Life is hard as a young adult. You have all this newfound freedom and independence. And, with this comes heavy challenges and responsibilities. Many people don’t seem to understand how hard it is to juggle the expectations and decisions that come with young adulthood. So many people seem to have an idea of where their life should be headed. It can be challenging to figure out what you want for yourself in life.

Not to mention, the struggles of college. If you’re moving to a new town, there are a whole new set of obstacles and fears about what life will look like now. You might be questioning how you’re going to meet new friends, find community, and make this place home. Regardless of whether you’re attending college in your hometown or across the country, college can be as tough as it can be fun. Balancing school, work, a social life, and your mental health isn’t easy. It often feels like high school didn’t prepare you for this.

Many young adults feel like they can’t reach out for help. You might think that you’re an adult now so you have to face these challenges on your own. The truth is, adults who have had to deal with these things for decades still need help sometimes. You don’t have to go through this on your own, our young adult therapists in Santa Cruz, CA are here to support you!

Tips on Managing Stress for Young Adults and College Students

Our team works with many young adults. Specifically, we support college students, who need help managing stress. Balancing your academics and work with your mental health can be hard, there is no denying that! But, it’s definitely not impossible. Here are a few of our tips on managing stress as a young adult.

Prioritize your responsibilities.

You have a lot going on, and we know that you can’t ignore your responsibilities. But, you can re-prioritize your responsibilities to make sure you’re taking care of everything on your to-do list. Ask yourself, what needs to be done today/tomorrow and what can wait until next week or later this month? Then, create a schedule that allows you to take care of your priorities in an appropriate amount of time.

Take care of your body!

When you feel overwhelmed by school and work, you might think that you can put your health on the backburner. But, this is bound to backfire. The first few days or even the first week of doing this might be okay. But, you’re soon going to experience burnout and be completely unable to take care of your needs. To prevent burnout, make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, eating right, and exercising. You may be thinking that you don’t have enough time to do this. But, when your body is taken care of, it’ll actually be a lot easier to take care of your responsibilities. Think about it, it’s going to take you a lot longer to finish that essay when you’re struggling to keep your eyes open or to focus on an empty stomach.