Hello! I was wondering if you had any advice on getting back to track with college work and gaining back your passions? I’ve been going through rough times and handling depression has taken a toll on my school work. I feel disorganized and worthless. I wish I wasn’t this way so that I could actually do good. I’m sorry, I went on a rant and sorry if I’m bothering you.
You’re not bothering me love.
How to Get Your Life Back in Order:
1. Assess. How far behind are you? Email, or even better, talk to all your professors about any missed assignments, tests, quizzes, etc. that you can make up. I’m not sure how it works on all college campuses but I believe you may be able to get extensions on missed stuff if you go through your disability resource/mental health center. Of course, they’ll have to let your professors know what’s been going on so I would take that into consideration.
2. Organize. Lay out your make-up work by class, with the things most overdue on at the back of the stack and the things newest/least overdue at the front.
3.. Prioritize. You can either choose to tackle the class that’s easiest/hardest for you first or the class that has the most/least for you to do or the class where your grade has been affected the most. It’s up to you.
4. List. For the next week or two, depending on how much make-up work you have, you may want to live on a strict day-to-day schedule. Waking up at a certain time, getting started on assignments at a certain time, finishing at a certain time, scheduling meals and breaks for a certain time. If you don’t think that’s something you want to deal with or maybe just aren’t ready for yet, maybe do it just by day. So if you’re going strict you would do something like “Wake up at 7, breakfast by 7:15, start math by 7:30, finish by 10 with breaks at 8:15 and 9:15″ or if you’re doing the day-to-day, “finish math and science by Tuesday, finish english and history by Thursday.” No matter how you choose to go about it, you need to be not like hard on yourself but motivated and get it done.
5. Reward. You totally need to reward yourself for all the hard-work and effort you’re putting into not only your schoolwork but your mental health. It can be rewards at the end of work session, each day, or each week, however often you need it.
How to Regain Your Passions:
1. Remember. Think about what you were passionate about. Sports, reading, writing, music, etc.
2. Think about now. As we get older our passions may change. Assess if you’re still truly passionate about these things or maybe you’ve developed an interest in something else.
3. Bring it back. If your interests are still the same, start bringing them back into your life a little at a time. Don’t make it seem like a chore though. Start small, maybe just read one chapter of a book that you’re interested in or write down an idea for a story you had. Small things that’ll make you go “Oh yeah! I remember how much I love doing this!”
4. Experiment. If you find that maybe your passions aren’t the same anymore, try something new. Join a club, go out somewhere new, try talking to new people, just explore the world and the things around you. Dabble in something new and you may find a passion that you never knew you had.
How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Mental Health:
1. Write. Literally write it all out, everything you’re feeling. This was a game changer for me when I was in middle/high school. It helped me to write it like I was narrating a character’s story instead of it being mine. Write it however you need to. Even draw it out if that’s better for you. I still do this today in just a plain five star notebook.
2. Create a support net. Connect with friends or family that you can talk about things with or who will listen to you or get your mind off things or whatever it is you need. My go-to supporters are my boyfriend, my little sister, and my friend Nicole.
3. Work it out. Working out is literally one of the best ways for me to clear my mind. I like to go for a swim, walk, or bike ride. It gives me some fresh air, a new space, and time to think. Being holed up in my room was detrimental for me to my mental health. Also, working out increases endorphins in the body, your happy chemical.
4. Go outside. Kinda like #3. Being around nature helps me to clear my mind and think more positively about things and bring me back into focus about things. I need that vitamin D.
5. Talk to a professional. If you want to, if you think you need to, if you can afford it or have insurance that will cover it, or if you’re on a college campus, they probably provide counselor that comes with your tuition. You can talk to a regular counselor or a specialized grief counselor. Don’t let yourself get too far down a dark hole before seeking help. Trust me.
6. Focus and stay busy. Sometimes the best thing for me is to just throw myself into my work. It’s how I cope with a lot of things, putting all of my mental issues into physical action. It helps me to feel in control of my life still. Focus on your schoolwork and other obligations. Get them As.
8. Clean and organize bedroom. I recently remembered how much I love to clean up and organize when I’m stressed or not feeling so hot, and chances are that if I’ve been in That Slump™️, my room and living area have been neglected and need a good cleaning and organizing anyways.
7. Take mental health days and care for yourself. It’s completely okay to take time off for yourself. You need to care for yourself first and foremost.
I hope these help lovely, xx
