby you choose to pursue shouldn’t be stressful to you or it defeats the purpose. It is supposed to be something you enjoy, relaxes your mind, and takes the edge off a bit.

 

4: Changing Up Your Sleeping Patterns

Being able to get the proper amount of sleep is one crucial step into making sure you’re ready for the day. Sometimes as college students, we tend to pull all-nighters for homework assignments, late night events, evening study sessions, and more. You may be only getting a few hours of sleep, but that can play a role in why your mood may be off for the day. Sleep is just like hunger; it is a necessity for our daily lives. Some ways you can enhance your sleep patterns is to get enough sleep at night. It is always recommended that we humans get about 7-8 hours of sleep. Try using a lavender oil on your skin or applying it after a nice hot shower to help with sleeping better. Another suggestion would be to fall asleep to something soothing like a relaxing song or maybe the sound of rain in the background. Always try to avoid doing large amounts of homework right before bed and avoid caffeine before bed. Something that has always helped me get better sleep is to have the sound of rain playing or making sure my room is cold during the evenings. Always make sure you are getting enough sleep, especially if you tend to be more stressed out from lack of sleep.

 

5: Practice Forms of Self-Care

Due to our busy schedules, it's easy to forget to take a self-care day for ourselves. I’m here to tell you that it is completely okay to take a few hours for yourself just to ensure you are the best version of you. Always remember to take time throughout your daily life to sit back, relax, and not worry about what the next day may bring. You can practice self-care physically, emotionally, socially, spiritually, and professionally.

 

 In a physical space, try to participate in fun physical activities, tend to your personal hygiene, or even wear clothes that make you feel good. For emotional care, try to distance yourself from distractions, take a daytrip to fun areas in your neighborhood, or take time off for yourself. As for social self-care, try calling friends or family that you haven’t spoken to in a while, do activities with others, or simply ask for help when needed. Examples of spiritual self-care can be praying, meditating, or setting time aside for personal thoughts and reflection. Professional self-care can consist of taking breaks during work, building relationships with your colleagues, or learning things related to your profession.

 

Self-care is always an important virtue within our daily lives, so always remember to put yourself first!