College and Mental Well-Being: A Student's Guide to Finding Balance

By Dina Borisova

Struggling with mental health in one’s college years is widely recognized as an understandable aspect of college life, often viewed as a normative experience rather than an exception. Despite its normalization, many students experience difficulties at levels that are clinically concerning. According to Friedman (2025), The 2025 Healthy Minds Study (the largest ongoing study of U.S. college student mental health) found that although mental health has improved compared to previous years, 32% of college students still experienced moderate-to-severe anxiety and 22% reported severe depression. The study included over 84,000 students from 135 colleges and universities. In 2026, 69% of college students said they experienced a mental or behavioral health concern in the past year (UnitedHealth Group, 2026). 

While many factors contribute to mental health concerns among college students, the high prevalence of anxiety and depression highlights the importance of developing healthy coping strategies to effectively manage stress, maintain balance, and support academic success.

Taking Breaks 

One of the simplest yet most effective ways to manage college stress is to intentionally take short breaks throughout the day, even while studying. Although many students believe that working for hours without interruption increases productivity, research suggests that the opposite may be true. Incorporating brief mental breaks, rather than working continuously for long periods, may improve sustained attention and help individuals remain focused while completing demanding cognitive tasks (Ariga & Lleras, 2011).

Prioritizing Sleep

When deadlines pile up and schedules become increasingly demanding, sleep often feels like the easiest thing to sacrifice. However, prioritizing sleep is essential for maintaining overall well-being. Lund et al. (2010) found that college students with poor sleep quality experienced significantly more physical and psychological health problems than those who reported good-quality sleep. Rather than viewing sleep as time taken away from productivity or social plans, consider it an investment in your overall college experience. Developing a consistent and realistic sleep routine—often referred to as good sleep hygiene—can have a meaningful impact on your daily functioning. As noted by Hershner and Chervin (2014), many college students have inadequate sleep hygiene that, combined with delayed circadian rhythms, contributes to sleep deprivation.

Practicing Self-Compassion 

We are often our own harshest critics, especially when the grades we receive don't reflect the effort we invested. However, it's important to remember that perfection is not the ultimate goal of the college experience. As Neff (2003) reminds us, "suffering, failure, and inadequacies are part of the human condition" (p. 89). Rather than criticizing yourself after a setback, try responding with the same understanding you would offer a friend. Paying attention to your internal dialogue can be a simple but powerful way to support your mental well-being throughout college.

Know When To Ask For Help

Feeling overwhelmed is a normal part of the college experience, but sometimes those feelings become too difficult to manage alone. Reaching out to loved ones, a trusted mentor, or a mental health professional is not a sign of weakness: it is a sign of taking care of yourself. Seeking support early can help prevent mental health concerns from becoming more severe. As Cuijpers et al. (2019) note, "prevention and early treatment of mental health problems in college students is a key public health priority" (p. 2).

Remember, asking for help is one of the most important steps you can take toward protecting your well being and succeeding both personally and academically.

References

Ariga, A., & Lleras, A. (2011). Brief and rare mental “breaks” keep you focused: Deactivation and reactivation of task goals preempt vigilance decrements. Cognition, 118(3), 439–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2010.12.007

Cuijpers, P., Auerbach, R. P., Benjet, C., Bruffaerts, R., Ebert, D. D., Karyotaki, E., & Kessler, R. C. (2019). The World Health Organization World Mental Health International College Student initiative: An overview. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research, 28(2), e1761. 

Friedman, A. (2025, May 21). Navigating uncertainty: The mental health crisis on college campuses in 2025. FAS Psychological

Hershner, S. D., & Chervin, R. D. (2014). Causes and consequences of sleepiness among college students. Nature and science of sleep, 6, 73–84. https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S62907

Lund, H. G., Reider, B. D., Whiting, A. B., & Prichard, J. R. (2010). Sleep patterns and predictors of disturbed sleep in a large population of college students. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 46(2), 124–132. 

Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: An alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101.

UnitedHealth Group. (2026, April 28). New survey finds widespread mental and behavioral health challenges among young adults and college students.