Anonymous

Photography by Megan Cunningham

If you’re reading this, it’s okay if you don’t know where to start.

I can’t promise you that everything will turn out the way you expected, but I can promise you that taking action can make things better. I don’t have a profound story or pearl of wisdom to share, but here are some simple practices that have helped me face seemingly unwinnable odds– maybe they can help you too. 

You might find that your troubles and worries are so intense that you can’t articulate what you’re feeling. Here’s my advice: Get a notebook, take a deep breath, and start listing your problems one by one. Be honest, be thorough, and take your time– even if you are scared of what the list will look like when you’re finished. Think like a physician: you can’t approach treating an illness without a proper diagnosis. 

If you wrote a list of all the tasks that are overwhelming you:

Take inventory of the time and resources you have, and try allotting them to each item on the list. It might help to assume you will be only half as efficient as you usually are: if you think you could get a task done in one hour, give yourself two hours to complete it. 

If you find that you cannot realistically complete everything in the time that you have, do not panic. It’s time to consider alternative strategies, reprioritize what you are able to get done, and do what you can. Try to avoid unethical solutions if you can, no matter how harmless they may seem at the moment. The tree falls the way it leans. 

It’s worth taking some time to research the most effective ways to study, so you can be more efficient with your time under pressure. Here are three preliminary topics that might help your search: active recall, concept mapping, and metacognition.

Now, if you wrote a list of the feelings that are overwhelming you: 

You may feel better already just by expressing them. If you have the option, you might benefit from bringing them up with someone you trust. If you find yourself needing more help, it may be recommended to seek the assistance of a trained professional. Because this isn’t always an option, some people find success with “self-therapy,” by recognizing negative patterns in their thoughts and identifying how they may contribute to negative outcomes. Many resources and communities of support can be found for free online!

I’ve found that often, the feeling of being overwhelmed comes from uncertainty. Listing out the variables and making a plan might not solve all the problems, but I have found it to be the first and most important step.

Anonymous, Boston College

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