Young people

Pinned discussions

Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies

replies: 51

Hi! Just thought I’d make a post with some tips for study. I know this is something we can all struggle with. These are all suggestions so feel free to take them or leave them! Hope they help! If you only remember one thing, let it be this: You are important. Your grades don’t define you. (support) Studying can feel isolating but know you’re not alone! Reach out – and find or make friends that can support you along the way. If you’re having trouble finding some friends, join some local communities or clubs! They have lots at Uni’s and even stuff like open days are great ways to meet new people and find out what’s happening. Study groups can also be a great way to meet people and stay motivated. Also remind yourself why you’re doing this; inspirational wallpapers or quotes can be super inspiring. Remember the saying about the oxygen mask? If you can’t take care of yourself first studying will be harder. You are important. You know the drill - water, food, exercise, sleep. Try to stay calm. Stuff that might be able to help include mindfulness, breathing exercises, colouring in, going for walks, journaling, listening to music… If you’re struggling – reach out. See a therapist. Talk to your student counsellor. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for it. Also lots of Universities and TAFE offer disability services – which includes conditions like Depression and Anxiety. (study) Find the right study space for you. Maybe that’s in your room, or a coffee shop, or the library. Some people find that noise helps; other people not so much. If you like particular kinds of noise, you can find ‘coffee shop’ noise or ‘rain sounds’ to help concentrate. Make a plan. It helps to do it often so it becomes a habit. Anytime you get a due date, write it down. Maybe you could use a diary, planner, bullet journal or an app. I find the 30/30 App helpful - study for a bit and then break for a bit. You can also get add-on’s for your computer to block sites like Facebook if you find them too distracting. Find out what study technique works for you. Do you like cue cards? Mind maps? Colour coding? Does highlighting stuff help you remember? Charts, maps, diagrams? Recorded lectures? Goals! These are so important – not just writing down deadlines but rewarding yourself for meeting them. Even making smaller goals like ‘read two pages from a textbook’ can help. Break it down into bite size pieces, and don’t forget to reward yourself after!

NEW TO THIS FORUM? Please read this first

replies: 0

The Young People space is a sub-forum within the wider Beyond Blue forum community. 1. Its purpose is to provide members aged 25 and under a space to discuss anxiety, depression and other related life issues. If you are aged over 25, please be mindful that this forum is a space for younger people to connect and provide peer support for each other. 2. Content from this sub-forum is displayed on both the beyondblue and youthbeyondblue websites. 3. Please bear in mind that some members find content relating to suicide and/or self-harm distressing or triggering. If you would like to post on these topics, please do so in our Suicidal Thoughts and Self Harm section. Please see also our guidelines for making posts on this topic. Posts made here in the Young People sub-forum containing content relating to suicide and/or self-harm will be moved. 4. These forums are moderated, so your posts may not appear straightaway. Information on how our system works can be found here. Being familiar with our community rules can help ensure that your posts appear online as quickly as possible. 5. This is a peer support community, and to get the best out of being here we recommend that you 'give support to receive support'. More on how that works here.

All discussions

Sorted by:

Start a discussion

Numb

replies: 3

Hey, New to this so see how it goes! I just wanted to seek some advice/ideas from someone. Anything really. I have some issues going on in my life at the moment, just like the rest of us, which are always a rollercoaster ride to deal with. I just feel numb quite a bit, in terms of some days I'll wake up and it's like my personality has been drained out of me.... I don't want to do anything, see anyone etc etc and the worst bit is? No matter how bad I feel, I can never cry. The tears just won't come and I'm stuck in this kind of fog in my head that just numbs everything. It's a really horrible feeling and I really don't know if I can keep doing this. I feel like I'm such a burden and really really hate myself whenever the fog comes.. I'm not myself. Unless this is a part of me? Any advice would be appreciated and thank you x

The reality of my life is dragging me down

replies: 6

Hi, I wanted to share some thoughts and feelings with the community here. I am very depressed and anxious about my current situation and my overall life. This year has been the worst year of my life. Here's why: - I had a nasty falling out with my best friend of four years -I was kicked out of home -I broke my ankle in April however it is not healed and have been stuffed around by the system. - I had to declare bankruptcy - I had to take a break from uni due to psychological and financial reasons - I was homeless for a week I am struggling with the reality that I am a loser. I feel very alone with how my life is and that is not really worth living. I am not getting any joy or use out of it so what is the point of carrying on? I feel so worthless and alone in a depressing situation from which I see no end. I do get centrelink and work part time, but it is not doing much to alievate the money issues. I can't get help from friends, parents or anyone. I am missing that fact I do not have a best friend or anyone to do things with. I do go out and socialise at various events but have trouble making friends. I am not sure why I can't connect with some people; I use a variety of techniques to try to connect. I try to mimic others behaviour in order to fit in, I try to be myself, I keep to myself in case people come to me. I go to people and try to strike up a conversation. Seems like I am a social outcast I am depressed about being bankrupt and not being able to apply for a loan, credit card, etc. I understand that is the side effect from doing that, but I continually apply and make my situation worse and worse. I fear never to be able to get a loan for a house or a car in the future. I really suck at money! Thank you for taking the time to listen to me. Kind regards, Imogen.

