Self-Care

Stress is anything that alters your natural balance. Your body reacts to stress by releasing hormones that help you cope with the situation. This takes energy away from other brain functions, such as concentrating.

Stress is a part of everyday life. Sometimes stress can be helpful. A fire alarm causes stress that alerts you to avoid danger. Assignment deadlines are stressful, but they can also motivate you to complete your work on time. But when stress piles up, it has the opposite effect. Too much stress can harm our health and limit our ability to function. The good news is that there are effective strategies for managing stress, and the more you practice them, the better you will feel.

“For coping with stress and extreme emotions, I’ve found it helpful to first make sure I’m not biologically vulnerable. For example, I need to give high priority to getting sleep, eating healthy food, and exercising regularly. Then, my advice is to face fears head-on, and remember that no emotion will last forever.” – U-M student

See the Managing Stress section for more.

Social well-being refers to the sense of belonging and connection you feel with those around you. Environmental well-being means living in harmony with the places where you live, work and learn.

Here are a few ways to improve your social or environmental well-being:

Improve your social connections

• Balance school and social relationships. Prioritizing social connections as much as schoolwork can make college feel more fulfilling.
• Get involved in activities that interest you. Participating in non-academic activities will energize your mind and body outside of school.
• Choose quality friendships over quantity. The number of friends you have is not as important as the quality of your relationships. Having one or two close friends is all you need to have a healthy social life.

Explore social spaces at U-M

• Residence halls. Meal times and hall activities are great social opportunities. Most students want to meet new people and make connections.
• Student organizations. The University of Michigan has a student organization to match almost any interest. Visit Maize Pages to find one that's the right fit for you. There are even student organizations dedicated to mental health.
• Support groups. Campus Mind Works offers free, drop-in wellness groups open to any U-M student.
• Club sports. Get your body moving while making new friends.
  • Club Sports at U-M
  • Group exercise classes on campus

Develop healthy relationships

Mental illness symptoms can make it difficult to start or maintain relationships. If you find yourself struggling with connections, U-M has resources:

• University Housing. Can help with conflicts with your roommate, landlord or neighbors.
• Housing Information Office. Available to discuss concerns related to off-campus housing.
• The Office of Student Conflict Resolution. Helps manage and resolve student conflicts.
• The Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center. Assists with sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual and gender-based harassment.

Seek support

• Mentor program. Connects first-year undergraduates with upper-level peer mentors.
• Spectrum Center. Supports U-M’s community, with a focus on gender and sexuality.
• Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA). Supports the U-M community, with a focus on issues related to race and ethnicity.

“Learn that you’re not alone in this. Find your people, keep them close and heal with them. Check in with yourself often. Know how much you can take on. Let go. Know when you need to be alone. You are loved.” – Student Advisory Board member

Finding comfort and strength in your spiritual beliefs can benefit your well-being and treatment plan. Here are two campus resources that can provide guidance:

• Trotter Center hosts and sponsors events for all students.

Use Maize Pages to find spiritual student organizations.

Regular exercise is a great way to improve your mental health because it affects your body, mind, and social life in many positive ways.

Benefits of exercise

Regular physical activity has many potential benefits:

• Better regulation of mood
• Distraction from negative thoughts
• Increased energy
• Improved focus
• Improved memory
• Improved sleep
• Increased sense of accomplishment and self-esteem
• Opportunities to meet others with similar interests
• Reduced psychiatric symptoms
• Reduced stress resulting from burning off stress chemicals, such as adrenaline
• Release of endorphins
• Weight loss

Remember, any movement is better than nothing. Begin by setting a realistic and simple goal, such as taking a daily 10-minute walk. If you’re having trouble getting started or keeping consistent, check out these tips to keep you motivated.

Eating a variety of healthy foods that fuel your brain and body supports your overall well-being, including your mental health. What you eat affects:

• Your brain neurochemistry, which controls your mood and response to stress.
• The way your brain and body communicate.
• Higher brain functions that control learning, memory and reasoning.

When it comes to eating, the key is balance. For those with a mental illness, it can be even more challenging to stick to a healthy diet. Common challenges you may experience include:

• No appetite or eating more than usual.
• Lack of motivation to grocery shop or cook meals.
• Gaining weight as a side effect of medication.

Keep a food diary

Keeping a food diary for two weeks will help you understand your diet. Write down what, when, and how much you’re eating every day. Also, note how you feel when eating to get a complete picture of how your emotions affect what you eat.

Talk to a nutritionist

Unsure about how to start changing your diet? The University of Michigan's Nutrition Clinic can pair you with a registered dietitian nutritionist at no cost.

Here are some healthy eating tips to help you get started:

• Pack healthy snacks. Keep healthy snacks on hand between classes, meetings and social activities. This feeds your brain a steady supply of glucose, which helps reduce cravings.
• Keep a regular meal schedule. Eating meals at the same time every day helps you plan healthy meals and prevents you from getting too hungry. Other tips to stay on track include:
  • Schedule your classes to allow time for lunch and dinner.
  • Make sure to eat during meal breaks at work.
  • Schedule meal times with friends and take turns cooking.
• Don’t skip breakfast. This leads to reduced problem-solving ability, lower energy and decreased motivation.
• Look for the MHealthy logo. The MHealthy logo in dining halls and vending machines shows healthy eating options.
• Eat omega-3 fatty acids. They help regulate mood and enhance cognitive abilities (thinking and reasoning). Omega-3s are found in oily fish like salmon or tuna, fish oil supplements, flax or chia seeds.
• Drink more water. Bring a reusable water bottle with you and limit your caffeine intake.
• Avoid alcohol. It is a depressant and can impact your sleep and medications. Alcohol can also make anxiety symptoms worse.
• Eat complex carbohydrates. Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are less likely to cause blood-sugar spikes that disrupt your brain chemistry.
• Limit ultra-processed food. Although convenient, ultra-processed foods such as instant noodles, packaged snacks, and frozen meals can negatively affect mood.
• Eat slowly and mindfully to avoid overeating. It takes several minutes for your body to signal that you are full.

If you have a medical condition or other dietary restrictions, including those related to psychiatric medications, always follow your health care provider’s recommendations.

A word about eating disorders

A healthy relationship with food and your body supports your mental health. If this ever becomes a program, talk to your doctor, therapist or other health care professional. Eating disorders can be life-threatening conditions. The sooner treatment begins, the better.

Additional resources:

• University Health & Counseling
• Nutrition Clinic

You need sleep to stay healthy and perform at your best. Lack of quality sleep can lead to problems in class, lower GPAs and difficulty concentrating. Those with mental illnesses often have their sleep patterns affected. Visit our sleep section to learn more about the importance of sleep and how to improve your sleep schedule.

Arrange for ongoing care

When the winter semester ends, you may choose to go home for the break, travel abroad, get a summer job, or enroll in spring or summer classes. It’s important to discuss your summer plans with your mental health provider to avoid any disruption in your care.

• If you are receiving counseling services through University Health Counseling and are not taking spring/summer classes, you may not be eligible for care during the summer months. Be sure to talk to your current provider about how to stay well during the break. They can refer you to care if needed.
• If you are taking psychiatric medication, arrange to have your prescription transferred to a local pharmacy.
• If you are studying abroad, consider the U-M International Student/Scholar Health Insurance.
• If you’re traveling, take along copies of all your prescriptions and the generic names of the medications. Keep all your prescription medications in the original labeled pharmacy containers.

Additional resources:

• Creating a Mental Health and Wellness Plan
• Comprehensive Daily Self-Care Log
• Wellness Coaching
• Psychology Today - Find a Therapist