Young people

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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.

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Losing Friends

replies: 1

just making this post because i’m not sure if what i’m feeling is temporary or something somewhat serious. it started 2 years ago when i left high school in year 10 to work, the next year things were fine between me and my friends but i still found it so hard to cope with the changes. this year has been completely different, i got a boyfriend at the start of the year who i have known for almost two years & he has been the only one that’s really been there for me. i understand my friends are busy with school but they never make an effort to see me anymore, maybe it’s because i’ve become somewhat different to them now as i have a different attitude towards most things compared to them & i now smoke weed at least once a week and other drugs every now and then. i personally don’t think it’s entirely an issue or that it’s a bad thing because it’s just something i use to have a good time w my partner, which is things my friends have never experienced & why i probably feel so different to them. & out of anger and being overwhelmed about feeling so lonely, i left my group chat with all of my group in it because i was over them all talking about school. i never had anything to add to the conversation and when i did i never got a response & i never got a message asking why i left the group chat. i have also been very upset with most things in my life more than usual; i have no idea what i want to do with my life, i don’t have a close relationship with anyone in my family, i’m scared losing my friends and partner and i’m scared of failing in life. recently all these things have been on my mind and it constantly bringing me down, if my boyfriend is busy it makes me feel even more lonely as i have no one else to talk to, seeing my friends at parties that i wasn’t invited to makes me feel even worse about myself as well as seeing them succeed in school while i do nothing with myself makes me feel so upset & im not sure how to get out of this rut i’m in. so yeah that’s basically it, i just kind of want to know what else to do & why i’m feeling the way i do & yeah

What is wrong with me?

replies: 2

Hi everyone This is my first time posting and I guess, first time trying to get some help I haven't been to a doctor to get help yet so I can't accurately describe/label what is wrong with me I can feel myself falling into a really dark place and there is nothing causing it. Last week, and again tonight, I started crying and I can't control it. Once the crying stops I can't breathe and I can't get my heart to beat at a normal pace I am afraid to go to a doctor because they usually just say have a nurofen and get some rest i am about to turn 23, I am in my last semester of uni and I don't know what I'll do when i graduate currently I am laying in bed and i feel like I'm floating, I also feel like I am being horrible to everyone I know because I am upset within myself but I don't know what to do about it I don't know what is wrong with me, I want to see a psychologist so badly but I just looked one up and it is $160 an hour and I can't afford it can anybody help point me in the right direction? I know I need help but I am so afraid to start

I feel so bad about something I said

replies: 3

So today I was chatting with a girl at lunch (an exchange student) and I was talking about how my brother is sick with glandular fever. It's been so horrible to see him so tired and unmoving and quiet, and I was talking about this. I kinda wanted to lighten the conversation up a bit, so I mentioned how he was on the couch, only a couple of metres away from the heater remote, and he asked ME to turn on the heater, trying to make a joke out of it. A JOKE. I didn't even find it funny, but she laughed so KEPT GOING. I said how he can barely talk, and I MIMICKED HIS CROAKY VOICE. I MIMICKED HIM, while he's sick and distressed and unwell! I felt so guilty after I thought about what I said, and I started having anxiety thoughts (particularly with my magical thinking/thought-action fusion). I was stressing that since I had made fun of him that God was going to make him even sicker and it was all my fault. I felt TERRIBLE. I came home and mum noticed I was acting weird, so she asked what was wrong. I told I had said something about someone that was mean and I didn't even think/find funny. I didn't tell her exactly what I said because I knew she would be so disappointed in me. She got quite mad at me and said that she's not going to try to make me feel better, because I SHOULD feel guilty for that. I had seen how all my family members were so concerned about him, and I had MADE FUN OF HIM!!! I feel so guilty, and it was all just to make a girl laugh. I feel so so so bad, I'm crying a lot, having anxiety thoughts, I've made my mum ashamed of me and I went to her looking for validation! How dare I?! What I said was SO out of character for me, I didn't find it funny at all but I SAID IT, and I feel so stupid. Now I can't look at my brother in his state without feeling incredibly guilty and I feel like a horrible person. I mainly wrote this to vent, but if you have any advice that would be greatly appreciated.

