Mental health is a crucial part of how individuals succeed in their personal and academic lives. Our emotional, psychological, and emotional well-being impact all aspects of our lives from how we interact with others, make decisions, and navigate stress. When people experience poor mental health it may cause them to withdraw from social situations, be less engaged in activities, and lose enthusiasm for things they once enjoyed. Students who experience poor mental health may be anxious about performing well in their courses, lack of determination to attend class or turn in assignments, inability to focus, and poor time management. I have struggled with anxiety for most my life, and more recently in college years. Balancing school, work, and a personal life has been extremely challenging and not for the faint of heart. My anxiety causes me to procrastinate on discussion boards and assignments, causing self-inflicted pressure as the clock ticks to make sure everything is submitted on time. The narrative of "must succeed" is always playing like a song in my head as I continue in my master's program for school counseling. Graduate school is a huge undertaking mentally, emotionally, academically, and financially. There is always worry about grades, if I'm working hard enough, or if I have chosen the correct career path that causes the inevitable spiral. These academic anxieties spill over into my personal life, at times limiting my capacity for social interaction with friends and family. Burnout and worry induce a frozen state of mind where I am unable to do simple things that would help ease my anxiety and regain focus on my academics. At times it's much easier to scroll on my phone for hours or lose myself in a Netflix show than to open my computer to complete discussion board posts that would take me the length of one comedy episode. As I have continued in my program, I have learned that prioritizing my mental health and managing my anxiety is how I can not only be the best person I can be for my future students, but also relating to them in ways that other adults in their lives may not be able to. Sharing with them my struggles and techniques will help them in their own mental health journey and see how people can still live their lives the best they can despite having mental health challenges. When it comes to doing things to help my mental health, I used to try to do everything I could all at once and I wouldn't be successful. Instead, I start with small goals and work my way up to where I want to be. For example, I start by exercising two days a week and work my way up to four. Journaling is also a tool that helps me put all my anxieties on paper to help me process them so I am able to shift my mind to something else. I also practice mindfulness through yoga and prayer. Continuing to be active in my friendships and with family is also a vital part of positive mental health while also maintaining boundaries and saying no when necessary. I'm also thankful my school offers twelve free counseling sessions per year so students have an outlet. Though dealing with anxiety can feel like you're drowning, I'm thankful to use the tools and resources I have to ensure my mental health is my priority so I am able to function in my personal and academic life. It may not be easy, but it's always worth it!

I started my public school education in the 9th grade after attending a private Lutheran school from preschool through 8th grade. Aside from learning academically I also learned extensively about the Bible and Christianity, providing me with a solid foundation as I was stepping into a secular environment for the first time. Through conversations with friends and faculty I realized that each individual in society has a worldview formed by their opinions and biases, also known as people's personal ‘truths’. It's very difficult to change this narrative that is created, but it's also the lens in which we view ourselves, others, experiences, thoughts, and beliefs. When it comes to God's truth and the truth from the Bible, we can take comfort in knowing they are the same! If God is true, that means His Word is also true. John 8:32 says, "So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, 'If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" Believing in Jesus, who is fully God and fully man, is the only way humans are able to get to the Father (John 14:6). God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one (the Holy Trinity); therefore, God is also true. Scripture also says "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God wrote His Word to be a guide (Psalm 119:105) for people as they go through life to avoid sin and navigate adversity while growing in faith and hearing the good news of the Gospel. I believe Pastor John Piper states this concept best in his book, Finally Alive: "My feelings are not God. God is God. My feelings do not define truth. God's Word defines truth. My feelings are echoes and responses to what my mind perceives. And sometimes - many times - my feelings are out of sync with the truth. When that happens - and it happens every day in some measure - I try not to bend the truth to justify my imperfect feelings, but rather, I plead with God: Purify my perceptions of Your truth and transform my feelings so that they are in sync with the truth." This doesn't mean our feelings or opinions are meaningless and don't matter. However, this also doesn't mean they are God and what He says truth is. The sinfulness of our human nature warps our thoughts, feelings, opinions, and behavior constantly as mentioned by Pastor John Piper. When we notice ourselves and others holding on to these truths it's important to examine them, and our hearts, against Scripture to see if they are aligned with God's truth. When we cling to God's truth instead of our own, we experience the freedom Jesus describes in John 8:32, which is freedom from sin and death with the reward of everlasting life to those who believe because of Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Our culture today may say that everyone's truth is valid and important to who they are, but Christ tells us in Scripture who we really are. We are beloved children of God and have freedom from sin, death, and the power of the devil because Jesus paid our debts by His death. What a relief it is to accept the truth of God and His Word that will never change or fail us!