Q:Hey Kris, first of all I would like to say your blog is a gold mine. I'm collecting tons of articles your posting here. So THANK YOU. Now, I would like to ask you if you already posted tips for students struggling with anxiety and depression. I am a (Belgian) med student and I have many high and lows of motivation and often find myself paralyzed in front of my books, what leads me to failure. Could you help me with some tips ? xx
Hello,
I’m glad that you’ve found my blog useful.
It can be very difficult to study sometimes particularly if you are already suffering from mental health issues like anxiety and depression.
From your ask it seems like you are mostly having motivation issues with your studies. I am not sure if this applies to you but often my inability to study is linked to my perfectionism and high standards.
You set your standard so high that you are unable to meet them, then because you are unable to meet this unreasonable standard you procrastinate or find yourself unable to do the task at hand.
This articles explains the link between perfectionism and procrastination quite well. And this article on overcoming perfectionism and this workbook called perfectionism in perspective can be very helpful.
With my own study I also find it very useful to be organised and well versed in study skills. As well as trying not to let your work pile up, if you are struggling to get something done break it down into small manageable chunks.
Making sure that you have regular breaks doing something you enjoy. This could be reading, playing with pets, doing your nails, cooking, exercising etc etc, basically what you find relaxing.
Even if you don’t feel like studying or doing a particular task try to sit down and do it with the promise of a treat or reward of some kind afterwards, like having your favourite food, or playing a computer game or talking to a friend for awhile afterwards. I find this makes study (even if it is very tedious) manageable and encourages you do it as you look forward to the benefit afterwards.
You can also try to full immerse yourself in the task at hand using mindfulness and grounding skills. For instance: What does it feel like to touch the keys on your keyboard? Can you see the way the page changes as you type out more words? If you think about something different tell yourself that’s okay to think about but I would also like to think about X task.
This ability to ground to your senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell) and coupled with focusing on the present moment (acknowledging unrelated thoughts then letting them go) allows yourself to develop flow on a task. By this I mean it helps you fully engage in the task at hand, fully focusing on it and allowing times to pass more quickly.
As for study skills this master post on productivity and organisation that I recently reblogged I found very, very helpful for learning important skills for school and university.
I hope this helps and please do not hesitate to send in any more relates asks for more resources.
- Kris
Today I made a really hard decision to drop one of my subjects at university. It means that I will have to spend more time at university to finish my degree, but it’s worth it.
I share this because I want all of my followers who are balancing living with a chronic illness and studying to know that no study is worth sacrificing your health for.
Even if it takes you a little longer to finish your study, even if it means you have to reduce your workload, it’s okay. It doesn’t make you a bad or weak person to put your health and happiness first.
Borderline Personality Disorder and study
The symptoms of borderline personality disorder (BPD) can cause a person to have difficulty following through with life plans and goals. A person with BPD may enrol in classes every fall full of good intentions, only to stop going to class or doing the work well before the semester ends.
The BPD may be just as baffled as their friends and family by their lack of success in completing the school term. “They are intelligent, capable, and was really looking forward to the start of classes.” “They were doing well in class and clearly understood the material.”
While the BPD may start off doing well, things may take a turn:
- They seem to suddenly lose interest.
- They become overwhelmed by the possibility that he would not be successful, and becomes paralysed by anxiety.
- They feel that teachers and classmates do not like their in class, making it unbearable for her to continue.
There are many possible causes for a person with borderline personality disorder to have difficulty succeeding in educational pursuits. BPD symptoms – such as lack of a cohesive sense of self, impulsive self-destructive behaviours, intense unstable relationships, and fears of abandonment – are possible contributors, as well as symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Whatever the cause, interest in studies can suddenly wane once the course work or instructors fail to immediately gratify the BPD student. Quitting, whether on purpose or by default, can seem like the only option.
After an unsuccessful term, a BPD may plan to jump into a rigorous class load, possibly registering for as many classes as possible for the next term. The BPD may hope to complete the coursework as quickly as possible to catch up.
Planning for Success
- It is important to plan realistically. This focus on “hurrying up and finishing” can set anyone up for failure. Creating a realistic plan can increase the possibility of success.
- Instead of taking as many classes as possible, register for one or possibly two classes that are not too rigorous. Part time attendance still moves you towards your goal, and you can always increase your load in later school terms.