Bad Dreams

replies: 3

Sometimes, I have bad dreams. When I say bad, I don't mean being chased y monsters or something. It typically involves me living through a version of myself who decided to finally check out, or just a reenactment of all the things I regret in life. These dreams tend to get worse around the time of some sort of catalyst event. I still get them even when I'm fine, albeit I don't wake up sweating or tearing up. My dreams aren't only subjected to watching me end my own life. Sometimes, I get these really weird dreams where I watch my life being replayed, except I've been replaced by a much better-looking, more able, more skillful and more loved version of me. I just get to watch my perfect doppelganger do everything I've done, but perfectly. Is this weird? Idk. I hope not though, especially the last bit about watching someone else in my shoes.

Anxiety and autism

replies: 2

I have been dating the most kind hearted AMAZING guy for around about 6 months now. I am his 1st gf and our realtionship was pretty serious but a week ago he has broken things off as he said that he couldn't do it anymore because of his anxiety, stress and he was confused about his feelings for me. Stright after calling things off with me he deleted his fb and insta accounts. He been struggling alot this month as his new job is stressing him out and he has been puting alot of pressure on himself. He has high functioning autism aswell so he gets very confused about his feelings and always stress about how he should be feeling in the realtionship ect. He has even been comparing our realtionship to tvshows. He hasn't has much mental support at all and he stopped his anxiety medication a few months back and gone down the natural way. After the brake up i haven't contact him as he needs space but i am very worried about him but i know if i contact him he will shut me out even more. I need some advice

Feel like I have too many issues (long)

replies: 3

Hi all, new here and needing some advice. I'm 20, living at home and managing a part-time job coupled with part time university. I finished school back in 2016 and initially went straight to university, my mental health did not cope with it and I did terribly and took a year off. I ended up upping my work to full time and doing nothing with regard to self progress for reasons unknown to me. I decided to go back to university this semester because I couldn't see myself progressing in life any other way but I've run into the exact same problems. I don't have any motivation for the course or degree that I'm in and the only thing driving me is that I want more for myself than an office job and I'm scared of how disadvantaged I will be without a degree of some kind. Clearly this isn't enough of a driving force as I am so far behind I'm not even sure if I'll pass the semester. I've committed to myself to make a concerted effort to try and then it around for a pass but every time I'm working I find that my mental health goes straight to negativity and I really struggle to maintain focus. I've often wondered if I have ADD as this has always been an issue however I've never gotten tested. Two weeks ago I was also given an ultimatum by my mother who I currently live with and pay rent to. She said I was either to commit fully to university or supplement my rent with a full time job and leave completely. When I told her I wanted the former she expected me to pull my grades up to obscene levels which I simply don't believe it's possible to do. I talked to her last night about how I'm stressed and lacking direction and her reaction was to act as though I'd broken a promise to her. We've always had a very close relationship and it's difficult for me to continue this path knowing she not only distrusts me but doesn't support me. I feel as though I'm directionless and floundering and I'm not sure how to break that cycle. I often think about how I could be starting my third year of university right now but instead I'm in the same spot I was two years ago and have no motivation to change that. I don't think I've ever completely matured or developed independence but I have no idea how to and I'm honestly scared for the future of my life. Any comments or advice however small would go a long way to help me right now as I have no clue how to progress with my life and the stagnation is beyond frustrating.

My weird way of looking at life

replies: 2

I have this really weird feeling that even though I'm liked by people in my friend group, no girls would really want to go out with me. I kind of have this weird thing where I just accept that no girls like me like me and I try no to worry about it too much. But sometimes it really gets to me. I find it hard to approach girls and I have no clue on how i'm ever going to ask a girl out. I have been trying to work on my self confidence this year by joining school bands and talking to girls more than I used to. I just can't seem to get past the barrier of (A) Being really awkward (B) Thinking that no girls find Iim attractive. I have the fear that if I try approaching the girl I like I will be rejected and will mess up the dynamic that my friend group has and everyone else's views on me. Sorry this thread is a bit messy its my first post and i'm very bad at expressing feelings I've never really talked about with anyone else. Thanks to anyone that reads or attempts to help me out!

