We are officially back on-campus, after being away for some time. Although we’re all excited to return on campus, the transition can be challenging for some students and even for faculty members. Learning how to learn online then returning to normal lecture halls has been reported as tough on a lot of students’ mental health. UF Health spokesperson Ken Garicia stated in an email, “The clinic saw a 106% increase of adult patients who attended their first appointment in the month of August between 2019 and 2020, according to the UF department of Psychiatry. The numbers will increase again by 4% in 2021. For scheduled new adult patients, the clinic saw a 21% increase in August between 2020 and 2021, as reported to UF Health by UF’s Department of Psychiatry.” The 100 Collegiate Women of America took the time to consider this and decided to host a Pillow Talk open to everyone on Wednesday, January 26th that focused on Mental Health.

Pillow Talk is known as deep conversation between two or more people. When asked what made The 100 Collegiate Women of America decide to take on this issue, President Chandler Williams talked about how important mental health is and how she herself gets overwhelmed with the responsibility of classes. Over 25 students gathered together in a circle in the Williams Center to share their experiences and feelings. The conversation covered multiple topics like how to deal with anxiety, expectations from family, financial struggles, budgeting, the pressure to work, boundaries, privileges, and cultural differences. The young ladies took turns passing a microphone around speaking openly about their struggles and opinions on different topics. The room was filled with support and encouragement as the young ladies spoke. As the conversation continued the women began to feel like they weren’t the only ones who experienced certain things.

If you are struggling with adjusting to college life, one thing that everyone took away from that night was talking helps. If something is bothering you the first thing you can do is tell someone you trust. College life can be hard, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Making friends can feel impossible, but it isn’t. There is a place for everyone at Georgia Southern University. If you’re not ready to open up to someone, a couple of other coping mechanisms that were mentioned were taking a social media break, going on a walk, working out, spending time with loved ones, listening to music, and most importantly taking the time to cry. Crying is a way to express yourself and can be one of the most effective ways to release the negative feelings that you may feel.

In conclusion, Mental Health is very important. One thing that we can all work on is taking a break sometimes. College is hard, but not impossible. If you are interested in learning more about The 100 Collegiate Women of America follow them on Instagram at C 100womengsu to see what they have going on. There are many resources on campus to help you reach your goals. Georgia Southern has a counseling center on campus for students, if you are struggling. If you are in need of help please feel free to contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.