Over the last year, the impact of COVID-19 has been taxing for college students’ mental health.

“We’re definitely seeing higher rates of anxiety and depression across the board, it comes from the limited ability to employ some of the coping abilities that everybody is used to. Whether it’s organized sports, or social gatherings, or events, or you name it, just a way to destress and cope,”  Tim Dowling, a counselor who specializes in young adults, said in an interview. 

Dowling works for Apple Valley Behavioral Health. He said that isolation has exacerbated the struggles students regularly deal with and warned about added stress.

“I work with a lot of people on trying to find a balance between staying informed with everything that has happened in 2020 and now into 2021, but also not over exposing yourself to constant, chronic fear.”

According to Dowling, taking in constant bad news over the last year has put people in uncomfortable positions. However, that same unwanted state has also pushed people in a better direction.

“I was actually impressed in a lot of ways in that this pandemic has pushed people out of their comfort zones and forced them to be uncomfortable. And looking at that discomfort can be a good thing because it motivates people to do new things.”

 Dowling also said that people struggling should try and find positive habits to keep their spirits and motivation high.