As students, it is important to look after our mental health. Studying can be very stressful. Having to learn new topics. Keeping up with the workload. Handing assignments in on time and sitting exams. All these things can all take their toll on students’ mental health. Then, of course, there is managing the ups and downs of life around study deadlines. Not to mention if you have a health condition you are managing around your studies. But, with the right tools, study stress can be managed.
During my time studying, I have had to manage my often-problematic mental health, my gender transition, and, more recently, hypothyroidism. In this blog, I share the tools I have used to manage my needs around my studies, sharing my top 5 essential mental health tips for students*.
1. Plan ahead – Using Long term and Weekly Schedules.
Deadlines are one of the biggest causes of stress in studying. Although some stress is helpful so that we get things done, too much stress can lead to poor mental health for students. Keeping on top of deadlines so that they don’t creep up on you, will help you to look after your mental health and avoid undue stress. The main way I do this, is by using two types of schedule, an overview wall planner, and a weekly schedule.
The Wall Planner
I am an Open University Student. My degree is broken down into modules, each of which lasts around seven months. At the beginning of every module, I start by planning out my next seven months. The most helpful way I have found is to use a wall planner, where I can then fill in all my study assignment deadlines and my personal and work commitments. Once this is all written down, its easier to have an overview of the time and see how best to manage my study preparation.
The Weekly Schedule
From the wall planner, I can then draw up a weekly schedule. First, I write down all my personal and work commitments for the week. Next, I look at how many hours of study per week I need to do (Most colleges and Universities will give you a rough guide of how many hours they recommend studying. My recommended study hours are approximately 16 hours.) Then, I look to where I can create blocks of study times around my other deadlines.
Having an overview of my module on the wall where it is visible, means I always know where I am in my study journey. And, having the week’s plan written down makes study feel more manageable. The combination of these two planning schedules makes it easier to see when I start getting behind. Then, I can address the issue, or ask for help, to avoid any negative impact on my mental health.
2. Break Tasks Down into Manageable Chunks
Breaking things down is one of the key tools to learn in studying. The beginning of a module can feel overwhelming. There is so much to learn and so many assignments to hand in. It’s important to remember that journeys start with the first step and with each small step you will gain more confidence. As well as breaking down the module in early planning, you should also be looking to break down your daily study sessions.
Using Short Study Sessions
If you find yourself overwhelmed, rather than setting yourself long study sessions, look for small slots of time. Even 20 minutes can be beneficial. When I am feeling tired, stressed and overwhelmed, 20 minutes feels much more achievable and less scary than an hour slot. And, what often happens, is that once I start my study session, then its easier to find the motivation to just carry on working for a longer slot of time.
The Pomodoro Technique
I use the Pomodoro Technique, which focuses on short blocks of time followed by a short break. In my study sessions, I set my block of time for 20 minutes, and after each 20-minute slot, I have a break for 5 minutes. After 4 blocks of 25 mins, I then have a 15-minute break. I use an app to time my sessions, but you can also buy some pretty awesome timers to keep you on track.
This is a really effective way to make studying less overwhelming, to keep me motivated and helps to keep the concentration going. Working like this, I find I always get more done than I had initially planned.
3. Group Tasks into Level Of Difficulty
There are many different tasks to do as a student, reading, note-taking, essay planning and so on. We all have our strengths and preferences as to what we like to do the most and which tasks we find easiest. One of my key mental health tools is to switch my tasks around, depending on their intensity and on my mental health needs. This method is one that I talked about recently, in my TEDx Talk.
Approach The Hardest Tasks On Good Days and Get Ahead
In preparing for my study sessions each day, for example, If I am having a really good day, with no fatigue, and my mood is good, then I will tackle the bigger tasks that require more effort. I will also use a good day, to get as many of the big tasks done as possible (with a balance of course!). That means I can get ahead for when my mental health isn’t so good.
Then on a day where perhaps my mood is low, or I am fatigued and finding it hard to concentrate, I can do easier tasks. For me, this might mean organizing my study notes or doing some background research. It’s a good idea when planning your study to first list the tasks, noting which one requires the most and the least effort. Then, you can pick from that to-do list each day, after assessing how your mental health is.
4. Schedule Time For Self Care
When we have study deadlines, it can often feel that taking time out for yourself is a luxury, when actually it is a necessity. If we want to produce our best work, we need to make sure we are in the best of health, mentally and physically. For optimal mental health, it’s important to implement lots of self-care.
Make sure to schedule breaks and time off. Get to bed early. Get some quality sleep, and remember to eat well. Also, remember to reward yourself, even for what you might perceive as a small step because every step forward is a big deal. Remember, it is progress, not perfection, which counts the most.
Pushing through and sacrificing your health will not help long term. A short break, a night off with a film and a nice meal will serve you much better than a late-night with only a few hours of sleep. Waking refreshed is far more beneficial for a productive study day.
5. Remember It Is OK To Ask For Help
Most importantly, please remember that is OK to ask for help. If you find you are getting behind and feeling overwhelmed do not be afraid to approach your tutor. Your tutor wants you to succeed and will be happy to help you. Most Colleges and universities now have measures in place to help students with their mental health. So do ask for the support that’s available for you.
Asking for Help Does Not Make You Weak
If you have pre-existing mental health conditions, as I do, then it is even more important to ask for additional support. A lot of people worry that they will look weak if they ask for help. Or, that by being helped they are somehow being given a leg up over other students. This is not the case at all. Studying, when you have a mental or physical health condition is hard work. Coping with anxiety in itself is exhausting. Often, medications can cause fatigue and fogginess. These are additional hurdles to studying and so it is understandable that we may need support.
Support For Student Mental Health Comes In Various Forms
Support can come in the form of extra time for assignments, sitting an exam at home with an invigilator, or perhaps extra support from a tutor. I particularly chose the Open University, to give me flexibility, so that if I could study more at my own pace and also pause modules in difficult times. If you are someone who hasn’t yet started studying but are looking at your options, I highly recommend having a look at what the Open University has to offer.
I hope this blog is helpful, please do let me know in the comments below. If you have your own tips, I would love to hear those too!
Hello! My name is Finn and I have a passion for creating honest content, that inspires personal growth and promotes well-being.
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I love these tips! Planning and breaking tasks down into smaller chunks was my go to when I as at university and to be honest it still is now! Like you said too, it’s also super important to ask for help when you need it and to remember that I doesn’t make you weak. If anything it makes you stronger for recognising you need it!
This topic speaks volumes to me! I got burned out when studying/working at the university. It is very important to put our wellbeing first – that and good organisation can go a long way! I used to do the Pomodoro technique too! <3
Studying is a huge stress so when we already have wobbly mental health its even more important isnt it! I too find organisation to be so important, that helps to relieve a lot of stress. And yay for the pomodoro technique!
Thanks Finn! I just started a new study and these tips are really helpful!
The timer tip for studying 20 min. is interesting, I will try that one out for sure! I now have one day marked to do homework, but I struggle with the fact that if that’s a bad day, it doesn’t really help my studying. So taking a few moments here and there could help me loads.
Very glad to help. And yes, its tough when time is limited, the temptation can be to do exactly as you say, mark one whole day out for study, but often that can be too much to handle, or as you say, not work out well if that day is a bad day. We have to do our best with what we have , so if all you have is that one day, use the pomodoro method to break that massive day down into manageable chunks. Good luck with your new studies!
Great tips – I’m not a student but I think these tips can be used for every day work / life too!
Absolutely, thay can be used for anything, thanks for your kind comment!