Keep Calm & Study On

Studying can be one of the hardest parts of going to school - especially when you are struggling to find the motivation. For people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, or other mental illnesses the struggle to find motivation to study can become a daily occurance. Here are some of the things I've found that work best for me when I'm struggling to find the motivation to get through a study session:

Sleep. It seems obvious, but if you're physically exhausted and you just can't focus anymore, just go to sleep. There's really no use is trying to stay up all night; you're not going to retain the information as well if you're dead tired. It simply isn't worth it.

Break assignments into manageable chunks. You're going to cause yourself a lot of stress if you don't do this. It may take up a little more time, but you're going to be more motivated to read a couple chunks of texts - five sets of ten pages seems way more appealing than a full 50 pages. And only do what you feel comfortable with. If you can only handle reading a few sections of your assigned reading, that's okay! Just do what you can.

Listen to soft music. Don't stress yourself out by playing heavy metal, head-banging music. Instrumental music, rain or ambient noise. Classical music. Something that isn't going to pull your attention away from the task at hand. I've created a playlist on YouTube with some of the music that I listen to when I'm studying.

Don't overwork yourself. Like I said before, if you are physically unable to keep going with whatever you're working on, just stop. Take a break. Go to bed for the night. Don't sacrifice your mental and physical health for just a few points.

Be sure to stay hydrated!

Have a healthy snack. Fuel your body.

Do what works best for you. Don't think that just because one thing works for one person that means it will automatically work for you. Everyone learns differently, and there is no guarantee that a specific study method is "one style fits all." Play around with techniques and styles and find what works best for you.

Some other, more general, tips I've found that help me are:

+ Eat and drink. Don't skip meals, and stay hydrated.

+ Get at least 5-6 hours of sleep a night.

+ Write down the things people say that make you happy. If you use a bullet journal, this is a great place to document those sweet nothings.

+ Don't skip out on your daily routine(s). Even when you just want to put yourself on autopilot and scrape through the day, go through your normal daily routines. You'll feel better knowing that you got through them.

+ Have a "bad day" activity. Seems silly, but have a healthy outlet for when you have a bad day. Journal. Exercise. Whatever will make you feel better.

+ Create realistic, obtainable goals and build up to the bigger ones.

+ Yoga. Nothing is really as relaxing or as customizable.

+ Drink tea. I don't personally drink tea but I've heard a lot of good things about it. Even that it's more refreshing than coffee!

+ Treat yourself! Like Tom Haverford and Donna Meagle from Parks and Recreation, take time to treat yo'self! You've put a lot of effort into the things you've accomplished. You deserve it.

I hope these help you get through those impossible study sessions!

#advice #tips