Hello, it has been a while, but I have uploaded a new video in the “how do I grad school?” series. This one discusses how I have navigated depression, and I hope that it might help some of you in managing stress and mental health in graduate school 1/

So, let’s do a TLDR. First, Content Warning, the video does discuss symptoms of depression including suicidal ideation. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide and need help NOW, call the National Suicide Prevention Line: 1-800-273-8255
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With that said, I have tried to separate everything out into (a) what I do when experiencing acute depression, and (b) what I do when not experiencing the worst of depression. Let’s cover (a) first. Please note, the video is much more detailed.
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FIRST THING. If mental health issues are difficult to navigate AND/OR persistent, that is a time to seek help. As a graduate student, there are likely resources available on campus, but that does not mean they will always be accessible.
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Counseling centers many time still charge students (although much less than most places) BUT Universities also often have waivers and are very willing to give them to graduate students. Why? Because your labor is being exploited (Roll Tide!).
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Counseling can really help you tailor a plan for navigating your particular experience of having a headspace which is sometimes turbulent. Medication has also been a godsend for me, but YMMV.
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SECOND THING. Be upfront with people you might impact. This might mean requesting an accommodation from a professor. If accommodations are not forthcoming, that is a sign to AVOID those people in the future WHEN POSSIBLE.
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THIRD THING. It can help to separate out your next two hours/day/week into very small, manageable tasks. I do this in notepad because it is SIMPLE for me. Your strategy may differ. I even do very small things so I can get a sense of relief at….microwaving my burrito, etc.
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When you do this (and I did not mention this in our “podcast”, thank technical incompetence), it helps to have a sense of what kind of attention span you have. So, if you know you can get a good amount of concentration in for 20 minutes, that’s great!
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That might mean: “I will read the first half of the methods section of this article.” THAT IS BETTER THAN FEELING BAD ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO WORK, so if you are able to proceed in any way, do it!
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If this is unmanageable, that is an even BIGGER sign that it is time to SEEK HELP! And I mean it – go to your counseling center for a crisis appointment, tell them you need to be seen TODAY.
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What about when not experiencing mental health issues? Well, two things here.
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FIRST, ENJOY LIFE! Especially those things you can’t enjoy when your headspace is disturbed. Go on a date, eat an apple and enjoy that it TASTES LIKE AN APPLE INSTEAD OF BLAND NOTHINGNESS – whatever it is! And enjoy the small things, like the rain!
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BUT SECOND, be kind to future you. This means preparing for when you won’t be doing as well as you are in this moment. So, if you have 15 minutes left in the workday, do a small task on something not due for a while.
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Future you will be thankful that you spent 30 minutes outlining an essay, or 10 minutes gathering 3 articles for a literature review.
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BUT DO NOT OVERDO IT – that way lies burnout and future mental health issues. Occasionally it may be fine to do an extra hour here or there because a task is going really well and you are into it, but do not try to complete everything right now.
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What I am saying is that the work is still going to be there tomorrow, and you have permission to enjoy notwork, even if you enjoy work (and trust me, I DO!).
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Hopefully this resonates with someone, and I wish you all the best. Good luck on finals, have a happy winter break if that is upcoming for you, and happy holidays if you are celebrating any. I am ******mostly sure****** that you will be hearing from me very soon.
fin. 18/