College is always perceived as this glamour-filled utopia where people are welcome to find their inner Blaire Waldorf or Cappie from Greek. The parties, the alcohol, and of course the random Tinder hookups are encouraged, because after all, you are in college. Why not enjoy your time here by doing whatever you want until you have to actually become an adult (which we all are dreading).

Sometimes though, it can get to be too much. Balancing the night life, school, and work isn’t always the easiest of tasks and can get to be a little overwhelming. When the balancing act comes to be too stressful some of us get in a funk that we just can’t shake. As college students, it’s easy to get caught up in the social life here and sometimes that funk isn’t just a funk, and can turn into something more.

This is what I like to call midterms, partying, and depression, oh my! Because before you realize it, you aren’t feeling like yourself and don’t know how to get back to feeling like yourself. The funky feeling that was only supposed to last one day feels like it is lasting a week and then maybe a month or two. Something that seemed so small can easily turn into something bigger than we expected and we don’t know how to get our groove back. Missing a class turns into missing a week’s worth of classes, and then it turns into coffee-induced days since you aren’t getting the beauty sleep you need.

Here are 4 simple steps that you can take to take a step back and focus on you.

Give yourself a break:

We all know putting the shot of alcohol down and setting your discovery off is hard but give yourself a break for a weekend to relax and catch up on some sleep. Watch some Gilmore Girls in preparation for the new season release and catch up on some adulting; ie. homework, planning, and maybe even a candlelit bath.

Love your body:

Go on a hike, if that’s your jam, and let nature take away your worries for just a bit. Give your body some extra healthy nutrients and give it some love. Go to the gym, read a book, or just lay in bed to give yourself some time alone.

Journal:

Sometimes we actually don’t know what we are feeling and just writing it down can get to be something relieving. Journaling about your day and letting your frustrations out can give you some reflection on the things that are frustrating you and maybe some changes that can be made in your life

Get some outside help:

Yeah we all know that colleges offer psychological and counseling services, but actually using them can be extremely difficult for some. Just setting up a meeting to figure out what is going on could be helpful. Getting out of that funk and believing in yourself enough to get help can make a huge change.

CAPS offers confidential counseling to students experiencing personal problems that interfere with their academic progress, career or well being. Counseling and Psychological Services at Sonoma State contact information: 707-664-2153

• balance
• college
• managing
• mental health
• midterms
• partying
• stress