Ok, so it’s been a few weeks now since school started. By this time, you should have all your classes in order, you’ve met all your teachers or profs. The fun and madness of orientation or “frosh” week is dying down and it’s back to the grind of homework and assignments again. So how are you going to ensure that you don’t get overwhelmed this year?

The focus at this year’s frosh week at the University of Western Ontario was mental wellness.  With numbers like 52% of students experiencing overwhelming anxiety at one Canadian university (U of Alberta) and 7% of students who seriously considered suicide at the same school, students across Canada are becoming more aware of the importance of mental health and wellness.

Whether it’s your social life, academics, relationships, financial problems, family problems – whatever – that has you stressed out, it’s so important to have positive coping strategies for when hard times hit.  Find your balance, even if it’s not perfect, it doesn’t have to be. It just has to work for YOU. Maybe that means setting aside time for a yoga class once a week. Maybe it means having a friend to talk or vent to. Maybe it means making detailed lists to keep you on track. And if you find you’re no longer coping well or at all, then it means going to a school counsellor or doctor or a professional that can help you through it.

Read the original article about why so many students are recognizing the importance of staying mentally healthy here.

Also, you can find some great tools to help you sort things out and cope in our Toolbox section. And if you need professional help, don’t wait! Find ways to get help for yourself or a friend in our Help section.

-By Diana