Depressed struggling to finish study
Hi there,
Whenever I face something hard, feel low, or sad I shut down on myself and stop working on my thesis. Since I am diagnosed with depression and my life circumstances aren't easy, this happens all the time.
I have been stuck for more than one year in the same stage of studying. What can I do? Any advice? Plz!
@VioletSurvival0
Hey Violet,
Thanks for taking the time to reach out! I can definitely relate to your struggles with depression and life. Sometimes our mental health gets in the way of school and the ability to complete assignments. Depression can affect our studies in many ways. It can be so hard to find the motivation and the focus to complete everything. Sometimes school is not the highest priority. And that is okie. It's okie to take a step back and focus on that for a while. However at some point we have to work through those challenges.
For me personally I find it really helpful to write out my goals, to-do lists, and when Im going to work on each part of a thesis. Set aside 30 minutes a day to be completely focused on studying. If you want to work longer I find the pomodoro method really helpful. Put on a timer for 20 minutes then 5 minutes break and then repeat. You have to follow the timer not your mind. Put way all your distractions, like your phone and social media. Find a spot that is completely dedicated studying, and that fits your needs (quiet, or busy, bright lights or dim lights). Break down your thesis into smaller stages, and those stages into even smaller stages. For every study session you will assign a task. Example, On Monday I will study from 4:00-4:30 at the library, editing pages 10 and 11. One study session at a time you can work your way out of this low point. You are very capable of doing this thesis. And I belive in you. I hope that this helps little. Feel free to share your thoughts about what has worked and what hasn't worked for you<3 we are here for you always.
@FaithfulZareia
Oh faithfulZareia, firstm huge thanks for having faith on me, and finding the time to reply to my question in detail.
I totally agree with you, I learnt to stop running all the time and to recognize my need to rest, or just get tired, ot even do nothing. I learnt to listen more to myslef. But on the other hand, Sometimes I just get swept away in this status for months, which makes me feel stuck in all aspect of my life, leading my depression to get worse. I am not able to learn how to navigate between things or how to turn my depression into a productive power or force to finish all my assignments. I have big dreams and I want to achieve it all with trying my best!
I will try to follow your suggested method and let you know how it goes. Maybe when I stop expecting my self to have big achievments I will finally be able to work little by little on things. Again thanks very much dear!
@VioletSurvival0
Hello Violet,
I know what you're going through. I am a student too, and I have been diagnosed with depression as well. Depression impacted my abilities to focus and my motivation to study. Additionally, every time things got hard, or exams come closer, anxiety and stress only made things worse. I thought of dropping school sometimes, and I was wondering if I made the right choice. But then, I remember that this was not my first time to think and feel so, and that I could made it before. I acknowledged my feelings, my abilities and my limits. I took good self-care of me, did some relaxation and meditation, and sometimes reached for professional help. I could make it at the end, and so can you!
You are doing your thesis now; which means you're a smart student with a big motivation and goals in life. I want you to remember the reasons you did your studies and the goals you had in your mind. Can you write them out loud here in a comment? The more goals you remember, the best.
It has been 18 days since your post. I wish to here how you're doing now.
I want you to remember that we are here at 7Cups to listen and support you through your journey. Feel free to reach to a listener if you need a 1-to-1 chat. I am MarwaneB, and I'll be happy to chat with you. 7Cups has also some guidelines about depression and test anxiety (which is a good ressource for any school-related stress), and also some relaxation techniques. Have you tried them?