October 27, 2023/12a

How do you make it through a difficult time? Well, if you’re like me you start with a long cry, either out of frustration or sadness- I can never tell.  

Here I will be examining the different ways I cope with stress. I encourage you to take what resonates, and if nothing does, find what will.  

Struggling mentally can be very disheartening. You think you are fine, and everything is going the way you want it to, and boom, one thing goes wrong and suddenly everything is falling apart. 

This can cause problems for you mentally and emotionally, then this can also cause problems for you academically.  

When your mental health starts to take a toll on you academically, this can further complicate your mental health. You may be thinking to yourself, “I can do it, I can do it alone too.” 

Allow me to tell you, doing it alone does not help you or anyone. Do not be afraid to ask for help, it’s okay to be vulnerable and ask. Asking for help makes you stronger, not weak.  

Now, all of this is way easier said than done, let me tell you how I try to decompress and how I make it through a difficult time.  

Starting off, I don’t always take my advice. Sometimes the feelings are too big to allow myself to take the much-needed break I may need. 

Something I try and do is fake it until I make it. 

Let’s talk about how to do that. 

I wake up, I do my morning routine then head to class. After class, I do homework, then I move on to work or my extracurricular activities. In between these routine aspects of my life, I eat a snack or a meal. 

I go back to my routine, while not diminishing the emotions I am feeling. 

I am not one to pretend to not know that I am an incredibly emotional person. I feel my pain, I listen to my hurt, I allow myself too not be okay. 

And that is exactly what I am doing. While I am faking it, going back to my routine, doing things with friends, when I am alone, and thinking, I allow myself to have that much needed freak out or cry. 

I allow myself to hurt, to cry, to scream, to journal and write poems about the same thing I have been writing about for however long I need to. 

Allowing yourself to feel these heavy-set emotions is the first step to being okay. 

Another thing to do is self-care. When you feel as though you cannot cry any more than you already have, or stress out anymore, take care of yourself.  

Do that facemask, take that bubble bath, paint those nails, take the much-needed nap.  

If self-care isn’t your forte, no judgement, try going for a walk. Going for a walk can help you connect back with nature. Grounding yourself and just being at one with nature can be so relaxing.  

Most people will say “exercise heals everything” … yeah that’s not always the case; especially when you cannot even get out of bed. But if you can, try going for a walk around nature. Some places I love going are Presque Isle, the Bayfront or when I am back home in Buffalo I love to go to Chestnut Ridge.  

Another thing you can do to help yourself feel better is just to talk it out. Let it out to a stranger, to your parents, friends, family, counselor or even just aloud in a room by yourself. Having the physical release of getting out what you need to say can be incredibly freeing.  

One of my professors gave me good advice that I have been utilizing when I find myself over thinking, overwhelmed and anxious. She told me to just repeat aloud, “not now” until the thought(s) are banished from my mind.  

I did this the other night when my mind decided to be my foe not my friend and it worked. Telling myself as many times as I needed to “not now” was so helpful and the thoughts just disappeared.  

Let’s say none of these tips are speaking to you, which is okay and valid, just have a cry. Watch or listen to something sad if that is what you need. Just give yourself the permission you need to allow yourself to feel all the emotions you need to.  

If you don’t let yourself, feel what you need to feel, it could result in a bigger burnout than what you wanted to happen.  

Just remember, allow yourself to feel what you are feeling, reach out to friends, family, counselors, whoever, don’t hide away even though it feels like the safest thing to do. 

Don’t stay alone, don’t hide away. Everything will end up being better than okay, as time goes on things will get better for you. 

Gannon University offers great resources to help with any form of struggle. Reach out to the health center [email protected], 

In addition to the health center and the team of therapists and psychiatrists, there is the option of the TimelyCare app. 

If you take anything away from this article, take this:  

It is okay to ask for help, regardless of the form you do it in.