Going to grad school can be one of the most stressful experiences of your whole life. Competing priorities, raised expectations, and adjustments to a new environment will likely harm your mental health and can leave you feeling burnt out within the first few months of your studies.
Going to grad school can also be one of the most rewarding experiences of your whole life. You get to work with incredible professors, are given time to research your passion, and create meaningful relationships that can last a lifetime. That said, the process can be challenging and the demands on your time can be great — this leads many grad students to feel burnt out during their journey.
However, it is possible to maintain good mental health during your studies. If you effectively manage your priorities and intentionally protect your mental health from things like imposter syndrome, you will find that grad school is a transformative experience that gives you the skills and connections you need to succeed in life.
Here are a few tips to keep your mental health on track during grad school.
Managing Priorities
Grad school will demand a lot from you and your time. That’s because 76% of grad students work more than 30 hours a week, and many grad students also support families of their own. These competing priorities can be a major source of stress, which will negatively impact your mental health. To give yourself the best chance at success, you need to intentionally plan your weekly schedule.
Work
As you head into graduate school, you may need to reassess what you do for a living. While it’s certainly possible to maintain a career during grad school, you’ll likely find more success if you can work on or near campus, and reduce your hours as and when you need to. To do this, you can speak to your boss or should look for on-campus positions like Graduate Assistant positions or Research Assistantships.
Studies
Your studies need to be at the center of your attention. If you push your education aside, you’ll likely feel guilty and will struggle to complete assignments later in the semester.
The best way to prioritize your studies is to visit campus regularly and immerse yourself in graduate student life. Your university probably has dedicated study spaces for grad students to use, and you can always find a quiet corner of a library or office to settle into your studies.
Most professors recommend spending 2-3 hours per week of study time per credit hour you’re enrolled in. So, as a grad student enrolled in 9 credit hours, you want to spend a minimum of 18 hours per week studying outside of your classes.
Activities
Your university will likely offer volunteer activities through clubs, research opportunities, or department events. While you might be tempted to jump on every opportunity that comes your way, you need to be intentional about the commitments you make to ensure you don’t spread yourself too thin or risk burnout.
Before taking on an activity ask yourself two questions: will I use this experience on my CV/resume? Am I likely to make meaningful network connections through this activity? If the answer is “no”, then you should consider saving your time for other priorities.
Mental Health Management
The increased stress of graduate school will likely hurt your overall mental health. However, recent research shows that increased stress can be useful if we use it correctly. Here are a couple of ways to manage your stress levels to boost your overall mental health.
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Getting into graduate school is a major accomplishment, but once you arrive on campus, it’s quite likely that you’ll feel like an “imposter”. Imposter syndrome occurs when feelings of self-doubt escalate and you can’t stop stressing about your poor performance on a test, essay, or during an in-class discussion.
Overcoming imposter syndrome takes time and plenty of positive self-talk. You must remind yourself that a dedicated admissions committee reviewed your application materials and thought you’d be a great fit. You can also open up to your peers who are likely feeling the same thing and should lean on each other to build confidence in your peer group.
Stress
You’re almost certain to face an overwhelming amount of stress at some point in your graduate studies. Despite your best planning and preparation, an emergency will occur, or an assignment you forgot about will crop up the day before it’s due.
Managing stress in high-intensity environments is difficult, and few resources for graduate students exist. However, you can learn to manage stress from other high-intensity professions like nurses. Nurses manage their stress by using a mixture of physical and environmental de-stressors. They lean on aromatherapy and limit the amount of caffeine they take in during a 12-hour shift. They also build their resiliency by practicing positive self-talk and debriefing with peers after stressful events.
You can take these lessons and apply them directly to your graduate studies. By communicating with your peers after difficult assignments, you realize that you’re not alone, and praising one another after overcoming difficult challenges will give you a positive growth mindset.
Managing Symptoms
Graduate studies increase your stress levels and, in turn, raise your chances of developing a mental illness like anxiety or depression. In fact, the risk of mental health illnesses is six times higher amongst graduate students than it is in the general public.
If you start to suspect that you have the symptoms of mental illnesses like anxiety, depression (or are turning to substances to “help” alleviate your stress) then you should get professional help. Your universities’ Health Services department likely has programs that are dedicated to improving students’ mental health or they will be able to connect you with medical professionals who can help you overcome the struggles you’re facing.
Staying Active
Research shows that exercise “improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function”. Even 15 minutes of activity a day is enough to get your blood pumping and will reduce the impact of stress-related mental health issues.
Exercising is relatively easy in the first few weeks of the semester, but it is far more difficult as assignments pile up and content becomes more challenging. You can stay active during these stressful times by scheduling exercise classes into your day or can sneak a quick 15-minute jog in between the completion of assignments.
Nobody said grad school would be easy, but many students are surprised by how taxing it is on their physical and mental health. By taking a proactive approach to managing priorities you can reduce the risk of being spread too thin and taking healthy actions like daily exercise can boost your mood and keep you on track to graduate with pride.
