How To Study With Depression

how to study with depression

i’m gonna be honest here. i don’t get the psychological support i need right now and studying is getting harder and harder, as much as any other activity is. so whenever i can, i do whatever it takes to become motivated to do some work, and here is what helps me:

1. environment visuals - this is a very important aspect for me, i’m mostly a visual learner and i need to have everything matching, neat and compatible with my aesthetics. so if you feel demotivated, start with cleaning up, maybe do a little makeover to your study space or even room, as i did not so long ago. this can give you a vibe of a ‘fresh start’, some sort of break from past problems.

2. environment noise - my parents absolutely hate silence. as long as they’re awake, there is always TV going on, any source of noise and images, they find it helpful when in stress, but i don’t. i want to have either perfect silence, which i can find in library and, thank god, sometimes at school when teachers leave as alone with problems/exercises to do, or i want to have some music blasting in my headphones, blocking noises from my parents. if you’re having difficulty focusing on work, you have to get rid of the distractors - turn off your computer, if you have a laptop - take it away from your desk. close your door or ask people at home to keep it quiet - they’re most likely to take it seriously because they most likely want you to have good grades too.

3. mental distractions - whether it is something like stressing about other test than you’re studying for, being focused on other plans you have for the day/week or minor things like wanting to play video games - it is very distracting and we fall into the loop hole of doing the third thing while stressing even more about every other. you want to have a clear vision of what happens when. as a visual thinker i like it when i can easily recall an image in my mind. so do your to-do list, organize every event happening this day, this week or even this month, and if you’re like me, make it clear, colorful, easy to remember. that way if you have organized your study time for a certain subject, even if you think about any other, you will find yourself knowing when is time for that. and knowing that you DO have time for that.

of course there are other things you already know like drinking water, sleeping well, all that kind of stuff. keep in mind that while you can do what you’re comfortable with, you should also set some challenges for yourself. recovery doesn’t happen when you’re doing nothing. on days when you feel better, think about spending your time differently, slowly doing more and more. you’re gonna thank yourself for the results and, perhaps, this shall motivate you further. best of luck, students!