When it is said that health is wealth, it does not only means physical health but mental health too. Even mental health sometimes becomes more important than physical health as the physical health of the person is also connected with the mental health of the person. When the person is mentally ill, it is obvious that their physical health will also suffer. So mental health should also be as important as physical health.
Mental health and students:
The mental health of the students is also very important. Students can focus on their education only when they are mentally healthy. Research has shown that more than 70 per cent of mental health issues occur before the child reaches the age of 18. This means that if the students’ mental health is given importance, there are chances that this number will decrease. But we see that there is no general trend of giving importance to mental health, particularly in the educational institution. However, we see teachers influencing students toward a healthy lifestyle. But it only regards physical health. So here, we will discuss how important mental health is for college students.
Improve performance of the students:
When the college gives preference to the students’ mental health and invests their time and resources in the mental wellness of the students, they perform better. Their academic performance and grades improve. Everything especially studies directly linked to the mental health of the student. When the students are mentally ill, they cannot concentrate on their studies or even understand the teacher’s lecture during class because they remain absent-minded. Students with poor mental health do not have the motivation or energy to focus on their studies. These are the students who take online class help because they do not understand anything when they hire someone to take my online exam. Studies have proved that when college students get counselling or mental health aid, an improvement or inclination is witnessed in their progress.
Prevent suicide and behavioural issues:
Students with mental illness behave differently from the other students. They react in a different manner. These students have so many behavioural issues. For instance, they did not respond to the teacher properly, did not participate in the classroom, had anger issues, and lost their temper very quickly. That is why they are usually found in trouble or fighting with other students.
Also, when they cannot concentrate on their studies automatically, their academic progress is not good, and they fail in some subjects during exams or tests. The extreme reaction that mentally ill and depressed students witness is that they try to harm themselves and make suicidal attempts. There are so many cases in which students, because of unsatisfactory academic performance, commit suicide. But when the students’ mental health is given importance, and the college takes steps and provides adequate facilities for improving the mental health of the students, they know how to tackle stress and overcome failure. As a result, the student does not take any extreme steps like suicide.
Decrease the number of dropouts:
As per the report of NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), more than 60 per cent of students or adults drop out of college or high school because of their mental health. When students fight against depression, anxiety or any other mental illness, they do not have the energy to study and the confidence to face or interact with them. The only easy escape they found is to drop out of college. But the number of drops out could decrease if colleges will give importance to the mental health of the students. The investment they will make for the students’ mental health will not only benefit the students who are studying in the college but also facilitate them during the enrollment of new students.
What can students do?
The biggest responsibility to take care of the mental health of the students is on themselves. It is their responsibility to look after their mental health and improve their mental health because, at the end of the day, they have to deal with all their failures or achievements. Additionally, no one will get benefit from their healthy mind except them. Precisely they are their saviour. Students can do a lot of things to improve their mental health. They can:
Spend time with friends or in nature:
Spending quality time with your friends is the best therapy that a person could have. You become mentally calm and relaxed with you spend time with good friends. Hanging out with your friends could be beneficial for mental health. Secondly, spending time in nature or in greenery is also very therapeutic. Walking on grass or sitting in nature and open air could help in your mental illness.
Take proper sleep:
Your diet and your sleeping routine are really important for your mental health. As a student, it is very necessary for you to sleep peacefully at night and have at least 8 hours of comfortable sleep. Without working on your sleeping routine, you cannot achieve the goal of good mental health. Proper sleeping could fix almost half of your mental problems. Minimise your screen time. Sitting in front of a screen for so long at night will disturb your sleeping pattern.
Eating vegetables and fruits and drinking plenty of water could also help. As physical health is connected with mental health; similarly, mental health also, to some extent, depends upon your physical health. So it is very necessary to eat vegetables and take a healthy diet.
Think positively:
When you are positive, the world around you automatically becomes positive. The reason behind most mental illnesses is negative and depressing thoughts. Overthinking negative thoughts will never make your mind relaxed or peaceful. So try to think positive. Find positivity around you. Count your blessings. Focus on what you have instead of what you do not have. Try to spend time doing what you like most. For instance, you can read your favourite novel, make paintings, cook food, and listen to music to release your anxiety or do anything else that makes you happy.