By Reanna Fogelman
Mental health is a serious issue that many Americans face daily, affecting their well-being, relationships with others, and quality of life. Stress frequently contributes significantly to the aggravation of mental health issues from the ongoing pressure of your daily life. These difficulties can impact your physical health if not taken care of. People can develop resilience and live a better-balanced life when putting their mental health first and taking proactive measures to manage stress.
Stress, anxiety, and depression are all connected to mental health, making individuals overwhelmed. For example, students who experience academic stress usually experience concern about their grades and future, which can turn into depression. Also, long hours at work can lead to heavy exhaustion on the job, leaving workers stressed and disengaged, along with relationship problems or money issues. All these real-life examples of personal life circumstances can intensify feelings of hopelessness and depression among people.
“I would say mental health and stress affect me on a daily basis, especially with being in school and especially being right at the end of where it is finals; it does put a lot of stress on me,” said Karina Dyakov, a University of Tampa junior finance major in Balance UT. “I always want to be the better version of myself and get the grades that I want, so sometimes I’m very top of myself, which affects my mental health.”
“I am a very big person on prioritizing self-care!” said Dyakov. “I think it is very important to take time out of your day to do something to make you feel good. I like to either go on walks, journal, or spend time with friends and catch up with them.”
Dyakov likes to take time to build up on her self-growth.
Two important people to Dyakov really help her on hard days: “When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I rely on my roommate and my mom. I think they’re such a big help with when I’m feeling overwhelmed, and I love hearing their advice and encouragement from them.”
“I think discussing the idea of anxiety and stress with family, friends, and counselors is important,” said Dyakov. “If you aren’t comfortable talking to one person, you can always go to either a family friend or counselor, so there’s always someone to talk to whenever you’re feeling anxious or stressed. It’s always good to have someone around.”
“Stress does affect me daily as I am a full-time student, part-time server, and also president of an RSO [registered student organization],” said Camille DeBeary, senior allied health major. “I always have so much schoolwork to do, but then I have to go to work on top of it.”
“I do prioritize my self-care,” said DeBeary. “I do this by making sure I do at least one of my non-school-related hobbies a day. Whether it’s taking a walk, painting my nails, reading, playing Fortnite, or doing yoga, making sure I implement non-school-related tasks into my day is extremely important.”
“I honestly rely on myself and my organization,” she said. “If I’m ever feeling overwhelmed, it’s from my doing of procrastination, so I can only hold myself accountable and get through it.”
DeBeary is an independent woman who likes to take everything upon herself.
“I’m fortunate enough that my parents are open and understanding of my and my sister’s mental health,” she said. “My friends are my friends for a reason, and they all know me so well. And as for counselors, when I did the UTampa therapy sophomore year, it was very helpful.”
DeBeary has good friends and family who support her when times are hard.
“I consider myself a pretty mentally strong individual, so I don’t think about my mental health most days,” said Carson Yore, a Louisiana State University alumnus. “On particularly bad days, I try to be aware of the stress and items weighing on my mind so I can be active in stopping my mental health from worsening.”
“I know what I like, so I try to lead an enjoyable lifestyle for myself to keep myself physically and mentally healthy. In rough patches, I like to be as active as possible, as I notice exercise and sports help me a lot,” said Yore.
Yore knows what to do actively to keep his anxiety levels low.
“Physically, activity clears my head the best. I also like to take a break and do one of my hobbies, whether that be reading, watching TV, etc.,” said Yore.
“I love talking about myself and hearing about others,” he said. “I will gladly talk about my mental state and problems if it means I can hear others advice or hear about their mental state and problems in return.”
Yore is an extroverted person who loves to talk to others and always be there for his friends.