Surviving Senioritis: Mental Health Strategies for College-Bound Seniors

If you’re wondering “Is senioritis real?” I can tell you from firsthand experience that it absolutely is. But if I told you I was a senior in high school in 2006, would you even keep reading? Certainly an experience from nearly 20 years ago—more time than you’ve likely been on Earth—can’t possibly be relevant today, can it? 

Well, let’s see if I can shed some light on the meaning of senioritis. 

What Leads to Senioritis?

Back in my day, we didn’t call it “crashing out,” but we still did it. And I crashed out most spectacularly. In high school, I was a straight-A Honors/AP/Gifted student who participated in every school play, musical, choir, and football game (as the mascot, no less), and who not only worked as a part of student government and class council to plan both homecoming and prom (and who was crowned Homecoming Queen, no less), I also worked an after school job at the local Best Buy and woke up every morning at 5 o’clock to run a 5K and straighten my naturally curly hair before school.

I volunteered tutoring kids after school and I created a secondary school newspaper as my senior project. I participated in Mock Trial, Model UN, and National History Day. Is this an exaggeration? Not really. I used to change out of my theater costume into my work uniform while speeding down the highway with the cruise control on. Someone tell that girl to calm down! 

But all I could think about was how desperate I was to get into college. 

Then, somewhere after becoming Homecoming Queen and surviving the college application process (with only a rudimentary version of Google), I simply crashed out. Burnt out. Couldn’t take it any longer.

What Does Senioritis Look Like?

For me, I just stopped showing up to Best Buy, so much so that my manager kept leaving me voicemails on my Nokia Cricket phone, thinking I was dead. I drove to my best friend’s house as if I was going to pick him up for school—and instead—talked him into skipping and ordering buffalo chicken pizzas with me and eating in front of the TV all day. 

When I went in for my interview for a spot at the Ivy League school I had dreamt of attending for years, I cried. 

Dear Reader, I did not get in. 

It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out that I wasn’t just suffering from senioritis: I was depressed. 

And if there’s anything I can convince you of today, it’s that crashing and burning in that exact way—while it’s sure to emit a spectacular fireworks display—is not conducive to your overall well-being and your future as a college student. 

How to Know When You Need Help

Senioritis, as we call it, is a cheeky name for the “burn it all down” feeling that seniors can get when they’re about to graduate from high school. It’s absolutely real. And it happens anytime you have to move from one big time in your life to another. But the suffix -itis should clue us all into something more: that someone may be suffering from a mental illness. And really, it’s some combination of ennui, depression, anxiety, and fear that can grip you, paralyze you, and send you on a one-way ticket to Buffalo Chicken Pizzaville. And that place is just as grim as it sounds. I truly do not want you to have to go there. 

If you’re struggling, though, it can be hard to tell the difference between normal levels of frustration, boredom, and your own need to become an individual and clinical depression or generalized anxiety symptoms. 

The World Health Organization estimates that, globally, one in seven people ages 10–19 years old will experience some form of mental disorder. Depression, anxiety, and behavioral disorders are the most common among that age group. 

The WHO also emphasizes that early detection is key. Sure, you might want to break out and have fun every once in a while, but you should slow down and consider asking for help if you notice yourself starting to:

• Self-harm 
• Self-medicate with drugs and alcohol 
• Engage in risk-taking behaviors (excessive speeding, shoplifting, or even hanging out with people you previously thought weren’t your type could be considered risk-taking) 
• Lose interest in what you like to do 
• Stop participating in activities 
• Pull away from family and friends
• Ruminate on fears or anxieties 
• Lose sleep
• Sleep all the time 
• Become disruptive or reclusive, or
• Engage in any other behavior that’s markedly aberrant and affects you negatively. 

The presence of any one of these things doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re depressed or have anxiety, but you should think of the urge to do something like sneaking drinks from your parents’ liquor cabinet after school as your body’s way of telling you that you’re going through a tough time—and you might benefit from a different form of help. 

If you choose to get help early for these symptoms, you might be able to put some positive coping skills or even medication in place that can stop your emotions from slipping out of your control. 

After my own struggles with depression and anxiety, I always recommend that people reach out to a friend or family member they trust, their doctor, a counselor, a teacher, or just start by connecting with a therapist in your area to see if therapy is the right fit for you right now. You might find that simply having the space to talk through your stress each week is enough to buoy you through this tough time. Acknowledging the problem can go a long way toward fixing it. Your therapist can also help you develop skills to reframe and reassess your problems so that you can develop the resilience to make it through senior year. 

The Importance of Becoming an Individual vs. The Loss of Self

Figuring out when you need to reach out for help might feel tricky. You might have learned to not ask for help when you need it. You might be battling perfectionism. Or, you might be battling feelings of shame or the perception that you shouldn’t need to ask for help. People in your life might be communicating to you that your feelings “aren’t that big of a deal” or that you’re just “being too sensitive.” 

That kind of thing can be really tough to navigate. But you should know that, if you feel badly, there’s no need to suffer—and there’s no need to suffer alone. Your school guidance counselor or a trusted teacher can help connect you with resources that can get you on the right track. 

You might also be running up against the natural feelings of individuation and trying to figure out this phase of your life. Individuation—the process of becoming an individual as you become an adult and break away from your family—is a natural part of growing up. It will mean that some things might become naturally less interesting to you. Maybe you don’t care about going on your annual family vacation because you’d rather stay home and be with your friends before everyone goes away to school. That could simply be a normal response to growing up and not necessarily a sign of depression.

However, it’s important to distinguish between the loss of interest in something because you’re growing out of it and the loss of interest in something because you’re losing your sense of self. 

Hang On Even While You’re Starting to Let Go

A 2023 meta-analysis found that young people who have a stronger sense of self—including self-esteem, self-awareness, and self-compassion—were less likely to develop depression and anxiety. 

