6 Ways Eco-Friendly Students Struggle with Depression

We have mentioned some of the steps that college students can take to live greener lifestyles. Unfortunately, eco-friendly students often end up feeling depressed.

The planet is facing some of the biggest crises of our lifetime. Climate change is getting worse than ever and poses an existential threat to mankind. The current war in Ukraine is causing fears of a larger land war and is driving supply chain problems throughout the world. The pandemic is slowing down, but COVID-19 is still causing over 1,400 deaths a day.

All of these factors are driving depression for many people. A growing number of people are scared to death about the threat that climate change poses to humanity and the world as a whole. One poll showed that 45% of people are stressed about climate change in their daily lives. College students are especially concerned about the future. Many people that shift to eco-friendly lifestyles also develop depression, because they struggle with some of the changes that they have to accept as part of the process.

Dealing with Depression as an Eco-Conscious Citizen

Sadly, depression is a huge problem for many people dealing with concerns about climate change. Depression is not something you can take lightly.

Some students think that their busy schedule won’t affect their mental health at all. But that’s not true! You might not feel it at first, but there are some symptoms that can quickly progress into a full-scale mental health disorder if you miss them. Depression can also significantly reduce your productivity and functioning. It can only get worse if concerns about the climate continue to mount.

Research shows that this disorder has been progressing nationwide in general and especially among college students. In June, the World Health Organization also published a paper showing that climate change concerns themselves are taking their toll on our mental health. The last couple of years have been extremely hard on everybody, with distant learning, a lack of social life, and a tough curriculum. Some studies even state that almost half of college pupils have tested positive for depression at some point.

Of course, your mental well-being is the most valuable thing in the world. Sometimes you just need a little bit of help to overcome your issues! Maybe you can buy essay online from the trusted writing service, so you don’t have to deal with an insane college workload! This might free up some time to focus on your mental health and get your grades up at the same time!

So, do you still need a little help with overcoming some issues? Here are five things that might be causing your depression on top of climate change.

Reading Constantly About the Environment

Many people that are concerned about the state of the planet regularly read blogs and white papers about climate change. On the one hand, it is a good idea to be informed about the state of the environment. However, paying too much attention to environmental issues can cause serious mental health problems as well. You want to avoid succumbing to this problem.

Big transition

On top of worrying about the planet, the transition to college itself might cause mental health issues for many people. Moving out for college is a pretty big change in your life. Some learners move across the country and don’t see their family at all, leaving all their friends and loved ones behind. Other students live closer to their childhood homes and still find themselves in a completely new environment. And you can’t forget about new classes, professors, and all the homework!

Of course, not all feelings that you can experience during this transition are bad. It’s often a mixed bag of emotions, so you have to watch out for negative thoughts or sudden explosions of emotion. Some psychologists say that when a person experiences a new environment, some of these emotions can be expected:

• excitement;
• loneliness;
• uncertainty;
• fear.

You will want to be aware of these issues as you try to start college as an eco-friendly student.

Peer pressure

There are a lot of different social groups that you will meet in college. And not all of them are nice! It’s not a secret that students like to party, miss classes, and forget about their homework from time to time. But be careful because sometimes all this fun can turn into a chore. You might feel like you are forced to do these things just to become popular in your social circle.

Isolation from friends and family

This is another side of different social groups in college. Every so often, you might feel like you don’t belong anywhere or miss your old life and childhood friends.

Isolation can be even worse for students that live an intensely eco-friendly lifestyle. They may not want to travel much out of fear that their carbon footprint will increase. They also might not want to partake in certain activities that are bad for the planet.

It is important to do your part to help the environment. However, you don’t want to drive yourself crazy from loneliness.

Fear about the future

College is one of the hardest time periods in any person’s life! And it’s not only about lots of homework or fear of making new friends. The closer you are to graduation, the more you realize that you will have to choose a profession and get a job in the future. This is a huge decision that can potentially affect the rest of your life! So, it’s only natural to worry about that.

Of course, concerns about global warming will be some of the biggest causes for concerns about the future. You will want to try not to let them overwhelm you.

In case you feel some depressive thoughts creeping up when you think about your future, here are some tips on calming your nerves:

• try some meditation or mindfulness techniques;
• just accept any ‘what ifs’;
• try not to worry about the things that are out of your control;
• express gratitude for what you have;
• talk it out with your friends or a specialist.

Changes in lifestyle

This is not really the same as the first point of this list. Transitioning into a college lifestyle is one thing, and the need to accept a completely new lifestyle as a student is a whole other issue. Don’t feel the need to turn into somebody that you don’t like! You don’t have to change your whole personality to fit into a certain group or to adjust to your new life.

What can you do?

So, as you can see, there are many situations that can trigger negative thoughts and depression among students. It’s much more common among the younger generation than you might think. First of all, it’s essential to recognize your mental health needs and address them as soon as possible. Secondly, you can’t underestimate the importance of professional help.

Here are a couple more things that you can do in case you are feeling depressed:

• get a second opinion and talk to a mental health expert;
• don’t suppress your true feelings;
• create a tracking system for your symptoms;
• talk to your friends about it;
• look for campus information about mental health initiatives.

Eco-Friendly College Students Must Avoid Letting Depression Ruin their Lives

So there you have it, five things that might be causing your depression as an eco-friendly student. Remember that nothing is more important than your mental and physical well-being. Don’t ignore changes in your mood and outlook, especially when it becomes a regular thing. It’s easy to miss some early signs, and then any issue will be much harder to overcome.