A Student's Guide to Staying Well in University: Building Resilience to Support Mental Health
College is a big step that can shape the rest of your life. Whether just starting your collegiate journey or nearing graduation, every year brings new routines, responsibilities, and questions about who you are and where you're going.
For many students, university offers more freedom than ever before. But with that freedom comes pressure to perform, fit in, and figure things out quickly. The transition from home to campus or from one academic year to the next can stir up more than stress...it can influence your sense of self. Choices made now can impact the trajectory of your life. Your mindset on navigating these stressors will significantly affect the outcome.
Mental health isn't just about avoiding burnout or treating anxiety. It's about your overall ability to handle life as it happens....your emotional flexibility, your capacity to make decisions under pressure, and the way you respond to change. In college, where expectations are high and routines shift often, your mental well-being plays a central role in how you show up.
Once you know how, taking care of your mental wellness isn't complicated. There are grounded, proven ways to support yourself through times of change. Learning to care for your well-being now doesn't just help you get through classes or manage stress; it builds a foundation for future transitions, decisions, and challenges. The habits you form, the way you respond to pressure, and the support you allow yourself to receive will all shape how you move forward...not just in college, but in life.
Mental Health Challenges Are Common—and Manageable
College life isn't always what people imagine it to be. Alongside fun events and personal growth, many students deal with things like anxiety, depression, burnout, and loneliness. These challenges can show up in different ways: trouble sleeping, trouble concentrating, a lack of motivation, or even physical symptoms like headaches or a racing heart.
Stress is the most familiar challenge. Deadlines, exams, presentations, and responsibilities outside of school can build up quickly. For some students, stress becomes burnout, a more profound exhaustion that doesn't go away with a good night's sleep. You might still be showing up for classes, but feel emotionally checked out.
Anxiety and depression can also arise or intensify during your college years. These aren't signs that something is wrong with you. Instead, they show that your environment, workload, or support systems might need adjusting. The good news is that you can learn tools and habits to support you when life becomes challenging.
You Don't Need to Wait for a Crisis
It's a common myth that mental health support is only for people in crisis. In reality, taking care of your mental well-being is something you can...and should do every day. Think of it as maintaining your foundation to stay steady when things get busy, difficult, or uncertain.
Prevention starts with awareness. Checking in with yourself regularly helps you notice when your energy or emotions start shifting.
Are you more irritable than usual?
Are you having trouble sleeping, eating, or staying focused?
Are you feeling disconnected from the people around you?
These signs aren't failures...they're signals. Listening to them early can help you take small steps to stay well rather than waiting for things to spiral.
Building Routines That Support You
Routines may sound simplistic, but they're one of the most helpful ways to support your mental health. Having structure to your day helps ensure that parts of the day that are within your control are predictable, giving structure, and our brains love certainty! Having strong routines also helps to remove the need to spend mental energy on routine tasks; even small choices can expend energy.
1. Sleep
Sleep is a great place to start. Getting enough sleep, ideally seven to nine hours, can greatly affect how you think, feel, and handle stress. It's not always easy, especially during exam season, but having established sleep and wake times (even on weekends) helps your body and brain stay balanced.
2. Diet
Eating regularly and staying hydrated also support your mental health more than you might expect. Try not to skip meals or rely only on caffeine. You don't need to cook elaborate meals; try to keep some staples around that give you lasting energy. Ensure you set aside a small break for lunch. Mindfully eat. Enjoy your food and use that time as a brief moment to decompress.
3. Move Your Body
Physical movement can also help you reset. You don't have to run marathons or live at the gym. A short walk between classes, stretching in your room, or playing a casual sport with friends can improve your mood and focus.
Managing Stress Before It Builds Up
Stress is part of being a student but doesn't have to take over. It is helpful to do a self-assessment. What are some habits that you have that add to your stress? Like procrastination, disorganization, or perfectionism. Understanding where you struggle can help you choose tools and interventions to support you in those areas. Time management tools, such as calendars, to-do lists, or apps, can help you stay on top of responsibilities without becoming overwhelmed. Try breaking big tasks into smaller ones and starting early instead of waiting until the last minute.
