- a lifeguide for students with anxiety -
i’ve been struggling with anxiety for more than a decade. needless to say, i know what it’s like to be in a school system when your mental health isn’t at its best. it’s easy to get discouraged and give up on your studies. i’ve been there as well, but look at me now, i’ve graduated from a bachelor degree, a master degree and i’m even doing a second one. IT-IS-POSSIBLE. if i did it, you can do it as well.
so here, i picked some of my best tips that i wish i’d know sooner when i got to higher education, when my mental health failed me.
x prioritize
i can’t stress this enough. P R I O R I T I Z E all your tasks. it’s easy to be overwhelmed with work, emotions, pressure. so whenever you feel like you’ve got a thousand things to do but don’t know how/where to start : list everything.
as soon as you’re done with your list, pick three colours :
one for important tasks that need to be done asap
one for tasks that you have to do but aren’t a life or death question
one for tasks that can wait/less important
once it’s done, mark your important tasks with numbers: one for the most important, second for the second most important etc… this method will help you to know what you’ve got to do first and help you organise your brain.
x use the pomodoro method
being anxious means procrastinate then worry about procrastination because you’ve got a lot to do but also struggle to focus because your mind is thinking about something else… it’s an endless spiral.
the pomodoro method is well-known amongst studyblrs but it is really helpful when you can’t focus. 20 minutes of work, 5 min break, repeat it 4 times then give yourself a bigger break. honestly it worked for me. i go full hardcore mode for 20mn, and i’ve never been more productive.
+ bonus tips : my mind wanders easily, so i also use an extension that blocks websites (forest is the best!!) it helps me to stay focus.
x when it’s too much, stop it
you’ve got to submit an essay, you haven’t got much time left but you can’t work. you can’t work because you’re too anxious, because you’re scared, because you want to give up, because all of this, is getting too much. did that ever happen ?
don’t force it, you’re not going to be more productive, trust me on this one. instead of crying your eyes out on this essay, give yourself a break. have a shower, talk to a relative/friend, cook something, go out for 5 minutes, scroll your tumblr timeline, do some breathing exercises, do something else. when you’re feeling a tad better, come back, write down everything that is currently making you anxious and split them in two: what can/can’t be solved. and then write down solutions, even long terms ones.
once it’s done, you should feel a bit better, enough to go back to your work.
that’s all for the real real real tips, but here’s some bonus that i do as well:
- listen to classical/relaxing playlist
- use earplugs when i need to be super focused
- always keep a notebook nearby, it’s helpful to write what you’ve got in mind
- ask for help. never be scared to reach to someone when you can’t do it anymore, it’s important.
- remember to take time for yourself as well, sleep is important, so is staying hydrated.
i know it’s not much but those tips helped me get through my dissertation and honestly i would have done so much better if i had known those lil tips before.
