Mental health expert gives advice for college students returning home
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s also graduation season.
And while it’s a time to celebrate, for some college students, it can also bring stress and sadness.
Saying goodbye to friends and a place you’ve called home for years can be tough.
Going home for the summer may sound simple.
But for college students, it can feel anything but.
“People change, students change. When they return home, they look for things to be how they were and are not,” said Veronica Harrison, LPC-S, the Lowndes County Administrator for Community Counseling Services.
Harrison said many students, especially freshmen, struggle with the shift back to home life.
Parents, too, may expect their child to fit back into old routines.
“Parents or caregivers look for students to fall back into a mold, and that’s just too difficult. They’re not the same people,” said Harrison.
Harrison said it’s common for students to become anxious when returning home from school.
She advised parents to meet the students in the middle.
“You’ve been exposed to being semi on your own and being responsible for yourself and you’re not really used to those rules. So, parents need to recognize they need to allow that student to maintain a certain level of independence,” said Harrison.
Some students also return to homes that are stressful or unstable, making the summer even harder.
If anxiety creeps in, Harrison has simple advice.
“When feel yourself becoming overwhelmed, one of the easiest things you can do to help ease that anxiety is just inhale and exhale. Concentrate on that,” said Harrison.
She also recommended you spend time outdoors, move your body or do something creative.
“Get a coloring book. You’re going to need something to release that energy. Exercise is great. Just enjoy being alive,” said Harrison.
Harrison encourages students and parents to give each other grace and time to adjust during the transition.
For students who don’t have a home or safe place to return to, Harrison recommends getting a summer internship, a job or staying with other relatives.
You can find more information about your county’s Community Counseling Services on their website.
