Editor’s note: This column is part one of a two-part health guide for freshmen’s transition to life at Syracuse University. This part addresses how to ease the mental health transition. The second part will focus on the physical health transition.

My greatest personal challenge during freshman year at Syracuse University was transitioning my health from my life at home to life on campus. In fact, I didn’t transition at all — the thought never even crossed my mind. I was too focused on class, joining clubs and making new friends.

Figuring out how to stay fit and eat healthy at school was tough, but the most difficult struggle was staying positive and motivated while acclimating to a new environment.

The most common mental health difficulties for college students are depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, alcohol abuse, eating disorders and self-injury, according to the American Psychological Association.

Entering the school year prepared and with the intention to work on your mental health is the first step to address existing problems and protect against future mental health problems that could develop during your college career. Here are four tips that will help you do just that:

1. Build an (almost) stress-free schedule

Enter the art of schedule building. In college, it’s on you to create a schedule that supports your desired lifestyle, suits your goals and maximizes your happiness.

For the routine lover:

• Establish consistent times to wake up, sleep, eat, exercise and study and stick to them to feel in control.
• Schedule rewards in your routine to motivate you to get through your work. Block out time after your everyday study session to Facetime a friend from home or save your daily coffee for after your morning workout.
• Evaluate how effective your schedule is at the end of each month and tailor it accordingly.

For the chaos lover:

• Hate planning? Create one giant, semester-long to-do list during the first week of class. Gather all your syllabi and make a massive spreadsheet with every assignment you have, organized chronologically by their due dates. Liquid scheduling, here you come.
• Make mundane tasks like cleaning fun by setting little challenges. While you’re making coffee or pasta, see how much you can put away in the short interval that the clock is ticking.
• Batch your tasks as much as possible to protect and maximize free time. While you’re doing laundry, go to the gym and listen to a podcast to catch up on the news.

For the digital natural:

• Take advantage of the classic Google Calendar or iCal or experiment with a fancier scheduling app like Cal or Fantastical 2.
• Use the reminders on your iPhone to make sure you never miss a deadline or appointment. Try the “Bedtime” feature in the alarm section to ensure you’re getting enough sleep.
• Turn off push notifications on your phone to block time-wasting distractions and concentration-breakers.

For the print person:

• Collect notebooks, fun pens and pencils and a great agenda that you’ll enjoy using. Scope the deals on Amazon Prime Student or stock up on colorful Stabilos at the University Bookstore in the Schine Student Center.
• If you’re artistically bent, try bullet journaling as a fun hobby that prioritizes productivity. Check out Pinterest, Tumblr or Instagram for DIY goal sheets, mental health trackers and more.
• Beware the paper curse. Go through the paper you’ve accumulated at the end of each week, recycle what you don’t need and file the rest in a folder system. Be ruthless to ensure you’re not drowning in a paper hurricane by October.

If one thing’s for sure, it’s that building your ideal college schedule will be an ongoing process. The only way to achieve it is to continue editing and adjusting your strategy based on trial and error.

2. Get therapy at school if and when you need it

Whether you’ve had any type of psychological therapy before or not, you never know when you might want or need it during the semester or the next four years. The Counseling Center and the Office of Health Promotion are on-campus hubs to protect your mental health.

The Counseling Center provides services including individual counseling, group therapy, crisis help, eating disorder support, sexual and/or relationship violence support and reporting, substance abuse support, advocacy and 24/7 crisis reporting.

Counseling Center

200 Walnut Place

315-443-4715

The Office of Health Promotion offers services for sexual and relationship violence, mental health and substance use. Some of the OHP’s defining features include their peer educators.

Office of Health Promotion

111 Waverly Ave., Suite 006

315-443-7273, healthpromotion@syr.edu

3. Stay on top of your substance use

Addiction is one of the most common mental health issues for college students. Check in with yourself regularly about the role these activities play in your life, especially if you’re just starting to experiment with alcohol or other substances.

Although frequent drinking is normalized on college campuses, it’s important to note that the line between healthy use and abuse is very fine. Get into the routine of asking yourself the questions below, and if you answer yes to any of them, consider it a red flag:

• Do you find you don’t have much spending money left because it’s all going toward partying, drinking or drugs?
• Are you spending more time for partying, drinking, smoking or using other substances than you are pursuing hobbies or academic, professional and social goals?
• Do your friendships and social life revolve around partying, drinking or drugs?
• Is blacking out (forgetting all or some of a night of drinking the next day) a normal occurrence for you?
• Are your responsibilities starting to slide? Are you missing class or work or consistently getting there late?

4. Be mindful

At the end of the day, this advice and other mental health tips are only so helpful. The best way to proactively pursue ideal mental health in any condition is to check in with yourself regularly about where you’re at and to do so honestly.

It’s only through reflection that you can recognize when you need help, when you need to change and when you sense an oncoming problem. A great way to stay mindful of your mental health is to keep a regular journal or talk with a trusted confidante about your personal life. Keep in mind, this piece is not an all-encompassing guide and doesn’t replace professional help — it’s aimed to provide some guidance and direction as you start your college journey.

Alex Erdekian is a senior magazine journalism major and psychology minor. She can be reached at aerdekia@syr.edu and followed on Twitter at @alexxe08.

Published on August 23, 2017 at 4:20 pm