Dealing with education
Education is hard enough, never mind how difficult it is when you also have a mental health condition! These tips are handy for anyone, especially dealing with stressful years (GSCEs, A-Levels, University).
Here's my top tips for dealing with education:
1. Do work when you get it. This is especially helpful if you are still in school and have small (ha) homeworks to do. Even if they aren't due for a fortnight, do them the night you get them. This means you are keeping on top of work and then when you get a big thing due, you have time to spread to out and be less stressed for it. I've sometimes found that if I put work off, I get a huge workload all due around same time which sends me into mega stressful land!
2. Use methods that motivate you to work. Different strategies work for different people, and it may take you a while to find the method that works for you.
-Use a gold star chart. This worked really well for me during my A-levels. Put up a calendar, and put a gold star on every day you work well. This allows you to see if you've gone through a period where you did no work or a period when you've done really well. Get yourself a treat after you get so many stars (eg 5). Start small with like a bar of chocolate (big one of course) for 5 stars then for 20 stars treat yourself to a book or a top or something you really like.
-Give yourself treats. This was an idea I saw on Twitter. If you're working off a textbook, put favourite sweets or even teabags at certain intervals. This will make you more motivated to work because you will want the sweets or a wee calming cup of tea.
3. Have someone to talk to. Even if its not someone that is doing the same level of education or is doing the same subjects as you. Exams are very stressful and you need to look after yourself. Even just having someone who you can tell that you're struggling or whatever makes things so much easier.
4. Do something that takes your mind off school work. Whether you go to a youth organisation (I am a member of Girlguiding UK) or volunteer or just have a hobby which is nothing to do with school work is so reliving it is unreal. Just having a hour or so where the main focus is talking to your friends or having fun and school is the last thing on your mind!
Here's my top tips for dealing with education:
1. Do work when you get it. This is especially helpful if you are still in school and have small (ha) homeworks to do. Even if they aren't due for a fortnight, do them the night you get them. This means you are keeping on top of work and then when you get a big thing due, you have time to spread to out and be less stressed for it. I've sometimes found that if I put work off, I get a huge workload all due around same time which sends me into mega stressful land!
2. Use methods that motivate you to work. Different strategies work for different people, and it may take you a while to find the method that works for you.
-Use a gold star chart. This worked really well for me during my A-levels. Put up a calendar, and put a gold star on every day you work well. This allows you to see if you've gone through a period where you did no work or a period when you've done really well. Get yourself a treat after you get so many stars (eg 5). Start small with like a bar of chocolate (big one of course) for 5 stars then for 20 stars treat yourself to a book or a top or something you really like.
-Give yourself treats. This was an idea I saw on Twitter. If you're working off a textbook, put favourite sweets or even teabags at certain intervals. This will make you more motivated to work because you will want the sweets or a wee calming cup of tea.
3. Have someone to talk to. Even if its not someone that is doing the same level of education or is doing the same subjects as you. Exams are very stressful and you need to look after yourself. Even just having someone who you can tell that you're struggling or whatever makes things so much easier.
4. Do something that takes your mind off school work. Whether you go to a youth organisation (I am a member of Girlguiding UK) or volunteer or just have a hobby which is nothing to do with school work is so reliving it is unreal. Just having a hour or so where the main focus is talking to your friends or having fun and school is the last thing on your mind!