Despite a growing societal consciousness related to mindfulness and mental health, there are still many barriers to overcome in this field, especially when it comes to stigmatizing or undervaluing young people’s mental conditions. Unfortunately, the question of the mental well-being of younger generations is still under a question mark. Though official resources, such as the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, share such disturbing statistics:
- As many as 4 in 10 students (40%) reported having persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2023.
- Every 2 in 10 students report seriously considering a suicide attempt, and 1 in 10 attempted it.
Data like this highlights the increasing pressure and stress young people face today. Fortunately, there are services available where students can turn for help. Whether it’s guidance on structuring ideas or refining their drafts, platforms like the good essay writer offer valuable support to ease the academic burden. These services empower students to manage their workload effectively while improving their writing skills.
This makes it an out-of-question matter to spread greater awareness about mental well-being and promote specialized therapeutic methods and tech tools that can ease students’ mental struggles.
The Scope of the Problem and Factors Affecting Students’ Mental Wellness
Though this topic has been ignored for many decades, today, students’ rates of depression, anxiety, and other mental problems are disturbingly high.
- 44% of students have severe symptoms of depression
- 37% are reported to have anxiety disorders
- Approximately 11-17% of female and 4% of male students are reported to have eating disorders
- Roughly 15% of male and 9% of female college students are facing substance misuse issues
These are just a few of the most common mental challenges affecting young people today. In reality, there are many other problems, too, which makes the situation nearly glaring.
But what are the key factors contributing to these issues? There are quite a few of them, though the biggest ones include:
- Academic pressure seems to be the major stress factor. High demands and tight deadlines often make students get too much on their plates.
- Unfamiliar environment and loneliness. The second biggest issue is the most prominent for first-year students who have just left their homes to arrive at college. For them, it often feels hard to fit in and get used to an unknown environment.
- High standards and expectations. Students are often pressured to achieve success in academics, sports, and multiple other fields simultaneously, which can also add stress.
7 Therapeutic Techniques and Tools for Improving Students’ Mental Health
1. Meditation
Meditation is an ancient practice aimed at self-awareness and tranquillity. It targets your sympathetic nervous system and calms it down, hence, helping reduce stress levels. It might feel hard to turn off the stream of thoughts at first but once you excel in it meditation can significantly boost your mental well-being.
2. Mindfulness Practices
Mindful exercises come in various shapes and kinds. They include deep breathing, guided imagery, and many other practices meant for deep physical and emotional relaxation and stress reduction. What’s more, mindfulness is a cognitive ability that greatly helps to develop your brain and make it more flexible, which might also benefit you in your studies.
3. Journaling
Journaling means what it is. It’s a practice of regularly keeping a journal and sharing your experiences, feelings, and thoughts on its pages. It’s found that this practice is a great way to let go of stressful situations and reflect on them, gain a deeper self-understanding, and learn to understand and control your emotions. In the long run, journaling can greatly reduce anxiety and stress levels.
4. Professional Therapy
Although there are many therapeutic methods you can use at home that can help you boost your emotional intelligence and mental well-being, sometimes, there might still be a need for professional therapy, and it’s crucial not to ignore this need. Today, therapy comes in many different shapes, allowing everyone to find what suits them best.
Namely, there is cognitive behavioural therapy, psychodynamic therapy, exposure therapy, and many other techniques that can target your primary pain points under the guidance of a professional. Pro tip: If traditional therapy doesn’t feel right for you, which is natural for busy students, don’t disregard therapy platforms and apps that are trending these days, for example, Talkspace. These tools can help you access therapy with ease wherever you go.
5. Writing and Tutoring Services
Moving on to tech solutions that can help students restore their inner balance and reduce stress, writing and tutoring services deserve to be the first ones on the line. That’s because academic pressure and high expectations are the biggest stress factors for modern youth. Writing and tutoring services enable you to take off some of the load, tackle complex tasks on time, and also deepen your own knowledge and skills to feel more confident academic-wise.
6. Music
Music has been a powerful therapeutic tool for decades and there is a good reason for that. According to numerous studies, listening to it regularly helps settle thoughts, reduce anxiety, and boost mood. Moreover, it’s proven that music can also have a physical impact, such as lowering one’s blood pressure. Thus, don’t hesitate to leverage your tech and different music tools and websites to use it as a therapy for yourself, too.
7. Apps
Finally, if you are looking for tech solutions to support your mental well-being, the truth is that all sorts of apps are your best friends. These days, we have apps meant for a wealth of purposes, and they can really make your mental health journey easier. For example, you can ease your first steps in meditation by trying apps with guided practices, such as Calm or Medito. You can also try self-care apps, such as Finch, that can help you feel prepared and positive every day. And there are plenty of other handy tools to explore.
The Bottom Line
Although the issue with young people’s mental health is real and growing, these days, you have access to plenty of tools that can help you day by day. Leverage the techniques and tools we shared with you here to learn how to tackle your own stress levels and ensure mental well-being.
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