My very confused state

replies: 7

Hi there! I'm Sam, I've not yet posted on this forum so here goes I've had anxiety since a very young age, I'm now 18 however am still plagued by it. Interesting enough I'd say I have a good perspective of life, there's definitely times where life has been tough but for the most part I actually am extremely grateful to be alive and receive the support I do. Unfortunately, my love for life is the cause of what I'd consider to be quite a tough part of my life. I'm currently investigating some digestive issues alongside my GP, I've been sick for quite a while, about a month. No vomiting (hooray!!) however frequent abdominal pain and toilet visits. Now here's where things get tricky, I'm terrified of illnesses.. I'm terrified of being sick, it scares me, makes me extremely anxious and lately I've been beginning to wonder whether all of these abdominal problems I've been having are a direct result of my fears of whatever could be going on inside me. My mind often races, "What if I have cancer", "What if I die?!?" and this generally leads me to only feeling worse and being terrified. I want to live my life, I want to be happy and until I know nothings medically wrong with me, my mind can only keep racing with these horrific thoughts. My parents tell me that it's all in my head as I'm yet to have any medical diagnoses and nothing to back the pain I'm in but it's torture, I can't sleep, I barely eat, I've lost kilograms in a matter of weeks and yet I'm just to believe its all in my head? I don't think so, I just want to feel okay, I just want to rid of this pain and I'm so anxious as a result of what COULD be wrong with me, not what actually is... Any replies are appreciated, I'm just really looking to reach out and hear what others may have to say. Thank You for reading this all if yah made it here

Almost died, Lost my job, Stressed about uni, feel like rubbish

replies: 1

Hey, So I'm 19 and I was looking for a job to have while at uni and I had a very difficult time I applied for 160+ jobs and I got 1 interview and I got that job, not being wanted was making me depressed and I had that job for 3 weeks and then I suddenly got very sick, I got blood clots in my lungs and heart and my heart failed. I should have died I was in ICU for 2 weeks and recovering for 2 months and after I was better I had one shift at work and they fired me. So now I have no job and I feel very sad and depressed like someone hit me with a truck. I know I'm going to struggle a lot to get one and all my family say stuff like you do nothing, your lazy, get a job. I do 3 kinds of volunteering and full-time uni with perfect grades so I don't think I'm lazy. I am a full-time neuroscience student in 2nd year and I have a perfect GPA of 7 and I'm terrified of losing it I would honestly probably sacrifice my friends and my health to keep it at a 7 I worked so hard to keep that I even managed to keep full marks while I was in ICU (it was week before exams when I got out). I honestly don't know what I would do if my GPA drops its unthinkable but I have a VERY hard course load this semester and the classes are really difficult and its a very large possibility that I'm going to end up with a 6.7 - 6.9 not a 7 and I would probably have a literal mental breakdown if that happens. Uni and grades are my life doing well academically is the only thing I have going for me in life and is the only thing I'm good at and proud of. I should mention I have GAD and am medicated and see a therapist. Not sure what the point of this post is I just don't have anyone to talk to.

Can moving into a new place help anxiety?

replies: 1

Hi, I got so stressed and anxious with my uni work. Every time when I'm alone in my room, I can't stop crying. (My room has no window and always dark.) My dad asked me to move to a new place. Does it help? Any suggestions?

Stressed

replies: 1

Hey guys I just really want advice on how to handle everything happening in my life I’m finding it so hard to be working two jobs yet I feel obliged to not let down one or both of them which leads to me forcing myself to go to work even when I’m sick which has really started to take a toll on my body, a week a go I got really sick and had to call in and the boss got angry at me, today I also called in sick and was told “there’s no way you’re sick again” even though I have a doctors certificate. I don’t know what to do and I’m so scared I’m going to end up living like this forever as my parents were like this too any advice would be really appreciated

