A fresh start: Mental health management for new post-secondary students
Summer is coming to an end which means the new school year is right around the corner. While parents rejoice, students might be feeling a bit stressed out, especially those going into post-secondary for the first time.
Transitioning from high school to university, living away from home and making new friends are all challenges that new post-secondary students will face in their first year – and that’s in addition to the academic component.
While these challenges can be exciting, they can also lead to increased stress and anxiety. Managing your mental health during the school year is just as important as keeping up with your studies. In fact, the two are inexplicably linked.
Research indicates that mental health problems can affect a student’s energy level, concentration, dependability, mental ability and optimism, therefore hindering performance. Furthermore, depression is associated with lower grade point averages, and co-occurring depression and anxiety can increase this association. Depression has also been linked to dropping out of school. Ultimately, managing your mental health can help improve academic outcomes.
Tips from Just Us interns
As Masters-level counselling students about to graduate, Just Us interns are well-versed in managing mental health during post-secondary studies. Not only have they recently been students themselves, managing busy lives, school and an internship, but they have unique insight having studied counselling
We asked our interns for their top tips when it comes to managing your mental health this school year.
Start engaging in a healthy self-care routine now, before school is back and things get busy. Once all the demands on your time are back, it gets harder to work those moments into your busy schedule. - Annette
Stay connected with supportive friends and family members. Don’t isolate or struggle by yourself. – Noha
Take time to check in with yourself to see how you’re feeling and check for signs of burnout. – Olivia
Be mindful of rational and irrational thoughts and self-image, especially during times of high stress or when being negatively triggered. - Noha
Set time aside for self-care and taking part in activities you enjoy. – Olivia
Don’t spread yourself too thin. You can't do everything and do it well, so reflect on what your priorities are and decide how to spend your time in alignment with those. - Annette
We can help you balance a busy school year. Book a free counselling session today.