Tips For College students To Maintain Mental Health on Campus

Author: Joyce W. Kinuthia, BSN, RN, PMHNP-Student

College teenagers report experiencing high levels of negative pressures that impact their ability to thrive in college. These feelings of negative pressure pose real risks for developing mental and behavioral health problems among teenage college students. Negative impacts include loss of self-esteem, burnout, depression, anxiety, and, in severe cases, even suicide.

A Harvard research study on the origin of pressures among college teens found that it is, in fact, parents, teachers, and the adults in the teens’ lives who ranked higher than peers and the teens themselves as sources of negative pressures that result in teens “feeling squeezed” (O’Donnell, 2025).

In an article titled ”College Grind”, O’Donnell (2025) reported study findings of causes of burnout among college teens, including students feeling pressured by parents, teachers, and adults in their lives into:

• A sense of constant need to be productive,
• To be striving in diverse areas, even at the cost of their health,
• To have a clear game plan for their future,
• To impress with the attainment of excellent grades and to excel in extracurricular activities.

Other pressures reported included the following:

• To look their best,
• To be seen to have a robust social life.
• Friendships and the related pressure to be available to support friends.
• To be engaged in social activism,
• To stay up to date on information and serve their communities.

The teens who reported pressure regarding appearance cited social media such as Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat as worsening this pressure.

Conversely, the O’Donnell study 92025 found that teen students who reported feeling less pressure engaged in behavior patterns reflecting self-care habits. These included.

• Getting more sleep hours,
• Engaging minimally with social media,
• Not constantly using the internet
• Spending limited time watching TV
• Spending their free time in outdoor activities like communing with nature,
• Spending time with a friend
• Being involved in study groups and groups engaged in creative projects, like art, music, etc.

These findings align with other studies that found that regularly engaging in self-care habits, including adequate sleep and using free time on self-reflective activities like nature walks, birdwatching in safe environments, exercise, and joining college groups that engage in creative activities, resulted in overall better capacity for coping with multiple college challenges (Eslit, 2023).

Additionally, a London Times article titled ”The ‘happiness hacks’ that can improve your mental health” among college students, from 140 universities across the UK, revealed that 90% of college students suffered from anxiety triggered by lean finances. The article opined that “These kids aren’t broken. They’re just… broke” (Blakely, 2024).

These findings offer valuable insights that can drive mitigation strategies to help college teens successfully navigate the mental health challenges faced in the college environment and develop better coping skills to thrive and flourish.

The following tips can help prepare and promote the overall mental health and well-being of teen college students to prevent feelings of burnout.

Preparation for Mental & Emotional Regulation

Know and Trust Your Personal Boundaries

Tip: Write down your personal boundaries that are non-negotiable and reassess them whenever feeling pressured.

• Believe in your own personal values and your comfort zones. Think ahead about them and set your own non-negotiable limits (such as your privacy, alcohol use, romantic relationships, personal curfews, etc.).
• Practice assertive communication. Remember that it is okay to say “No”, ask for space, or walk away from any uncomfortable situation. If you have a religious background, lean on those values for reassurance to avoid the groupthink trap.

Develop Emotional Regulation Tools

Tip: Set a personal time each day as a “quiet check-in” to meditate and reflect on your thoughts without distractions.

College can be overwhelming for everyone. You are not alone in feeling that way. Learn to handle situations that cause you anxiety, insecurity, loneliness, or homesickness using grounding techniques.

• Take a break and practice grounding techniques such as:
  • Muscle relaxation and deep breathing exercises, e.g., Box breathing (inhale 4 sec–hold 4–exhale 4–hold 4)
  • Take a break when experiencing intense emotions: Before responding, take a break to give yourself some space and time to cool down. (Use the Box breathing technique during the break.)
  • Journal your thoughts daily to release inner tensions: Name your emotions, e.g., frustration, excitement, worry, etc., without judging yourself for feeling a certain way. This is an effective way to master and control your emotions.
  • Identify and understand your triggers: This is the first step to managing your emotional responses effectively.
  • Self-compassion: Offer yourself the same compassionate support and kindness you would to a friend who feels the same way.
  • Start a regular Exercise Routine: Regular physical movement releases endorphins, which improve mood and help lessen feelings of stress. Choose an exercise you enjoy, which can be as simple as a leisurely walk(Rolston & Lloyd-Richardson, n.d.).

Social Life in a Co-Ed Environment

Mutual Respect & Consent Are Non-Negotiable

Tip: Learn about the policies on consent, harassment, and shared spaces in your college before you arrive.

• Whether sharing a bathroom with a roommate, personal space, or navigating flirtation, mutual respect, consent, and communication are crucial.
• Understand and show respect for diverse cultures, genders, and other personal identities as well as gender expressions. Do not judge. Live and let live.

