How to get through studying with a mental illness

When at college or university, a lot of people can get stressed and overwhelmed with work. If someone has a mental illness to contend with as well then studying can be even more difficult.

Imagine having depression and exams coming up. All you want to do is lay in bed and cry and avoid the world. However, you know you should be studying for upcoming exams. This leaves you feeling guilty for not doing enough. You might beat yourself up about it. This can lead to your depression worsening. It becomes a vicious cycle of being unmotivated and self hatred. You may even reach the point where you do not see the point in studying because failing seems inevitable.

I was in a similar position several times throughout studying for my A Levels and my degree. But, I got through both and I thought I’d share some things which helped me manage my mental health and work.

Take each day as it comes
It is often suggested that a revision timetable is a good idea and it can be useful for some people. However, if you have a mental illness, timetabling can be detrimental. If you are having a particularly bad day and cannot follow what you have set for yourself, this can lead to feelings of failure and disappointment. At the beginning of my revision period, I would write a list of everything I had to cover. Then, each day when I woke up I would decide what topics to cover on that day. That way, if I was having a bad day, I did not feel obligated to cover really difficult topics or lots of things. I did not push myself to do mountains of work when I was not mentally well enough to do so. This meant that I avoided the feelings of “I haven’t done everything I was supposed to so I am an awful person.”

Leave plenty of time

Your mentally well friends might start revising a month or two weeks before they sit an exam. If you are mentally unwell, I really recommend ignoring what everyone else is doing and giving yourself more time. Start 2 months before the exams. This means that you can afford to take time off and you do not have to cram which can increase negative symptoms. This applies to all pieces of work. If you have 5 weeks to do something, start now. It will mean you can do small amounts each day until it is done. It will mean that when you are in bed wanting to die, you will not have to force yourself to get to the library and finish an essay. It makes everything seem less intense and is what got me through my final year of university without getting too overwhelmed.

Your mental health comes first

I completely understand that it is hard to take care of yourself when you are trying to get good grades. However, you will be more likely to achieve if you are in a mentally healthy place. Do not, under any circumstances, ignore negative symptoms just because you do not have time to deal with them due to studying. They will build up and things will get to the point where they cannot be ignored.

Personally, I had to be really careful with eating during exam periods. I would start using the excuse of not having time to eat because I was so busy. This is not an excuse. If you are too busy to take care of yourself then you have taken too much on and need to adjust things.

If you see a counsellor, do not stop going because you want to use the time to revise. Those counselling sessions or whatever it is that you do to help yourself could be what gets you through. I would also recommend not coming off of any medication or going onto new medication during an exam/deadline period. Side effects could render you unable to do anything. So aim to take your medication every day and be aware of any potential side effects of new medication you are prescribed. When my doctor wanted to change my medication during exams, I explained that I did not wish to take the risk of side effects right now and they understood. I did not want to have a sudden bout of vomiting during an exam!

It may even be necessary to take time out if you get so unwell that you cannot continue. This is perfectly okay. In this time out, you will have a chance to put all your energy into learning how to cope with your illness and can always go back to studying at a later time when you feel better.

Take time off

It is really difficult to get the work/life balance that everyone goes on about. But it is also vital to try. If you go through two months of studying constantly and isolating yourself… well, clearly that is unhealthy. If you wake up one day and feel like you cannot handle anything then that is okay. Stay in bed and cry if that is what you can do. Forcing yourself to work when you are in a bad frame of mind will end up being counter productive.

Focus on you

I know that when I was at university, everyone was constantly asking each other how much work they had done/were planning on doing. You will always have those people who claim to do very little and those who never stop working. That is okay for them if that is what they want to do. Try not to compare yourself to others; it will only make you feel bad about yourself which is never good for mental illnesses. Besides, just because someone is in the library for 12 hours a day does not mean that they are actually working that whole time!

Talk to your tutors

If you have a mental illness then it is okay to tell members of staff. It is likely that you will be able to fill out an extenuating circumstances form. This is then considered when your results come in. If you have consistently got a certain grade and miss out by a few marks in the exam, they might take your health into account. Even when I did not feel like my mental health was impacting my work, I would still hand one of these in. That meant that I had room for error, if I had a breakdown in the middle of deadline week or exam period then knowing about this form made me feel safer. Just make sure you hand the relevant paperwork in on time!

Look after your physical health

There is a big link between mental and physical health. Even something like lack of sleep can make your mood a lot lower. So eat well, exercise (I just went for walks, the gym is awful) and get enough sleep. This is obviously easier said than done when you are in a bad state but it is something to keep in mind.

So there you have it, this is pretty much what I did to get through my degree whilst unwell! Lots of time, planning, relaxing and talking about things really makes a huge difference. Do not let anyone make you think that you cannot achieve something because of your mental illness.

Dealing with depression

So recently I slipped into a pretty bad episode of depression. It's always there, like a lingering black cloud but sometimes it starts pouring with rain. I got to the point where menial tasks like tying my shoelaces took all the concentration and energy I had. I thought I would share some tips for pulling yourself out of a particularly bad period of depression.

