As college students, we have our hands full at all times. Whether we are dealing with sports, extracurriculars, or something as simple as homesickness, stress is always present. Mental health is often overlooked because it is a feeling dealt with internally and practically invisible. Though it is not a physical injury, it should be treated as one. As athletes, when an injury occurs, we seek help to treat this injury and continue to practice behaviors to avoid any other injuries. Although when students feel stressed, sad, or feeling absent in the moment, we tend to write these feelings off because it is believed that it is not a big enough problem to seek help for. This belief is wrong in many ways; stress can affect academics, performance, and behavior. The belief that one must be in a crisis to seek mental therapy is creating a disadvantage to yourself and ultimately is incorrect. Simple stressors can affect quality of life and can build to create larger stressors. As a society, the mindset that one must have a disorder or major life problem needs to change. It starts with us, seeking help and learning ways to create healthy habits. 

There are many misconceptions with seeking therapy: it does not have to be a daily or weekly commitment. Visiting a counselor or therapist even once a month can drastically change your habits. It begins by taking the step to bettering yourself, caring for yourself mentally. Classes can be stressful, especially during finals week or during season games. Garden City Community College offers free therapy sessions. This is a great opportunity and resource to use in order to express your thoughts and feelings to a person who understands and knows how to help. Oftentimes students just need a safe place to express themselves and their feelings. If you’re feeling stressed, homesick, sad, or simply have a lot on your mind, GC3 offers a place where you can let those feelings out safely. A simple conversation can help your mindset. Taking the step to seek help for these stressors is an empowering decision that can help you learn more about yourself and how to care for yourself. It is important to learn what makes you feel accomplished or learn how to deal with pressure in intense situations. 

Garden City Community College has set in place this free resource to help students deal with college or everyday life. This resource is not offered at every college which is another reason why it is extremely helpful to take advantage of this resource. We have three licensed mental health therapists available on campus weekly. It is located in the student health office in BTSC 201, to contact Genesis call 620-275-1766.