Question 4: How can I overcome feelings of hopelessness and lack of motivation to do many things? (eg. school, self care, future goals, socializing) Thank you!
Answer 1:
Hey! Thank you for your question, and I completely understand how the different pressures of life can bring on feelings of hopelessness and lacking motivation.
Before I talk about some strategies on how to deal with some of those feelings, practice self-care, and my personal experiences, I’d like to highlight some of the resources offered by the university that can help you access professional support and counselling in the circumstances where what you’re feeling may go beyond the scope of RxPRN and peer services.
Counselling Services: 519-888-4567 ext. 32655 https://uwaterloo.ca/counselling-services/
Health Services: 519-888-4096
https://uwaterloo.ca/health-services/
Student Success Office: 519-888-4567 ext. 84410
Personally, I have struggled with feelings of lacking motivation to do anything, and often I found it was because of burnout which constituted academic burnout and social burnout. Often I was spending too much time on the external aspects of my life like school, work, or friends that I lost time to reflect inward and take time to recover so that I can feel motivated again. Something I learned to appreciate which helped with this is celebrating the little accomplishments as well as the big ones.
So, for example, if you don’t think you have the motivation to go out with many friends, start by calling one and chatting to them for 10-15 minutes. Or if you have many lecture videos or homework assignments to finish, start small - do the shorter or “easier” ones first and then plan for the more time-consuming tasks.
I also understand that sometimes it can be difficult to plan for the future and focus on future goals when there is a feeling of hopelessness in the present. In these cases, it’s good to set more achievable short term goals and have the long-term goals just in mind for later. For example, setting a goal to clean your closet by the end of the week, or to cook a meal by the evening, something that is reasonable and doable and will improve your quality of life at the same time.
To avoid feelings of burnout, it’s good to set aside 1-2hrs a day just for yourself and “self-care” does not need to look like traditional self-care that is often advertised, it may not be yoga or meditation or working out, it may just be watching a youtube video, getting into bed earlier for the night, tidying up your study space, or simply relaxing without doing much. This should be a time where you can do anything you want without the need to feel like completing a checklist of activities, you can mute notifications, and put aside school work and allow time for your mind and body to recover so that you can have the motivation to do activities you enjoy.
I think the most important thing to remember is that the tasks you complete don’t always have to be perfect, you can start small and work your way up to completing all the activities you want to do. As you start tackling tasks one by one and to a smaller degree, you will hopefully begin to rediscover the joy in things like socializing with your friends, planning for your future, and feeling accomplished in your academic and work life.
I also highly encourage you to check out the resources I mentioned in the beginning of my response and consider seeking out professional counselling as some of the feelings you mentioned may be out of the scope of RxPRN. I know reaching out to counselling services or health services may be difficult and scary, but know that there are people who can support you and help you in this regard and reaching out to RxPRN was a great first step!
Answer 2:
Thanks for reaching out! This is something that many students struggle with throughout school, especially during the pandemic - you are not alone!
Pharmacy school can be very daunting, especially with many lecture videos, assignments, and tests that seem to keep piling up. For school, make small goals for yourself (do 2 short video lectures, finish 1 question on an assignment...) and give yourself a reward once it is done (maybe a treat, time on your phone, etc.). By breaking things into smaller chunks, it makes each piece more manageable. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your classmates if you are stuck or work with a partner for additional motivation.
Self-care is an important part of pharmacy school, just remember that it can look differently for everyone. Set aside time for yourself and listen to what you need and do what you enjoy. This might be a coffee, a nap (big fan of naps personally!), working out, relaxing in nature, or whatever makes you happy. During this time, try to ignore the pressures from school and life - I know this can be hard. This is your chance to regroup and refocus, being able to come back at everything with a slightly different mindset. Sometimes that makes all the difference.
Personally, I’m finding it hard to make future goals when there is so much unknown right now. I recommend starting with small, realistic goals, and slowly work your way up to more long-term goals. You don’t need to know where you are going to be in 10 years, start with 1 week, 1 month, 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year goals - what would you like to have accomplished at each of those points? (You don’t have to do that many, it is just an example!) Be as specific as you can, then work backwards to figure out the steps you can take to achieve them to make the steps more manageable. For example, if you are wanting to take a trip somewhere, it’s not enough to simply book a flight, you have to also book the hotels, know how you are getting to the airport, etc. It might help to make a list of what you hope to achieve and the smaller goals associated with it to have a greater sense of accomplishment and help make your goals more attainable.
Depending on your personality, you may find socializing easier or harder, even without a lack of motivation. I would encourage you to make a point of talking to someone each day, whether this is a friend from class, a family member, someone from home, whoever you want. On the days you are struggling more with having motivation, this may simply be a text, but on other days it could be a conversation or going out for coffee.
One of my favourite quotes is “anything worth being done is worth being done poorly.” On those days when brushing your teeth for two minutes seems impossible, 30 seconds is better than nothing. When completing a whole assignment seems like too much, try a couple questions. Work on making small improvements and finding joy in little things. Some days may be better than others, but on all days, someone will be there to help - all you need to do is reach out.
Thank you, this was really encouraging! I appreciate all the concrete ideas and kind words.