Make Friends Slowly and Wisely

Tip: Take your time and make friends gradually. Look for roommates or friends who respect your sleep/study routines and don’t make you feel drained or pressured.

Peer support is positively linked with emotional well-being (Li et al., 2023). It’s normal to feel pressured to “find your people” quickly, but be patient and prioritize quality, not quantity. One good friend is worth more than many superficial ones.

• Remember, you get to choose your friends, not just get selected. Peer support is healthy when it is mutual and does not leave you feeling pressured.
• Try joining interest-based clubs and study groups that match your interests to connect, rather than just joining social cliques. Social cliques are usually shallow and can drain your energy needlessly

Handle Roommate Dynamics Early

Tip: Many colleges have resident advisors (RAs) who are trained to help mediate conflicts within the residential community. Use them early to help tide you over any disputes, instead of letting difficulties simmer and build up.

• Be proactive: have a roommate agreement discussion during the first week (include quiet hours, cleaning, inviting guests, sharing, privacy, etc. in the agreement). Respect each other’s spaces and possessions.
• Talk openly with roommates if issues arise. Don’t bottle up tensions. Silent resentment is distracting to your focus and detrimental to your mental health. Instead, speak up early using “I” statements (e.g., “I feel overwhelmed when you…”) instead of statements starting with “You” that communicate blaming.

Academic & Daily Life Balance

Build Your Own Structured Weekly Routine

Tip: Include downtime and hobbies/personal time in your schedule to prevent burnout.

• Residential college life can feel unstructured. Design your own weekly planner to include classes, mealtimes, gym time, study blocks, and personal reflection time. Stick to your plan regularly to build a steady routine.
• Set technology/screen time/social media self-limits and stick to that limit.
• Utilize productivity tools like Google Calendar, Notion, or simple to-do lists.

Practice Self-Reliance Skills

Tip: Try out an independence challenge trial at home for a week before going off to college. Living like you’re already there

• Before moving into college, make sure you can do the following on your own:
  • Laundry and basic cleaning
  • Time management without reminders,
  • Do not hesitate to ask for help when you need it

Support & Well-Being

Know Where to Go for Help

Tip: Save emergency, resident advisors, and counseling numbers in your phone contacts right away.

• Map out your support system: This can include campus counselors, academic advisors, the health center, and trusted adults back home. Know their locations and collect and save contact phone numbers, as well as contacts (resident advisors (RAs), college police line, crisis mental health hotline, and adult contacts at home, etc.). Never hesitate to reach out when you feel mentally overwhelmed, need guidance on coping, or require help.
• Maintain contact with parents, siblings, and other adult family members to support a good relationship. Studies have shown that having a good relationship with family is associated with high self-esteem among college students (Blakely, 2024).
• Don’t wait until a crisis happens. Build relationships with Residential Advisors or peer mentors early and communicate budding concerns with your contacts before they get problematic.
• Stay safe and feel safe. Ensure that at least two people you trust are always aware of your location.

Give Yourself Permission to Struggle

Tip: Celebrate small wins each week, not just big grades or milestones.

• You’re not expected to have it all together. Everyone else is adjusting too, even if they look and act confident on the surface. Know that it is okay not to be emotionally and mentally okay (samhsa.gov, n.d.).
• Growth happens through struggle, reflection, and reaching out.

Remember, whenever you feel mentally overwhelmed, you have the option to either call college counselling services or the confidential national mental health Crisis and Suicide Lifeline hotline, which is always available 24/7 by texting or calling 988 (samhsa.gov, n.d.). Matters discussed with hotline providers are confidential by law and within the confines of the law.

Author: Joyce W. Kinuthia, BSN, RN, PMHNP-Student

References

Eslit, E. R. (2023). Surviving and Thriving: Empowering Student-Centered solutions for post-pandemic mental health, time management, and stress reduction. Europe PMC.
https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202309.0777.v1

Li, H., Law, W., Zhang, X., & Xiao, N. (2023). Social support and emotional well-being among boarders and day school students: A two-wave longitudinal study. Children and Youth Services Review, 155, 107217.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.107217

O’Donnell, E. (2025, February 14). Teen “Grind” culture and mental health. Harvard Magazine.
https://www.harvardmagazine.com/2025/03/n harvard-grind-culture-teenagers-mental-health

Rolston, A., & Lloyd-Richardson, E. (n.d.). Breaking the Cycle: Emotion dysregulation, reducing high emotional arousal, and self-injury. https://www.selfinjury.bctr.cornell.edu/perch/resources/what-is-emotion-regulationsinfo-brief.pdf

Samhsa.gov. (n.d.). How to cope with mental health, drug, and alcohol issues.
https://www.samhsa.gov/find-support/how-to-cope