Sometimes, managing stress means giving yourself permission to rest. This might mean saying no to one more club or study session or taking a night off from homework to do something that helps you recharge. Rest is not a reward for productivity; it's part of staying healthy. It can also give you the "pause" you need to apply perspective to some of the things bringing you stress.
It can also help to learn simple grounding techniques like deep breathing, journaling, or listening to calming music. Even five minutes of quiet time can help reset your nervous system.
Staying Connected (Even When It's Hard)
One of the most important parts of mental wellness is connection. That doesn't always mean having a big social circle. It just means having people in your life who listen, support you, and make you feel safe being yourself.
For some students, college is the first time being away from close friends and family. That shift can feel strange. Reaching out to people back home, even just for a quick chat, can be reassuring. At the same time, it's worth making space to meet new people who share your interests or values.
You might find connection through clubs, student organizations, study groups, sports teams, peer mentoring programs, or just by chatting with classmates before or after class. If making new friends feels intimidating, start small. Say hello. Ask a classmate if they want to grab a coffee or review notes together.
Relationships take time, and not every interaction will lead to a deep friendship. However, even small moments of connection can help us stay grounded.
Don't Compare Your Experience to Everyone Else's
It's easy to look around and feel like everyone else has it together. On social media, it might seem like other students are always productive, happy, and thriving. But those posts only show part of the picture.
Everyone has struggles, even if they don't show them.
Try to focus on your own progress rather than measuring yourself against others. Your journey is unique, and there's no one "right" way to experience college. Give yourself permission to move at your own pace.
Knowing When to Reach Out
Taking care of your mental health also means recognizing when you need extra support. That could mean talking to a trusted friend, a family member, a professor, or a counsellor. If you're feeling consistently overwhelmed, low, anxious, or detached from your life, those are signs to reach out.
Your school likely has a student wellness or counselling centre. These services are confidential and often included with your tuition. You can also access peer support programs, online chat services, or local walk-in mental health clinics. You don't need a diagnosis or a crisis to ask for help.
You might say something as simple as, "I'm not feeling like myself lately. Can I talk to you about it?" That first conversation can feel vulnerable, but it's often the first step toward feeling better.
Creating Your Own Self-Care Plan
Self-care doesn't have to be trendy or complicated. It's really about noticing what helps you feel calm, focused, connected, and rested and consistently practicing those things.
You might take ten minutes each night to tidy your space so your mornings feel more manageable. Or set a weekly time to call someone you care about. Or keep a list of small things that help you unwind...like reading, music, tea, or sitting outside.
Think of your self-care plan as something flexible. It doesn't have to be perfect. It just has to work for you. Start with one or two habits you can stick with, and build from there.
Making your self-care plan a written promise to yourself can be helpful. Journal every day and include a plan for how you intend to take good care of your mental well-being. This does not need to be a whole page or formal plan...just jot down a quick note to yourself to set your intention for the day.
You've Got This.
College isn't just about getting through assignments or passing exams. It's about learning who you are, how you want to live, and what matters to you. That process isn't always easy and doesn't happen all at once.
Every stage of college comes with different challenges. Whether adjusting to your first year or figuring out your next steps after graduation, sometimes it's normal to feel uncertain. What matters is how you care for yourself along the way.
Taking care of your mental health doesn't mean everything will be perfect, it means you'll have the tools and support to move through the ups and downs with more clarity and strength. You're learning, growing, and developing tools that will support you throughout your life. And that's more than enough.
Resources You Can Use
Here are a few places to turn if you need support:
Saskatchewan Health Line: 811
Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Services: (306) 933-6200
Suicide Crisis Helpline: 988 (Talk & Text)
Crisis Text Line (Canada-wide): Text HOME to 741741
Your university's student wellness or mental health services
Jack.org – A youth-led organization that offers mental health education and peer support
