{"id":6488,"date":"2021-03-03T09:52:01","date_gmt":"2021-03-03T14:52:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/?p=6488"},"modified":"2025-07-09T13:20:07","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T17:20:07","slug":"how-students-can-cope-with-mental-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/2021\/03\/03\/how-students-can-cope-with-mental-health\/","title":{"rendered":"How Students Can Cope With Mental Health"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for everyone, especially college students who are continuing to pursue an education during this stressful time. The devastation and uncertainty of the Coronavirus has affected everyone\u2019s livelihood and mental health this past year. College students have had almost every component of their lives changed in 2020, including their academics, athletics and social life. The pandemic has been hard on all college students\u2019 mental health and how they relieve stress. Despite these lifestyle changes, there are still many ways for college students to cope with their mental health and ways to live a healthy life during this historic pandemic.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Fred Thomas talks with student Madi Exferd.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Although there are many ways college students can maintain their mental health, with COVID-19 guidelines in play, it can be much harder. There were substantially fewer human interactions in 2020 and many college students suffered. There have been higher rates of depression and anxiety among college students due to social isolation, stress and the feeling of uncertainty. Mask wearing, social distancing and the avoidance of large gatherings has played a role on the connections and friendships students have. Through this pandemic, it is important to maintain those relationships and friendships. Students can maintain these friendships digitally through phone calls or Zoom.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is extremely important for students to take care of their bodies so that they can be healthy both physically and mentally. Students should maintain a healthy sleep schedule and set a goal to get about 7-8 hours a night. It is always beneficial to eat healthily and get plenty of exercise. A healthy lifestyle starts with exercise, even if it something small. It is very good for your mental health to get some fresh air by going for a walk or bike ride.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Students can also cope with their mental health by limiting their screen time and technology intake. Too much time on social media or with your phone can create a lot of stress for students who already have a lot to deal with. Practicing selfcare and time for yourself is always key to a healthy lifestyle, whether that is reading a book or watching a movie. Taking breaks for yourself can always be beneficial to your mental health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Ralph McPherson, the University of Maine at Presque Isle\u2019s campus counselor, has seen firsthand the difficulties students have faced this pandemic. Ralph has a few recommendations and tips for students who are currently struggling with their mental health.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI always advise students to stick to the basics.\u00a0Make sure that you are eating good meals and getting enough restful sleep.\u00a0Sleep controls almost everything we do and how we act,\u201d Ralph said. \u201cIt is also a good idea to get in as much physical activity as possible.\u00a0Physical activity helps with feelings of anxiety and sadness. I also encourage students to reach out to peers and those that can be supportive to them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0UMPI students have a big support system around campus, which includes Roger Getz. He is the director of library services and has spent this school year supporting students. Roger has done everything he can to make the library, the Center for Innovative Learning, a safe place for students to study. There have been many changes done to the CIL this year, but Roger has ensured that the building is always welcoming for students.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cThe times are uncertain. However, UMPI is one of the few universities and colleges to be experiencing growth through the pandemic,\u201d Roger said. \u201cOur leadership has done a great job keeping our focus on the wellbeing of our students and not deterring from our mission.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The Coronavirus brought a lot of devastation and stress to everyone\u2019s life. It can be very difficult to complete a college degree if a student is not healthy or in a good headspace. Students can no longer depend on their social support system or extracurricular activities at school. Mental Health has never been more important. University staff and faculty members are also going through a stressful time, so it is crucial that everyone leans on one another. All should know how to cope with their mental health, especially in a college setting. Even with masks and social distancing, people can still play a positive role in someone\u2019s life. The college experience looks very different right now and we should all lend a hand so that we make it out of this pandemic together.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u201cI<\/span>f you can take care of yourself during difficult moments, you will build healthy coping skills for future hardships and difficulties,\u201d Ralph said. \u201cWe all face hardships in life.\u00a0 It’s good to be equipped with healthy coping because we will need it long after COVID.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for everyone, especially college students who are continuing to pursue an education during this stressful time. The devastation and uncertainty of the Coronavirus has affected everyone\u2019s livelihood and mental health this past year. College students have had almost every component of their lives changed in 2020, including their academics, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7381],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6488","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6488"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8310,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6488\/revisions\/8310"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6488"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6488"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6488"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}