Dear Wildcats,

Growing up we’re often taught how to take care of our physical health. Sadly, however, we’re often not taught how to take care of our mental health as well. As a result, we may grow accustomed to lifestyles of stress, anxiety, overcommitment and fatigue. This is all too often the case at Northwestern, where midterms, career-searching and the pressure to take on more than we can handle can lead us to forget the importance of taking care of our mental, along with our physical, well-being. With that in mind, I hope these words will help us begin — or continue — to be mindful of our mental health.

1. It’s okay to struggle and it’s okay to ask for help. I know how difficult and anxiety-inducing it can be to struggle — whether it’s with personal, social or academic issues — at Northwestern because it seems like everyone knows exactly what they’re doing. A contributing factor may be our campus culture of perfectionism and the pressure to have it “all together.” However, chances are if you’re feeling stressed out about a midterm or final, someone else out there probably is as well. It’s important to be able to ask for help when you need it, as garnering emotional support can give us the strength to overcome or face our problems. As much as it seems like some people have their lives together (which is easy to see on social media platforms like Instagram), everyone has successes and defeats. It can be tempting to compare yourself to your friends or classmates and ask yourself what you’re doing wrong, but it’s important to keep in mind that no two people are alike and everyone has a different story. In the end, it’s best to take on as much as you can handle and work at a pace that you find most comfortable.
2. It’s important to learn how to deal with failure. Many students at elite institutions are accustomed to constantly succeeding. But as students who are accustomed to high standards of success, it can be especially unnerving when you find yourself failing to meet expectations even though you give your all. Understand that failure gets the best of us sometimes. Regardless of how smart, talented or hard-working we are, sometimes it just won’t be enough — and that’s completely acceptable. Failure is relative and is a stepping stone to success. It can be tempting to think of yourself as “not good enough” or “a failure,” but that style of thinking is also harmful and fails to contribute anything meaningful in the long run. Instead, take a good look at why you may have failed, so you know how to do better the next time around. Failure doesn’t define you. The only person who has the power to define your self-worth is you.
3. Finally, make sure to find time for yourself. As much as schoolwork and friends require our devotion, it becomes increasingly important to do things that make you happy and relaxed. Going to school can feel like a marathon: Just when you feel like you barely made it past one quarter, there’s another one lined up. It’s easy to guilt and shame yourself for taking a break when you should be rigorously studying for an exam, but doing so is not only unproductive but also harmful. Remember to take care of yourself. Treat yourself to something good after completing a task that requires a lot of hard work. You definitely deserve it.

On a parting note, NU can indeed seem and feel like an isolating place if you do have mental health issues. It can feel depressing to not be living the “college life” that we were expecting by coming to NU. In fact, what most people experience at college is nothing like what they were expecting — myself included. But don’t give up hope. On top of mental health institutions on campus such as Counseling and Psychological Services and NU Listens, there are innumerous people who care about you and are willing to listen. There’s no shame in having mental health issues and there’s no shame in asking for help.

Sincerely,
Johan, a concerned senior

Johan Qin is a Weinberg senior. He can be reached at [email protected]. If you would like to respond publicly to this column, send a Letter to the Editor to [email protected].

The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of all staff members of The Daily Northwestern.