There is never necessarily a “right” time to be depressed but sometimes, it can feel like there is a wrong time. Like the weeks preceding finals, for example. You begin to feel frustrated because in the back of your mind, you know you have to study and do well — but it becomes much more difficult with a dark cloud following your every step.
The following are a few tips to help you achieve good grades on your finals while coping with depression.
1. Mental talks in the morning
For myself personally, waking up in the morning and getting out of bed is a struggle. If you have the same problem, then you know it can often lead to a lack of energy and motivation. The crucial part of doing well is convincing yourself to do well. It may take you a few mornings before you get into the hang of it, but try to strive for a mentality that will make you hop out of bed and start your day without any problems.
You can do this by reminding yourself what your ultimate goal is: your major or your career choice. Remember WHY you are here. Next, remember WHO you are doing it for. There may be someone in your life looking up to you, someone you are trying to prove something to, or even just for yourself. Do it for that person.
Finally, reflect on the consequences you’ll face by not getting out of bed. If they are not enough to scare you and make you re-think your choices, then set your goals higher.
2. Manage your health
After successfully completing the first task, assuming you have made it out of bed, do something positive for your health. That can mean eating a balanced breakfast –no matter how much you don’t think it’s necessary — or exercising.
If you would like to sleep in longer, make sure to still eat breakfast. If you don’t mind waking up earlier but want the extra energy, do something active like going for a jog or working out at the gym. Even a break in between studies to do some sit-ups can help to wake your brain up.
If you choose to listen to music while being active, it may be a good idea to listen to something more upbeat. We all know that sad music has never cured sadness.
3. Study with friends
Depression can often cause a person to isolate themselves. Studying alone under other circumstances is definitely acceptable but the thing with depression is that, when we do isolate ourselves we begin to think to ourselves, speak to ourselves, and do activities only with ourselves. We bottle up emotions and thoughts that eventually eat at us and bring us down even more.
It seems mentally impossible to study alone because the problem is: you are alone. These thoughts are still circling your head and it makes it hard to focus on anything else. Your friends are there to help keep your mind off of these things, even just temporarily, and to offer any comfort they can.
It’s completely understandable that most people that are feeling depressed don’t want to be around anyone. It’s hard when you also want to do well academically — and at the end of the day, it comes down to which of the two is more important and doing what it takes to get there.
4. Take breaks
Finals or not, when battling depression it is key to make time for yourself to relax. Yes, the point of the last tip was not to isolate yourself while you study because this can amplify your depression. However, this is not to get confused with the act of doing things for yourself, for your own comfort and peace of mind, in order to effectively improve your study habits.
If needed, take a bath or do a face mask. Listen to your favorite songs or take a little shopping break, if that’s your guilty pleasure. Give your brain and body a break between studying to do something good for yourself, to make yourself feel physically and mentally better.
Here is a list of just a few things to do when you’re taking a break between studying while simultaneously trying to combat your depression.
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Read a book
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Cook
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Take a bath, wear a face mask, exfoliate, cleanse yourself
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Get some coffee
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Exercise
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Make a smoothie
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Listen to your favorite playlist, album or mixtape
5. Get an adequate amount of sleep
And it all comes back to the bed. I am working on practicing what I preach because I have a habit of going to bed very late at night and I have somewhat early classes. After a long day of studying, the last thing you want to do is lose out on the sleep your brain needs for the next day.
Remember that when you sleep, your brain is working through a process to make you healthier and smarter.
Sleep is a productive time for your body. And in order to practice better studying habits, especially while battling depression, it is vital to get enough sleep throughout the night.