school is draining my mental health

replies: 2

Hi there, i am currently in year 10 at school and for the past four years the same thing has been happening- I don’t know how to change it. I feel like my friends lose interest in me really quickly and then they just leave me behind. This has happened so many times and I don’t know what to do and what I’m doing wrong!! I really like school and it’s what im good at, but the friends aspect just never works out for me and it leaves me with constant anxiety and depression. Recently, I’ve had two close friends in my group. My best friend was a really social and bubbly person and we’ve been close friends for two years now. But I knew that she would eventually leave and get sick of me like everyone else, just like she has now! She moved to another group who I don’t know that well and I was really hurt by that as I don’t think she took my situation into consideration at all, she just thought that we’d keep our bond. She even went as far as to ask that group if I could also sit with them. They said no. This always happens to me, and I feel like it’s the fact that I have trouble accepting myself and I care so much about what other people think, but I just don’t know how to change this. Thanks xo

Anybody else? thoughts on therapy/diagnoses and candor

replies: 2

Hi! Can anyone share thoughts on therapy/diagnosis and talking about mental health? I'm new, and I wanted to air some stuff out and see what you guys think about moving forward through things. I'm not diagnosed, and unsure if I could be. I've never been to therapy - I spoke to a GP, and an online counselor, once. I had a referral for GAD and adjustment disorder; both experiences were temporary and I didn't go to the therapist. What wasn't so short lived was the misery and bleakness that marked my life from 10 yrs to around 13. During this time, my mum, who's had depression since childhood, gave a name to that void; 'depression', but I chose not to see a therapist. I've since had times where things were worse or better and learned a few coping strategies in the past 8 yrs. There's a rough pattern; during a year when I had great social connections, I felt great compared to the last few, despite hiccups (2015, anybody? best year ever). During times of adjustment, more work, or having less to distract myself with (holidays) I sink back into the deep dark emotional void that seems hot on my heels wherever I go (and I better not trip). Other times its a #sadnesssurprise! or it could just be another iron deficiency, who knows. I don't think there's a way to paint my mental health track record as less than spotty, tho I'm unsure if I could have been diagnosed with a disorder through that whole time, or now. I still have problems, but I do great compared to how I used to - I'm usually ok (tho I'm wary after spending like 2 yrs thinking crushing loneliness, 'dullness'and daily crying was normal before I spoke to my mum). I may not be an optimist or untroubled by certain stressors, and I recently feel I'm playing catch up with life, but I do ok. The point is I've worked hard to learn that it's ok that I'm not, and that struggling with stuff isn't strange or unacceptable. I'm comfortable with my discomfort, but it seems no one else is. I don't want to bare my soul to every stranger, but I'm sick of never mentioning it, biting my tongue and being vague. If I were to see a therapist, and im considering, achieving clarity would be as important as coping, partly because I'd like the freedom to be candid and not have people think I'm weird or burdensome, or a sook. Why should mental health bereserved only for D&Ms when I can discuss, say, asthma attacks and management without discomfort or awkwardness? Any advice on therapy (as I'm considering) or candor is appreciated.

Anxious & embarrassed to move back to old school

replies: 2

Hey guys, I need your help. I'm unsure of whether or not I should move back into my old school. I'm currently in yr 10 and I recently moved to a new school this year, however I feel extremely lonely at this school :(. I've only stayed here for 3 Terms and I have made friends but none within my grade they all are mostly in the older grades. People here weren't quite welcoming when I first arrived and they weren't near as nice compared to the people within my old school. I really want to go back to my old school but I'm just so embarrassed and anxious about what my friends might think, I haven't been in contact with any of them cause I've just been feeling so down and not bothered to reach out to anyone. I also feel like it might be awkward because they all have made new friends and I feel like I might be left out My studies have been dropping due to the living situations that I'm in and my un-happieness has added to my grades dropping. However I'm so unsure of the possibility of moving back, cause of financial reasons. The other option I have come to is to instead to go and live with my mum which i'm happy about, but go to a state school as the people I currently living with are not my relatives, staying with them makes me feel uncomfortable as I feel so lonely here and nobody here ever socializes or even does simple things such as cleaning. State school as another option makes me terrified as I have been to private schools my whole life, I've heard so many stories of bullying and fighting within state schools and I I'm scared if I was to encounter that. It would really help if u could share any experiences you may have had or any suggestions on what you think I should do. Thanks!

Restarting your life

replies: 1

Hey guys, well I've got a problem we've all dealt with before...I can't jumpstart my life. Ever since my diagnosis, I've been struggling to find something that doesn't make me feel bored. no matter what I try, I just can't seem get any enjoyment out ... View more

Eeep! When study is overwhelming! - Tips, ideas and coping strategies replies: 51

NEW TO THIS FORUM? Please read this first replies: 0

Numb replies: 3

The reality of my life is dragging me down replies: 6

Bad Dreams replies: 3

Anxiety and autism replies: 2

Feel like I have too many issues (long) replies: 3

My weird way of looking at life replies: 2

school is draining my mental health replies: 2

Anybody else? thoughts on therapy/diagnoses and candor replies: 2

Anxious & embarrassed to move back to old school replies: 2

Restarting your life replies: 1