_Rachel Schnelle is a sophomore journalism major at MU. She is an opinion columnist who writes about student life for The Maneater._
As humans, the need to feel loved and appreciated is in our DNA. The feeling of love gives us a sense of security. Similarly, caring for someone can give us a sense of wholeness and is an extension of our love. However, there is a psychological problem with the need to care for and about every aspect and person in our lives.
College is a time of a newfound sense of freedom. You can pick your classes, friends and what you do with your free time. Meeting new people and experiencing new things is one of the most exciting things about college. However, this can lead to worry and anxiety. The stress of not being liked or doing well in your classes can lead to similar problems.
As a returning sophomore, I can say that the amount of worry has increased. My involvement in other organizations and my workload has gradually increased since last year.
Even though I have many friends and feel well-loved, I still have the constant pressure to do well in all of my organizations and class.
The constant caring too much has invaded my life and has created an unhealthy balance in my academic and social life.
Unfortunately, this is common with college students and people in general. We care about every aspect of our lives so much that it becomes unhealthy.
According to Heartmath, the terms overcare is described as something that happens when the mind and emotions cross the line of balanced care, which causes humans to get bogged down with whatever you’re caring about.
As college students, worrying too much can become a part of our everyday thought process. Constant worry about classes and involvement in organizations that we have a hard time finding a healthy balance.
Overcaring can then transfer into anxiety and vice versa. According to The American College Health Association, 56.9% of students reported that they felt overwhelming anxiety.
While anxiety and overcaring mean two different things, they can lead to each other.
Overcaring can happen in different aspects of people’s lives. Whether that be a woman wanting to please her significant other, or a student trying to meet their academic standard that they set for themselves.
While it’s good to care about your friends and family whom are struggling, what’s more important is finding a healthy balance. Caring for your friends instead of yourself can leave significant impact on one’s physical and mental health.
Finding a healthy balance is important in anybody’s life, but it’s especially important to a college student where anxiety and overcaring is common.
What is not as common is students recognizing that they’re struggling and aren’t living in a healthy way.
There comes a certain point where one has to stop caring about other people and be selfish. If you feel yourself caring for others instead of yourself, take a step back and recognize it.
If you feel yourself overcome with anxiety and just caring too much about everything in your life, talk to a loved one or a professional.
_Edited by Roshae Hemmings | rhemmings@themaneater.com_