Margins Magazine - Volume 4 Issue 4

VOL. IV | ISSUE IV
MARGINS
we tried our best to guide them by providing
them with resources. We also let them know
that it’s okay to go through it. So, yeah essentially
coming up with resources and making
them accessible to students is the main way
we help people with grief.
SS: Alright, so moving on to managing mental
health, do you have any tips or tools that
you use to manage your mental health?
GA: Definitely! I mean I think about this every
day. Every individual has different coping
strategies. What I tell myself is that everyone
needs to find their unique coping strategies.
You need to know yourself first, and then
you need to come up with something that is
going to take your mind off the things that
you’re worrying about, while at the same time
recover from it. For example, I am really creative
so my outlet for all my worries and all of
my anxiousness is through writing. I write if
something’s bothering me, I write at the end
of the day, just like a simple reflection, I write
whenever I’m having a really, really horrible
day. In my opinion, it is a great outlet because
you can revisit it after a month and appreciate
your growth.
If you feel that you need to talk to someone
that is not your family or your friends, you can
join an online mental health community: a
place where you can share your stories and
gain perspective. Sometimes we think that
if we are going through something, we may
not be able to come out of it. It is a cycle of
self-pity, but it is really important to break
this cycle. As individuals we usually tend to
know what’s wrong with us, we know if we
are not healing and we know what we need to
do to get better. You know there’s no shame
in talking to a therapist; they are beautiful
people. They want to listen to you, and they
want to help you heal. So, I guess just finding
your own unique coping methods, for
example, if someone is good at art, they can
attempt to paint their emotions, rather than
continuously wallowing in self-pity. These are
the little things that I try to include in my dayto-day
life.
I also make it a point that I am talking, writing
and just communicating. I just try my best to
let out my thoughts, to not let them accumulate
because one day it will all become too
much for you, and at that point, it will not be
in your control. Recently, what I’ve also realized
is that we as individuals let our emotions
control us, instead of the other way around.
We have to come up with strategies to control
them, which I understand is not easy. I
sometimes still struggle with it, but I do try.
For example, I write these notes on my wall to
remind myself how grateful I am. I also remind
myself of my strength and the fact that I can
overcome my fears and anxiety. Even if it
involves just standing in front of a mirror and
talking yourself up, do it. I promise that you
won’t look stupid.
SS: For sure! All these little things definitely
help. So, I am a First Year Learning Community
Leader and I get this question a lot: how
can students balance their workload, their
social life and personal time? Do you have
any advice?
GA: I guess we all struggle with that. You
know everyone has a different perspective
on this but the way to achieve this balance is
by knowing yourself. You need to know how
much time you need for your academics. For
example, I am a slow learner so I make sure
that I dedicate extra time for studying because
I recognize that I need that. At the same time,
once I am done with any work that I have, I
reward myself by either hanging out with my
friends or just listening to music. Then, at the
end of the day when I reflect on my day, that
is more of my personal time. Also, having a
social life isn’t something that people should
be compelled to have. It should be something
that they enjoy, rather than something you’re
forced into. If one day you feel like hanging out
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Visual Credits: LUM3N