What can I do to improve my mental health?

You’re just moving into campus. Everything is exciting and new. The weather is great. There’s no pressure from classes yet. Your anxiety and depression seems like a thing of the past. How can you keep moving in a positive direction with your mental health struggles? We thought we’d put a series of articles together to try and give some encouragement to you as you start this academic year.

We asked Dr. Keith Nelson D.O., a series of questions on what a college student can do to stay healthy. We’re going to share the results of our interview with you:

Dr. Nelson, can you share your top 5 thoughts relating to anxiety/depression?
1. “Both are increasing in prevalence every year in all ages.”
2. “Anxiety and depression very often both exist together.”
3. “They are associated with the lack of adequate un-interrupted sleep.”
4. “Marijuana use may exacerbate symptoms and may even cause ADHD and psychosis.”
5. “Seems to relate to rising loneliness/social isolation and use of technology devices.”

Dr. Nelson, what kinds of advice do you give to young people who want to move forward positively as they struggle with anxiety and depression?
1. “Sleep 8 hours nightly without interruption by technology.”
2. “A good practice is to avoid texting and computer 2 hours before bedtime.”
3 “Set an exercise goal of 30 minutes daily. You can even divide that up during the day in 10-15 minute intervals.”
4. “Your diet can play a significant role in your mental health. I encourage students to avoid caffeine, alcohol, sugars, and processed food. Chose to add vegetables and fruits into diet choices.”

Dr. Nelson, those are excellent suggestions. Most of the counsel you just gave us has to do with sleep, exercise, and diet. What else can someone do to make progress in this struggle?
1. “Count your blessings daily. Keep a journal and actively keep track of the things you are thankful for in your life.”
2. “Spend time in meditation or prayer.”
3. “Address any unresolved conflicts in relationships.”
4. “Find ways to serve others.”
5. “Find a confidant or a group of like-minded people with values and character that you respect to share your thoughts of concerns, fears, goals, life.”

Thanks so much, Dr. Nelson, for your thoughts on this topic!

At MSU, there are lots of people who would love to walk with you in your struggle. You can pursue professional help. You can also find people who would love to walk alongside you! The GreenHouse Community is a Christian community and we would love to offer a listening ear and some encouragement (we’ll also take you out for coffee or ice cream on us!). Any time throughout the year, you can text “GreenHouse” to 94090 if you want to connect!

A big thanks to Keith G. Nelson D.O. Family medicine. Dr. Nelson wanted to make a special mention that MSU resources are found at Student Health and Wellness Counseling and Psychological Services. Other college students can contact their college/university counseling services for more information or to get help.

What does it take to navigate Michigan State's campus life successfully?

Have you ever thought about what your vision is for your time on Michigan State’s campus? What do you want your time to look like? Even more importantly than that, who do you want to become over the next four years of your life?

How will you have the most deeply fulfilling experience over the next half a decade? How will you end up happy, healthy, and prepared to take on the challenges that our world throws your way? Here are 5 things to consider as you move to MSU over the next couple of days:

1. Find a great group of friends to connect with. Your community dictates who you will become. Step out of your comfort zone and meet people on your dorm floor and in your classes.

2. Get involved with life giving activities. Jump into a group with people who enjoy the same kinds of things you enjoy. If you love to run, join the running club. If you love to fish, jump into the MSU fishing club.

3. I’m going to sound like a dad with this one: Take care of yourself. Eating right, exercise, and getting consistent, solid sleep are a couple of great examples of ways you can take care of yourself. Talk to anyone who is trying to help students on campus in the midst of a mental health crisis and they will all say the same thing: sleep, diet, and exercise are all super important to your mental wellbeing.

4. Approach your school work like a job. My pastor when I was in college encouraged us to work at school as if it were a 40 hour week job. Put in an 8-5 with class and study and you’ll be surprised with how much free time you’ll have.

5. Pursue answers to the biggest questions in life: Why are you here (Purpose)? Does God exist? If so, who is He? What’s He like? How can I know Him? What happens after the grave?

We started the GreenHouse to help students pursue all of these areas. If you are looking for more information about finding a life giving community on campus, text the word “greenhouse” to 94090 and we’d love to connect with you and buy you coffee or ice cream and connect with you!

Why would someone consider joining us for our fall retreat?

Retreats and conferences can be life transforming. Why? One of the biggest reasons to consider jumping in with our fall retreat is the impact of what happens when you spend a lot of time with people over a day and a half. Makes sense, right? Going on a fall retreat is the equivalent of a semester and a half of time invested in a community. So when someone goes on the fall retreat, they go from feeling like an outsider, to feeling really connected!

That connection is huge when it comes to building a community. Everyone talks about community these days - but the way that real community happens is when people really know each other and trust each other. The only way that I know that trust is built is through time spent with other people.

Our goal with the GreenHouse is to create a family feel. We want you to feel like you are a part of a family - that you belong, that you have a place at the table, and that you’re fully accepted!

This year we are doing our fall retreat with 4 other churches as well - campus focused churches filled with people your age. It’s 45 minutes away and it’s inexpensive - $49 for a first timer (we also have scholarships available if needed - email joe@newhopehaslett.com for more about that).

In all my years working with college students, I’ve never heard one person say: “I wish I hadn’t gone on that retreat!” This is something you don’t want to miss. To sign up, you can click here.