As midterms come to an end and finals season slowly approaches, it’s important to check in with yourself and your mental health. I used to always find myself studying for tests or quizzes until midnight at Hillman and forgetting to sleep. But I recently learned that if I do not make sure my mental health is my main priority, then I won’t even be able to comprehend what I’m studying.

Checking in with yourself is really not as hard and time-consuming as it sounds. It can simply be while you are brushing your teeth in the morning. Ask yourself how you are honestly feeling, and set your intentions for the rest of the day. While you brush your teeth again at night, ask yourself how you felt about the things you did during the day and what you accomplished. Always remember that even if you did not get everything done that was on your to-do list for the day, it is not the end of the world. You put your mental health first, which is much more important.

I think it is crucial to do these frequent mental health checkups, because many people wait until they are actually hurt or in pain to convince themselves they do need help. I believe if someone does not obtain help or check in with themselves, then these mental health problems can start to show up in other parts of our lives. A checkup can also teach one about their own needs so they can gain a better understanding of what their body needs and wants. I think it is important to know what your body needs at this stage of your life to make sure you are prepared for any challenges to come your way.

It is also critical to talk about your mental health either with your friends, family or doctor so they know what is going on and can determine if you need professional help. If someone is not informed about the challenges in your life, it can be very difficult for you to manage and take on everything. If someone does know the challenges in your life, they can offer to help or give you the advice you may need to hear at the time.

Nonetheless, it is beyond crucial to make sure you know what your body needs and wants. Checking in with yourself regularly can prevent an overload of stress on your body and can help so much. I used to have the issue of bottling up my emotions and negative thoughts all throughout high school, and one day I let them all out in a bad way.

This not only caused me to feel guilty, but also hurt my mom’s feelings because she had no idea all of these thoughts were in my head while we were living under the same roof. We talked all throughout the night and came to the conclusion that if I have any negative thoughts, I should communicate them either with her or a friend I trust. I started to do this and little did I know, the advice they gave me really helped a lot. It also made me realize the issues I was having were not as terrible or big as I made them seem in my head. I encourage everyone to do this because this has helped my friends and I a ton and brought us much closer, as well.

Shriya writes about everyday things that happen on campus at the University of Pittsburgh. Talk to them at [email protected].