- Focus on creating a supportive living environment that will help you be successful in classes. Planning to move somewhere new, or into a dorm with strangers, can create added tension that can threaten even your most carefully made plans. Even though it may not be your ideal, staying in your current living environment may increase the likelihood of success.
- Keep everything in perspective. Decisions that you make to be successful one term can be re-evaluated each subsequent term. It is better to plan to take something slowly and in the safest and most secure manner, rather than risking a repeat of not succeeding.
- Discuss your plan with someone that you trust, like your therapist. A therapist wants you succeed and can identify potential problem areas with your plan, increasing the likelihood of success. Together, you can work through any negative feelings related to the plan, address time management issues, and remain focused on your ultimate goal.
Source: bpd.about.com
Rant time
So last semester at university I had to sit a final exam for social psychology, I was able to delay the exam because I was physically unfit to sit it.
Unfortunately the next week I was in hospital with severe liver issues and psychological issues. Since then have extreme difficulties concentrating, memory loss and not to mention being psychologically unfit to sit the rescheduled exam.
Despite offering medical certificates from my doctor and psychiatrist saying I was physically unfit to sit the exam (not to mention being registered as a disabled student) they refused to move the resit date under any circumstances.
Unfortunately as I was unable to sit the exam at all and it was worth a large percentage, my subject grade went from a 5 to a 2. Meaning I have to repeat the entire subject and negatively impacting on my GPA.
I’ve never failed anything in my life before and do this simply because they refused to move the exam date to the last day of the resit period.
I get why they have the policy not to delay resits but honestly considering I spent my entire holidays needing extensive medical treatment (I still have to see 3 doctors a week) it’s not like I got an advantage.
I honestly expected better of the psychology and counselling faculty.
Managing Stress
First, it is important to recognize stress
Stress symptoms include mental, social, and physical manifestations. These include exhaustion, loss of/increased appetite, headaches, crying, sleeplessness, and oversleeping. Escape through alcohol, drugs, or other compulsive behaviour are often indications. Feelings of alarm, frustration, or apathy may accompany stress.
Stress Management is the ability to maintain control when situations, people, and events make excessive demands. What can you do to manage your stress? What are some strategies?
- Look around: See if there really is something you can change or control in the situation
- Set realistic goals for yourself: Reduce the number of events going on in your life and you may reduce the circuit overload
- Exercise in stress reduction through project management/prioritizing
- Remove yourself from the stressful situation: Give yourself a break if only for a few moments daily
- Don’t overwhelm yourself: By fretting about your entire workload. Handle each task as it comes, or selectively deal with matters in some priority. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Try to prioritize a few truly important things and let the rest slide
- Learn how to best relax yourself: Meditation and breathing exercises have been proven to be very effective in controlling stress. Practice clearing your mind of disturbing thoughts.
- Selectively change the way you react but not too much at one time. Focus on one troublesome thing and manage your reactions to it/him/her
- Change the way you see your situation; seek alternative viewpoints: Stress is a reaction to events and problems, and you can lock yourself in to one way of viewing your situation. Seek an outside perspective of the situation, compare it with yours. And perhaps lessen your reaction to these conditions.
- Avoid extreme reactions: Why hate when a little dislike will do? Why generate anxiety when you can be nervous? Why rage when anger will do the job? Why be depressed when you can just be sad?
- Do something for others to help get your mind off your self
- Get enough sleep: Lack of rest just aggravates stress
- Work off stress with physical activity, whether it’s jogging, tennis, gardening
- Avoid self-medication or escapism: Alcohol and drugs can mask stress. They don’t help deal with the problems
Begin to manage the effects of stress
This is a long range strategy of adapting to your situation, and the effects of stress in your life. Try to isolate and work with one “effect” at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself. for example, if you are not sleeping well, seek help on this one problem.
Try to “use” stress: If you can’t remedy, nor escape from, what is bothering you, flow with it and try to use it in a productive way
Try to be positive: Give yourself messages as to how well you can cope rather than how horrible everything is going to be. “Stress can actually help memory, provided it is short-term and not too severe. Stress causes more glucose to be delivered to the brain, which makes more energy available to neurons. This, in turn, enhances memory formation and retrieval. On the other hand, if stress is prolonged, it can impede the glucose delivery and disrupt memory.”
Most importantly: If stress is putting you in an unmanageable state or interfering with your schoolwork, social and/or work life, seek professional help.
Keep Calm
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