Be mindful that excessive stress can lead to depression. Warning signs include:

• Sadness, anxiety, or "empty" feelings

• Decreased energy, fatigue, being "slowed down"

• Loss of interest or pleasure in usual activities

• Sleep disturbances (insomnia, oversleeping, or waking much earlier than usual)

• Appetite and weight changes (either loss or gain)
 
• Feelings of hopelessness, guilt, and worthlessness

• Thoughts of death or suicide, or suicide attempts

• Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering

• Irritability or excessive crying

• Chronic aches and pains not explained by another physical condition

If you find yourself experiencing any of the symptoms listed above for a prolonged period of time – seek help! Most campuses have resources available such as counseling to help stressed-out and depressed college students cope. Don’t let yourself believe that “it’s just the blues”. Sometimes feeling down can spiral out of control. There are many medications and solutions available to treat depression and make the sun shine again!

It is easy to fall into a "rut" of seeing only the negative when you are stressed. Some people have spent years "turning gold into garbage - the Midas touch in reverse."

 When someone says "That's a nice outfit" the "garbage collector" questions whether that person "really means it.” Your thoughts can become like a pair of very dark glasses, allowing little light or joy into your life. What would happen if each day for the next three days, you committed yourself to actively collecting (noticing) five "pieces of gold" from your environment?

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