Studying with dissociation
Hey! Anya here, and I’m going to share with you a few things I’ve learned over the years that I hope will help make studying with dissociation just a little easier. Disclaimer - I’m not a mental health professional - I’m just someone who suffers from frequent dissociation, who’s sharing what works for her. Please don’t take my advice in the place of genuine medical help, and if you find yourself suffering from chronic dissociation that is impacting your life, please see a mental health professional.
1. GET YOURSELF COMFORTABLE.
I find that my dissociation gets worse when I’m stressed or uncomfortable, so I tend to sit in my bed, or just generally in my room while I work. If that doesn’t suit you, find somewhere else that makes you feel equally comfortable and safe - that could be outside, a coffee shop, your living room - anywhere that suits you.
Another thing that might help is listening to ambient noise or calming music - here’s a list of some good ones:
here’s a website that allows you to create your own ambient noise or choose from hundreds of premade ones
this one has different sliders allowing you to mix your own noise and is super easy to use
this one also works in a very similar way
2. MAKE SURE YOU’RE NOT SLEEPY.
While I’ve found that my dissociation is worse when I’m stressed, I find it’s also worse when I’m tired - and generally studying tends to be harder when we’re feeling a little run-down anyway, so try to check at what points during the day you find yourself most awake - this could be early in the morning, or later on in the afternoon - really, it varies from person to person - and schedule your studying during those times.
If you’re unable to do that due to things like school, work or other obligations, try and find ways to keep yourself awake and alert when you’re feeling a little tired - here are a couple of things that have worked for me:
this software adjusts the colour of your computer’s display so you don’t hurt your eyes (and tire yourself out from looking at a bright screen)
get a small desk lamp - this one is super cute!
take frequent breaks - use a pomodoro timer like this one!
3. SNACK.
Every so often, go down to the kitchen and make a cup of tea or get a small snack - something like nuts or fruit. Busying yourself with eating or making the cup of tea tends to help dissociation - and when you eat or drink your snack, notice the flavours and textures - focus on how it tastes and how it feels in your mouth.
bananas and peanut butter
nuts (almonds or cashews are super nice!)
4. DATE AND TIME.
Often when I dissociate I have trouble remembering the time or the date, so if you don’t already it’s a good idea to date your notes, and maybe have a clock near you. That way, you can always check the top of the page or the clock when you need to.
5. WORKOUT
I’m not saying do all of your studying on a treadmill, or do pushups while you read, but breaking every so often and doing short bursts of exercise will really help ground you. Yoga’s especially nice for this - it’s pretty low impact, so it won’t tire you out, but it gives you the grounding and energy you need. Here’s a nice 5-minute yoga routine
6. TAKE BREAKS WHEN YOU NEED TO.
There is no need to force yourself to “power through” anything that will make your dissociation worse. Your mental health absolutely comes first, and if you notice yourself starting to dissociate, take a small break - for however long it takes - and just ground yourself. Different people have different grounding methods that work for them, but what I tend to do is to either just stand up and press my feet into the floor, or I lie on the floor with the soles of my feet on the ground and I breathe, letting myself feel my back and feet pressing into the ground. Once you’re done, if you feel like you’re ready to, go back and start to study again. Don’t feel bad if you have to do this often - it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
Here are a few more grounding exercises
7. DON’T FORCE YOURSELF.
This kinda goes hand-in-hand with the last one. If you feel like you just can’t do it - like you honestly just can’t manage it today, then don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world, and you can always come back to whatever you were studying at a later date. Remember - your mental health comes first!
