Note: This blog post was written in September, prior to news of the alleged sexual assault at Cornell’s Chi Phi fraternity. While I won’t address it directly in this post, I want to acknowledge the added layer of stress and anxiety that college students – and their families – may be experiencing in light of this news and the broader reality of sexual violence on college campuses. If you or someone you know needs support, please reach out for support. If you are experiencing an immediate mental health crisis or are in danger, seek emergency help or contact an appropriate crisis service in your area.

You’re likely realizing that while this can be fun and exciting, it also comes with a lot to manage. Navigating this can be more stressful than we anticipate. So much so, in fact, many students have already given up. Between classes, exams, relationships, finances, jobs, extracurricular activities, and decisions about the future, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. For many students, anxiety catches them off guard. Yet every day pushes you to face a myriad of challenges and choices. 

While there will always be a lot to manage in adulthood, it doesn’t have to be as hard as we sometimes make it. 

Understanding Anxiety in College

Anxiety can come in different packages for different people.

Common sources of college student anxiety include:

• Social anxiety: Meeting new people, speaking in class, joining organizations, and navigating relationships can feel overwhelming.
• Test and performance anxiety: Exams, grades, internships, athletics, and other events can all generate feelings of inadequacy.
• Financial anxiety: Managing a student budget and student loans can generate some fear of the future.
• Homesickness: Being away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings can be harder than we anticipated.
• Career anxiety: Choosing a major, finding internships, getting a job, and thinking about life after graduation can feel intimidating, especially in an unpredictable world.
• Imposter syndrome: Even with markers of success, we can question whether we belong or deserve our accomplishments.

You do not need to have everything figured out to feel better. Small, consistent habits create a foundation for a clear mind and for using your inner wisdom to navigate these challenges.

There are many ways to manage anxiety. The three below are fundamental to establishing a foundation for feeling more internal calm and confidence. 

3 Tips for Managing College Anxiety

1. Take Care of Your Basic Needs

One of the simplest ways to support your mental health as a college student is to take care of your physical needs.

Start with the basics. 

• Get enough sleep (7 days a week)
• Ensure your diet includes nourishing foods and water. 
• Integrate movement into your daily routine.
• Minimize substance use, including alcohol (even if it seems totally “normal).

You do not need a perfect wellness routine. Start with the basics and make small, realistic improvements where you can.

2. Build a Support System

You do not have to navigate college stress alone.

Building a support system can help you feel more connected and give you people to turn to when things become difficult. They can be a sounding board and give you a reality check. Depending on your situation, this might include:

• Healthy friends and social networks 
• Healthy family members
• Academic advisors and professors
• Resident advisors
• Mentors including upperclassmen, recent graduate students, or professionals in your field of interest.
• Counselors or mental health professionals

Do not wait until you are in crisis to reach out to your family back home and others who care about your well-being. Sometimes the first step is simply saying, “I’ve been having a difficult time lately.” You don’t need to be completely clear on what you need, but oftentimes talking to someone helps sort it out. Mental health professionals, in particular, are trained to help you uncover the true source of your distress and build tools for gaining internal peace and clarity.  

3. Develop Calming Techniques

Anxiety is an indicator that your nervous system is perceiving that there is some type of danger in your environment or circumstances. It may or may not be accurate. Our emotional brain takes over, and our prefrontal cortex might go offline. Signs of emotional dysregulation include:

• Racing thoughts
• Increased heart rate
• Muscle tension
• Anger
• Panic attacks
• Other physical and emotional responses

We need to learn to slow down and engage in calming strategies to help us gain clarity. When we slow down, we can make wiser decisions. We can better identify a plan for addressing the things we can control, and how to respond to the things we can’t.  

Tools for slowing down and regulating include:

• Mindfulness
• Yoga
• Taking a walk outside
• Spending time in nature
• Deep breathing

Mindfulness is a powerful tool. There are free tools online and paid apps. But learning with others helps you to be more focused and accountable. 

How Heartswell Supports College Students

At Heartswell, we believe you can thrive. To help you get there, Jane Keady leads an individualized 8-week Journey for college students designed to help you learn mindfulness skills while building self-awareness, managing anxiety, strengthening relationships, and reconnecting with your core values.

The goal is not to eliminate every challenge. It is to help you navigate the challenges of college—and life beyond it—with greater intention.

You don’t have to have it all figured out. You just need space to listen, reflect, and take the next step.