Tips for Managing Anxiety and Stress After Graduation
College is a memorable 4 year experience, full of friends and priceless memories, but what happens when all that comes to an end? Making that confusing transition from student to adulthood is wreaking havoc on the mental state of millennials. Post-graduation is riddled with stress, anxiety and confusion as young men and women try to find jobs navigate the path to success. Without the once readily available support of student health counselors present at college, it can be a confusing and relentless world. Many of our patients here report that graduation and other transitional events are the most stressful periods of their lives.
While all changes are bound to cause some level of anxiety, learning how to manage them is beneficial to your growth. Since multiple stressors will begin to take their toll on your mental health, here are a few ways to try and reduce anxiety levels:
Eat Healthy and Exercise Daily
Your transition from college into the real world is just a phase, this too will pass and it’s important to take care of your body along the way. By adopting early morning walks, a protein rich breakfast and morning meditation into your wake-up routine you’re giving yourself an advantage on the day. These tools will give you a healthy mindset and positive head-start.
Set Some Goals
None of us get where we want to be by wishing. But you already know that, you’ve put in 4 years of hard work and it’s time to reap the benefits. Make a plan and write your goals down on paper, this will help relieve some of the anxiety associated with uncertainty. Now, you’ll have a degree of structure in your life, similar to when you had a college schedule to adhere to each week. Be sure to include a few fun things on the list as rewards to yourself for meeting milestones.
Give Yourself a Break
Success isn’t founded on stress. It’s okay to take a bit of time off to do something you enjoy. Just make sure you stick to the life goals you’ve established for yourself. Developing and maintaining a healthy morning routine and meeting your own expectations can also help dismiss anxiety.
Asking For Help
Post-college depression and anxiety is real and the condition is increasing at an alarming rate. Sometimes, transition and other issues all pile up at once and become very stressful and it’s time to talk to a professional. At the Fieve Depression Center, we’ve been serving the New York City community for over 30 years. Please do not hesitate to contact us, if you feel that you’re unable to cope. Left untreated, anxiety and depression can, and will often, compound and worsen.