- a lifeguide for students with anxiety - iโve been struggling with anxiety for more than a decade. needless to say, i know what itโs like to be in a school system when your mental health isnโt at its best. itโs easy to get discouraged and give up on your studies. iโve been there as well, but look at me now, iโve graduated from a bachelor degree, a master degree and iโm 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 iโd know sooner when i got to higher education, when my mental health failed me. x prioritize i canโt stress this enough. P R I O R I T I Z E all your tasks. itโs easy to be overwhelmed with work, emotions, pressure. so whenever you feel like youโve got a thousand things to do but donโt know how/where to start : list everything. as soon as youโre 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 arenโt a life or death question one for tasks that can wait/less important once itโs done, mark your important tasks with numbers: one for the most important, second for the second most important etcโฆ this method will help you to know what youโve got to do first and help you organise your brain.
x use the pomodoro method being anxious means procrastinate then worry about procrastination because youโve got a lot to do but also struggle to focus because your mind is thinking about something elseโฆ itโs an endless spiral. the pomodoro method is well-known amongst studyblrs but it is really helpful when you canโt 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 iโve 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 itโs too much, stop it youโve got to submit an essay, you havenโt got much time left but you canโt work. you canโt work because youโre too anxious, because youโre scared, because you want to give up, because all of this, is getting too much. did that ever happen ? donโt force it, youโre 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 youโre feeling a tad better, come back, write down everything that is currently making you anxious and split them in two: what can/canโt be solved. and then write down solutions, even long terms ones. once itโs done, you should feel a bit better, enough to go back to your work.
thatโs all for the real real real tips, but hereโs 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, itโs helpful to write what youโve got in mind - ask for help. never be scared to reach to someone when you canโt do it anymore, itโs important. - remember to take time for yourself as well, sleep is important, so is staying hydrated.
i know itโs 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.
take care, - aly
