Discussion of the importance of mental health, sleep hygiene, and self care is becoming more common, especially as it pertains to college students. Despite the growing awareness, college students still fail to implement these crucial practices into their daily lives. We are well aware of the importance of self-care, yet we fail to practice it.
The awareness raised surrounding the topic, while significant, does not stop college students from failing to cater to these needs in a healthy or productive manner. Students tend to feel locked in a cycle of stress, academic pressure, and burnout.
There is a distinct awareness-action gap. Research for the Journal of Student Affairs Research and Practice suggests that, while recognizing the benefits of self-care, college students still fall short. The lack of prioritization is often due to time constraints, stress, and an overwhelming lack of institutional support.
Knowing what is beneficial but not practicing it is a paradox that defines much of the college experience.
Nicole Talarico, a lecturer in the Psychology Department at California Lutheran University, said there are various reasons for this disconnect.
โA lot of it might just be due to feeling extremely overwhelmed, stressed out, maybe simply not having enough time in the day,โ Talarico said.
Delanie Desano-Smith, a junior at Cal Lutheran, said she related to this struggle.
โItโs really hard a lot of the time to prioritize self-care and prioritize your mental health in school. When youโre juggling so many classes, sports, extracurricular activities, and jobs, itโs hard to make time for it,โ Desano-Smith said.
Beyond time constraints, there is a cultural push to have a mindset that requires one to constantly be productive. Achievement itself has a significant impact on studentsโ attitudes toward self-care. Talarico said that social media tends to exacerbate this pressure, as students are constantly fed curated images of their peersโ successes.
โEveryone everywhere posts just the good things in their life. We always feel like weโre left behind if weโre not doing exactly what all our friends or classmates are doing,โ Talarico said.
Isabella Favazzo, a senior at Cal Lutheran, says that while she knows that mental health is important, she finds it challenging to prioritize.
โIf I put moisturizer on, itโs a great day,โ Favazzo said. โThereโs just not enough hours in the day,โ Favazzo said.
The stigma surrounding self care and addressing mental health issues also prevents students from taking action. Favazzo said that while discussions about mental health have increased, the actual access to resources remains an issue.
โThereโs not really much knowledge on affordable mental health care. Most of itโs not affordable, so people are hesitant to even look into it at all,โ Favazzo said.
Talarico also said that students who happen to commute to campus often feel less socially connected, making it harder to seek the support they need.
โThey kind of feel a little lacking social connectedness compared to those living on campus. I think a variety of those reasons could explain why students struggle to implement self-care,โ Talarico said.
Altering the way in which students view self-care is mandatory. By shifting the view of self-care as an optional luxury, students should reframe it as a non-negotiable necessity, and part of their daily routine.
Talarico said she suggests integrating mental health education more deeply into college curricula.
โI cover topics pertaining to stress, and I have students complete a stress questionnaire to assess their own stress levels. Then, we talk about effective coping mechanisms. I think incorporating self-care into activities makes a difference,โ Talarico said.
Desano-Smith said she believes that redefining self-care could also make it more attainable.
โPeople think of self-care as yoga or really specific intentional practices, but self-care can also be sitting down to breathe, spending time with friends, or simply eating a proper meal,โ Desano-Smith said
The solution to this self-care paradox isnโt simply telling students to do it, it is instilling the importance of it into their lives. It takes a conscious decision to decide to take care of yourself. Students have to recognize that self-care is not an indulgence but rather a critical foundation for success.
โSelf-care is such an important thing that people donโt spend enough time focusing on. And it should be more pronounced,โ Talarico said.
While it often feels tedious, or like a chore, the results and benefits are undeniable.
This, coupled with an emphasis on institutions working toward making mental health resources more accessible, could improve the issue substantially. Integrating wellness into academic structures could aid in reducing stigma.
If schools and students both work toward prioritizing self-care and well-being, we can begin to see a close in the gap between awareness and action. We need to get to the point where self-care becomes more than just a conversation, but a part of a studentโs lives.