I feel like everything is falling apart

replies: 3

I’m a first year uni student, and when I was in high school I was at a really low point and began seeing a psychologist. I was diagnosed with OCD, social anxiety and severe depression. Most of the sessions were CBT and helped me figure out what was going on with my mental health and helped me cope with it in the short term. After awhile I wasn’t feeling as bad as I was but I also didn’t really overcome it. I was seeing a psychologist through Headspace but he left to open up his own practice with not much warning and I couldn’t afford to follow him. The idea of transferring and getting to know a new psychologist also freaked me out so I just stopped. I was better than I was but I wasn’t great, I still had little mostivation, I had trouble interacting with people, and I constantly overthought everything and had bad relapses every few months. But it was mostly manageable. Recently I’ve been trying to better myself by eating better and working out more, and I’ve tried to make more of an effort with people, as I used to cancel plans/avoid going out. I had a breakdown after my “friend” said some hurtful stuff making me feel bad about my social anxiety which screwed with me because I shouldn’t have to feel bad about that and I’ve been trying best. But it did make me realise how bad my mental health has been lately. I was on uni break for a month and now I have no motivation and focus in my study, I have no motivation to get up in the mornings and usually sleep past 12pm, and at nights I can’t sleep, partly from overthinking and partly from having not been awake for very long. Everything just feels so hard and at times everything seems pointless. I’ve noticed my relationship getting affected as I’m often moody for no reason and easily getting upset. I don’t really know if I should talk to my boyfriend or family about what’s going on with me, or if I should see a psychologist again, which didn’t seem to help much last time. I just don’t know what will help me long term. I’m abit concerned to see a psychologist again partly because my last one sort of just left, partly because I can’t afford to see someone long term, and partly because I don’t want to have to go back to my GP to get another referral as last time I was told I should workout/join a gym even though I already played school sports and often worked out. I don’t understand how I’ve been trying so hard but I’m also at one of my lowest points. I really just don’t know where to go from here.

I Don't know where to start

replies: 2

Hi guys. I am a 22 year old male. I don't know where to start so I'll try list everything I can My mum and dad were split when I was young, I don't remember much of my dad then, I don't remember much until i was about 10, and he moved back to Aus (he's from another country). Ever since I can remember me and my mum never got on, she was a drinker and would get very abusive, and I would often end up at my grandparents house where they lived about 5 minutes away. When I turned 13 I eventually moved in there permanently as it was just so bad. When she is sober she is very nice, possibly one of the nicest people you would come across, until she gets on the drink. Anyway when I was 15, 2 years after moving in my grandad who I adored passed away, from natural occurrence. I played soccer he took me to all my games and would watch games with me too. School wasn't great before that, and was even worse after, at this point it's me and my grandma living together. two years later at 17 school kicked me out for poor attendance, which I highly regret. I found a causal job to get me by, I was going OK, I always had mates and played sport, went to the gym once if not twice a day. In between all these years I would still get into arguments/get abused by my mum which would bring on massive stress where she would threaten to come around just to shout and scream, even my Nan copped it sometimes. So 17-20 I was still with my nan, had a few jobs, still was going out with friends, playing soccer etc, And unfortunately a year later she passed away. about a year prior to her passing, something must have happened to me, I just stopped going out with my friends, they would invite me out I would just ignore/make up any excuse not to. I ate my self into obesity and just did nothing. I still am like this, I don't go out, Keep in contact with my mates, but only via facebook. It's not healthy at my age. When my nan died a few months passed and mum moved in, it didn't last long. i got kicked out. I still have terrible recordings of the abuse on my phone, videos and videos. I moved to the city where I still live, But it's much the same, I'm always anxious, I don't go out, I just sit in my room and try to diet but I just cannot. The times I've been out with colleagues where I work I seem to get dizzy, I'm sure it's anxiety/stress. My dad tells me I must work on it, I must do this must do that, but he doesn't seem to understand it is tough! I could keep going but i've run out of characters.

Are my friends jealous or just want to pick on me?

replies: 7

Hi everyone, My friends seem to like calling me a twig. I am naturally skinny and don't gain much when I eat heaps. My friends call themselves fat and thick all the time (in text they say phat and thicc which really annoys me sometimes). I don't know if my friends are just jealous and calling me a twig is their way of expressing it or if they just want to pick on me. The time this affected me most was when I was in music class. My friends and I were in a smaller practice room, and they weren't doing anything. I was just playing the cheap piano in the room, and I think my friends thought I was too busy concentrating on the music to listen to them. I wasn't concentrating on the music at all, but on their conversation. They were watching a video about anorexia and one of my friends, who made up twig and mainly says it, said "now that person's a twig!" And then she was quiet for a moment and said "no, kiki's twiggier" That was 3 weeks ago and it still bothers me. I don't know why it gets to ne so much as I don't have anorexia and haven't been self conscious about my body before. I want to confront my friends but I don't know how. Any advice will be much appreciated. xox Kiki

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

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

Losing Friends replies: 1

What is wrong with me? replies: 2

I feel so bad about something I said replies: 3

My very confused state replies: 7

Almost died, Lost my job, Stressed about uni, feel like rubbish replies: 1

Can moving into a new place help anxiety? replies: 1

Stressed replies: 1

I feel like everything is falling apart replies: 3

I Don't know where to start replies: 2

Are my friends jealous or just want to pick on me? replies: 7