The authors note that young people “who build a well-organized knowledge structure about their competencies, values, and memories, and establish greater consciousness of what the self is like (both privately and publicly) experience less depressive and anxiety symptoms.” 

They go on to say that believing in your ability to “effect change, overcome difficulties, and persist in the face of setbacks” while you regulate your emotions and behaviors also leads to more positive mental health. 

So…what does that mean?

It might sound obvious, but it’s worth noting: hanging on to those things that are most important to you—friendships, hobbies, jobs, traditions—can really help you get through the tough transition out of senior year. You might be so bored or stressed that you want to burn every bridge and run and hide, but the more you can relax and let someone else take the reins while you still stay connected, the more you can maintain your positive sense of self—and potentially buoy your mental health through senior year. 

I remember feeling a really strong sense of futility during my senior year. Everything I had worked for was all neatly packaged into my college applications, and the things in and of themselves didn’t really matter to me anymore. Of course, they did, but I was somehow failing to see the point of continuing if I was just going to leave high school anyway. “The point” here is to remember that the activities you participate in are valid as ends in and of themselves. 

Perhaps the science is telling us just that: don’t burn it all down. Stay in it—even if you have to drop back—and stay compassionate with yourself as you go through this time of big change in your life.

Self-Compassion as a Coping Strategy

While suffering through a mental health crisis, it can be really difficult to find the additional strength to talk and think kindly about ourselves. Many high-achieving students struggle with perfectionism—and might use negative self-talk as a motivator to get through hard times. 

But studies show that low self-esteem increases depression in adolescents because it can tank your sense of hope and increase your anxiety. 

Beyond that, numerous studies confirm that self-compassion leads to more “happiness, optimism, curiosity and connectedness, as well as decreased anxiety, depression, rumination and fear of failure.”

So, how do you cultivate self-compassion? There are a number of mental health strategies that can lead you to build your sense of self-compassion. You can experiment with some of these different techniques until you find something that feels right for you.

1) Guided meditations

UCLA Mindful is an excellent resource for guided mindfulness meditations that can help you to foster a sense of kindness and compassion for yourself. They produced this specific guided meditation for Ph.D. students writing their doctoral dissertations. When I thought about it just a little bit, I realized that finishing a dissertation and graduating from high school aren’t wholly dissimilar. One might be a little bit harder, but maybe they’re even proportionally difficult, based on who we are at the time. If you are looking for an easy entry point for guided meditations, I highly suggest this self-compassion practice. You can remember that you’ll be building these self-compassion skills for a lifetime—and there’s no better time to start than the present moment. 

2) Yoga to clear stress and build self-compassion

For folks who want to be able to move while they ground themselves, a yoga practice could lead you to building the self-compassion you need to get through your senior year. Try this heart chakra yoga practice from Akshaya Agnes, which offers the chance to align with your body’s energy center—your heart—which embodies “love, empathy, and emotional resilience.” Take a quiet moment to be with yourself, and see if a regular yoga practice helps you to see yourself differently. 

3) Trying something new

Sometimes, slowing down to meditate, journal, or do yoga when you’re already feeling down can make people feel even more depressed. What about going in the opposite direction? You can help feed your sense of self-compassion by listening to yourself and knowing when you need excitement to break out of your own head. And I don’t mean reckless risk-taking here. But what about: 

• Getting out of your hometown for a weekend camping trip or staycation in a nearby city? 
• Visiting a museum or local attraction you’ve never seen before? 
• Dancing to generate some good vibes? 
• Seeing a reading or a talk from an author or researcher whose work inspires you? 
• Trying something you’d never normally do, like take a salsa class, pottery class, or improv class? 

Trying something new can help you to remember that the world is bigger than your immediate experience, and that you’re about to have a whole bunch of new experiences at college. Remind yourself, tangibly, that a whole lot of new is right around the bend. 

4) Give back

If you’re college-bound, you’ve likely spent some time volunteering in your community. But there is a delightful paradox that comes from giving back to others when we feel our lowest: it often gives back to us, in return. If you can’t find compassion in yourself, try manifesting compassion in your life by creating compassion for others. Even simple things like babysitting for a family member for free, having a conversation with someone sitting alone at a cafe, or going to the animal shelter to play with the dogs or cats can be simple ways to generate compassion in your everyday life without having to add a new volunteer line to your resume. 

5) What brings you joy?

My final tip for building your self-compassion and coping with your mental health during senior year is to find what brings you joy. You may need to take an entire day where you simply do nothing. And when you do, pay attention to what makes you feel like you. 

Is it singing in the shower? Running down a hill? Laughing with your best friend until you cry? Give yourself time to do those things. And give yourself the permission to forget about the rest of the world for a while. I promise: it’ll be there when you get back. 

If I Could Do It All Again…

One last self-compassion practice is one I like to do all the time. It involves looking back at a previous version of you and telling yourself that you’re doing just fine, that you’re doing the best with what you have at the time, and that your future self is already so proud of you. When I think about the 18-year-old version of me who was struggling so much she felt she had to hide herself away from the world, I find solace in telling her that she’s not alone, that I’m there with her, and that she’s actually doing pretty well. 

So, I’ll say the same thing to you right now, my struggling senior friend: you’re not alone, we’re all here with you, and you’re actually doing really well—especially considering all the challenges you’ve overcome. 

And if you ever find that you need help right now and you don’t know where to turn, always remember that you can call the National Suicide Hotline at 988 and speak with a trained responder, 24/7, who will schedule weekly check-ins with you. You can also text or chat with them on 988lifeline.org. You really aren’t alone in this—and we’re all here to make sure you make it through this stage of life with a friend. 

Additional Resources

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