Take Time to Treat Your Mind If that means spending a Friday night alone watching “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before,” then so be it. by RAEANNE KASCLE
M
eg Nelligan sets her mug of English Breakfast tea down and ties her long, blonde hair in a messy bun. She grabs her M-shaped notebook from her desk and searches for the nearest pen. Before hopping onto her pink comforter, Nelligan sets the mood by playing Taylor Swift’s “Red” album. She takes a mental break from reality as she writes down private thoughts. Nelligan is the president of Active Minds at Syracuse University, an organization dedicated to raising mental health awareness on college
24 UGirl Fall 2018
illustration by EMILY GUNN
campuses. Living with anxiety, Nelligan recognizes the importance of mental health by taking time for herself. “My anxiety makes me very cautious of what I say [in social situations] and causes me to overthink a lot,” says Nelligan, a junior English textual studies major. “Writing makes me feel most at peace. It helps me understand my thoughts. I write a lot of poetry, but it’s my thoughts. I go into a different world.” Approximately 40 percent of college students reported feeling above average amounts of stress within the
past year, and 80 percent said they felt overwhelmed by the number of things expected of them, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The study also found that one in four college students from ages 18 to 24 have been diagnosed with a mental illness. Eleven percent of those students suffer from anxiety and more than 10 percent have been treated for depression. With numbers like these, it is more important than ever to focus on yourself. “Certain social situations can be good, but being around people too