How to Manage Depression as a Student

Depression amongst students is becoming a serious issue. According to YouGov and VPXL.net, one in four students in the UK suffer from a mental health illness with depression being the most common - 77% reported to have depression-related problems.

There are many factors that contribute towards depression. It could be stress in relation to work, school or finances. And sometimes, it can occur due to personal or emotional trauma.

Depression is different to feeling sad since it is perfectly normal to feel sad at times. But depression is a much more prolonged version of this state of sadness that can unfortunately lead to someone ending their own life.

There are many symptoms to depression, including:

  • Depressed mood, feeling sad, empty or hopeless
  • Difficulty in concentrating
  • Low self-worth and low self-esteem
  • Lack of interest in activities that you used to enjoy

Here are some tips to help you manage depression as a student:

Practice Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the practice of being aware of the present moment. A report by the American Psychological Association (APA) have reported that mindfulness-based exercises can help to treat depression and reduce the chance of a relapse occurring.

There are many routes that you can take to learn about mindfulness and how to practice it. There are plenty of self-help books on the topic and there is also a model of psychotherapy called Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy.

Related Learning: Level 2 Diploma in Care (RQF)

Manage Your Time

When depressed, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and demotivated. With so many deadlines to manage and juggle, it can be difficult to know where to begin. As hard as this might sound, but spend some of your time in planning your time.

There are many time management systems such as the Bullet Journal and Calendar Time-Blocking that can help you keep on top of your workload.

By scheduling your tasks, you're prompted to complete an assignment during a scheduled block of time. For people who are depressed, it can be quite easy for them to leave everything to the last minute and power through an assignment without having a break. This only leads to further exhaustion.

With scheduling, you can also block time in for breaks, which can prevent you from feeling burnt out.

Exercise More

Exercise is a great way to manage depression. Besides strengthening your heart, reducing body fat and lowering blood pressure, taking part in a fitness activity has scientifically proven to reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression. Even if you do struggle to find the time to exercise, a short walk around the neighbourhood can make a huge difference.

Improve Your Nutrition

Having a well-balanced and nutritious diet can not only improve your grades, but it can improve your mood. When you're a student, it's quite easy to stock up on chocolates and biscuits since they are so widely available. But there are a range of healthy foods like apples and almonds that don't require any preparation and are a perfect substitute for sugary snacks.

Don't Isolate Yourself

Depression often leads to withdrawal from social circles and isolation. 

It is important to remember that there is nothing to be ashamed of when suffering from depression so do speak to someone about it. It is well-known that talking about your mental health helps to relieve the symptoms, enables you to practice self-acceptance and makes you feel better.

Related Learning: Level 3 Diploma in Adult Care (RQF)

Get a Goodnight's Sleep

Most students don't tend to get a good night's sleep. The American Psychological Association (APA) cites social commitments, stress and trying to fit in study time as the main reason why students suffer from a lack of sleep. 

Lack of sleep causes more anxiety and increases the risk of high blood pressure, obesity and heart disease. So make the effort to get at least 8 hours of sleep a night.

Engage in Professional Help

No one should suffer from depression on their own. The NHS have a number of talking therapies like counselling and CBT that you can refer yourself via their self-referral portal. Therapy can help you identify what are the main issues which are contributing to your symptoms. 

Thanks for reading. We appreciate that this is a very sensitive topic but we would love to know your thoughts on this matter in the comments section below.
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