1. Remind yourself of the good things.

Depression makes it really difficult to be grateful for the good things in your life. It seems like everything is terrible. So it's important to remind yourself of all the good no matter how small it is. Whether it's a stable job or a tv show you enjoy, all these things can help you feel better.

2. Get dressed in the morning.

It can be really tempting to wallow in the sadness, stay in your pyjamas and sleep. For me, getting dressed in the morning is the first step to having a better day. It makes you less likely to stay in bed and let the depression take you. Something like getting dressed is a big task when you are depressed but putting the effort in will make a difference.

3. Get out the house.

Whether it's going for a walk or picking up milk from the shops, getting out of the house is good for you! You'll probably feel like sitting inside in a dark room and crying or just doing nothing. But, if you force yourself out of the house to do small tasks, this is another thing which is a 'fuck you' to depression. All of these tips will ease the depression and stop it from growing worse. Allowing yourself to be depressed, however tempting, can be dangerous.

4. Keep busy.

When I'm depressed I find it really easy to sit and do nothing but think. Some thinking can be good but too much will lead you into an endless spiral until you are more depressed than you were to start with. How to stop this? I suggest keeping busy. Doing little bits of work or reading a book, anything that you need to focus on will help. Obviously it's difficult to get motivated when depressed but any little thing you can muster up the energy to do will help. Do not get stuck inside your head.

5. Write things down. 

Whether it's lists of happy memories, songs you love, a plan for the week or all your thoughts. Writing things down helps to make it all seem more real. Writing down your feelings can be really useful, especially all the negative. Burn the paper afterwards or rip it to pieces, it really does provide some relief even if it sounds silly!

6. Talk.

Do not, no matter how much it seems like the best idea, keep quiet. Open up to someone about what you are going through. A parent, partner, friend, doctor. Just talk to someone about things. Let them know you're in a bad place and that you might need some help. Other people being aware is always good in case you get to a state of urgent care need.

7. Spend time with others.

Depression can make this hard. All you want to do is be alone and isolate yourself. But, if you make the effort to spend time with people, you will eventually feel a little better. Even if it's just sitting inside and watching a movie. Having company means you are less likely to harm yourself and wallow in your own misery.

8. Professional help.

If things do not seem to be looking up, go to your doctor. If you're not on medication or in counselling, these could both help. If you are on medication, it might need changing. Don't be ashamed about needing help. Doctors are there to treat illnesses and depression is a very real and painful mental illness.


I know that all of this is much easier said than done! Trust me, I've been telling myself these things recently and had little energy to actually do anything. When I do muster up the energy though, it does help. Every little thing can make a difference and lift your mood slightly. This is the awful thing about depression: there are things to do which can make it more manageable but the depression makes doing these things seem impossible and pointless. The depression is lying to you. You are strong enough to get through this and hopefully some of these steps will help!

Starting university soon? Here's some advice!

Thousands of new, bright eyed students will be joining universities across the country this Autumn. As a graduate, I thought I would offer some advice!

1. Join societies!

All universities have lots of great societies and it's a really good idea to join some in your first year. There is something for everyone: Quidditch, all types of dance, feminist groups, religious societies, cheerleading, music, creative writing, real ale. Plus, if there's a society missing then it's usually pretty straight forward to set one up. It usually requires around 50 signatures of interested people and then you've got a society of your choice. Some societies have sign up fees but it's well worth it. Societies are a great way to meet new people and make friends even if you only go to a few meetings and socials.

2. Make friends on your course.

It's usually fairly easy to make friends with people in halls but chances are that you'll be in shared houses in 2nd/3rd year. This means any friends in halls usually drift apart. So making friends on your course is really important. You've already got your subject in common and that's a great start for conversation. Introduce yourself to people in lectures, don't sit on your own and shy away. You'll see these people around for the next 3 or 4 years so be sociable!

3. Work hard.

Of course the social side of university is great fun and really good but you are there to learn so work hard. Most universities have it so that your grades in first year do not count towards your final result. However, it is important to get into the library and open some books. It will give you a head start for following years, if you have a good work ethic then it will be easier to transition into your 2nd year which is often more difficult. Get the balance right - go out but also go to lectures and enjoy all the great resources at your disposal.

4. Use the services.

If you have mental health difficulties, visit the university counselling service who will be willing to help. Even if your issues seem small compared to others, the counselling service will have helped people with all sorts of problems so don't be afraid. Get to know your personal tutor, go to meetings with them and ask for help if you need it. They will most likely be writing your reference when you leave so it's important to establish a good relationship with them. Financial troubles are common but there will be people to help so seek them out to ease your worries.

5. Don't drink? Don't worry!

A lot of people think that all students are heavy drinkers and out every night. While this is true of some, it's not the case with all. There will be plenty of things you can take part in without having alcohol involved. Write for the university newspaper, hang out at coffee places, there's plenty to do without alcohol and plenty of people to join you.

6. Have fun.

This is a time in your life when opportunities are endless. Take placements, volunteer, make friends, read all the books you can, work hard. Most importantly, have fun and enjoy this time. It will be your last chance to enjoy life before jobs and taxes and boring adult things take over.

I had a lot of tough times at university. My mental health was all over the place and there are definitely things I would have done differently. But it was also an amazing 3 years and I hope that everyone enjoys university as much as they can.