Most people from mental health issues in one way or another, whether it be stress from work or school, or seasonal depression. It is for a variety of issues that not many people shine a light on mental health. However, students at NCC filled out a survey and answered a series of questions to provide their thoughts on mental health, more specifically what causes them to stay up late at night worrying.
The causes include stress from work, schoolwork, relationships or social issues. There are healthy and unhealthy ways to cope with stress, such as drugs, alcohol and other impactful decisions.
Late-night stressors
When conducting a survey to ask students for their opinions on certain topics related to mental health, most students agreed that education was their number one stressor.
The question: “What has kept you up late at night regarding to stress?”
Students like Brynn Schlaht, ’25, marketing major and minor in management, explained that “exams and not knowing if I know all of the material well enough” keeps him up.
Many students stress extensively over exams, especially during midterms. Exams are not the only things that cause students to stay up late at night; it can also be social or personal concerns, such as relationships and identities, or it can be catastrophizing, which Matthew Marjan, a counselor at Dyson Wellness Center (DWC), describes as a phenomenon where a person’s mind is active and they’re asking constant questions that include “what if…” scenarios.
Sophia Hiatt, ’24, describes what keeps her up as having “concerns over inequity and social issues.”
Along with being sociable, relationships can be a rocky topic; if the relationship has difficult issues between the individuals, they can cause them to worry. These include trust issues or other concerns you’d see in a romantic or non-romantic relationship. It can cause the individual to lose sleep, have anxiety and other factors that impact their efficiency in their studies or maintaining normal functionality.
Coping with stress
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average adult should get seven or more hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep is common amongst adults due to factors such as life concerns, illness or both combined.
A lack of sleep or otherwise known as sleep deprivation is not healthy, and there are options to help relieve stress. Whether it be listening to music or meditating, it’s better than having to rely on alcohol or drugs to relieve your stress.
Marjan mentioned that “have something fun planned for you will prevent burnout.” This includes hanging out with your friends, going to see a movie or simply just making yourself your favorite meal; these will “charge” you back to full energy.
While surveying, approximately eight students said that they partake in self-soothing activities such as taking walks, reading books or coloring. There are, however, negative ways of coping, such as negatively affirming subjects or sleeping the day away to pretend everything is just fine. But that isn’t the best way to go about coping with stress.
Hiatt explains her most common stressor as bigotry attacks of the marginalized communities either she or her friends are a part of. In order to relieve that stressor, she talks to her loved ones and peers who understand her concerns and relate to her, and she specifically states that she tries “to channel fears into positive action.”
Resources on campus
There are options to help reconcile with that stress and eventually get to the point where you can manage that stress without it piling on top of your workload. If you’re not careful, you could eventually become burnt out. If you notice that you’re experiencing an issue such as burnout, Marjan recommends getting help. This includes seeking help at the DWC counseling services or using TimelyCarez—a free Telehealth option including medical services and counseling for all NCC students and staff.
Along with getting help, Marjan also explains that if you need to see a counselor right away, they have crisis handling options or walk-in hours that can be utilized. Getting help isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength.
DWC doesn’t only provide these options; staff like Samantha Godfrey, NCC’s Campus Advocate, provide resources to help with sexual violence awareness, domestic violence awareness and mental health awareness.
Not only does Godfrey provide support with these options, but DWC hosts events such as Dyson Dog Days, where they bring in certified therapy dogs to help students relieve stress. These events are normally hosted by Peer Health Educators (PHE). PHEs are students who work closely with DWC to provide feedback from the student body to help host events that can be closely related to students, so they can get the full connection and experience from DWC.
DWC also hosts training sessions such as suicide prevention training, called QPR Suicide Prevention Training. In this training, students learn skills and gain confidence to support someone suffering from suicidal ideation and help them get the professional help they need.
It’s okay to not be okay
Unfortunately, in the U.S., according to National College Health Risk Behavior Survey, 10.3% of students said that they seriously considered attempting suicide. Suicide is a touchy topic, but it is real and needs to be talked about. Amongst college students, it is unfortunately common to have students suffer from suicidal ideation, and some don’t get the help they need due to the stress of school, life and other various factors. DWC hosts an event every year called “I’ll See You Tomorrow” where they do a mile walk, typically from Old Main to Championship Plaza, chanting phrases such as “Cardinal Strong” and “I am enough.” This helps raise the confidence of students and staff alike.
To students suffering with their mental health, Marjan reassures them that it is okay to get help.
“It isn’t a sign of weakness to get help. It takes a lot of courage to admit one needs extra support in their mental health,” said Marjan.
He uses the example of a broken leg: you can’t just tough it out, because that would be painful, and you could not endure the pain. You’d have to see a doctor. He explains that mental health is no different from physical health. A physical check-up is the same as a mental health check-up.
Always remember, you’re not alone. You have a support system with you; you’ll be okay, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.
