I agree with the people saying you are burnt out, but I think it is because of your extreme phone usage. I had similar issues when I was going through exams. I spent so much mental energy distracting myself because studying is hard and scrolling feels like a relief. But studying is not that hard when you have enough time and aren’t constantly distracted.
You need to turn the phone off and put it away. If you can’t manage that, order a lock box with a timer online and lock your phone away so you physically can’t access it. It is so much easier to ignore the urge to look at your phone when you can’t get to it.
You can also set screen time/app limits and have someone you trust set the password so you can’t bypass them.
If you deleted social media once, you can do it again. I did it on Jan 1 and my life has changed because of it. Is it difficult? Of course! Is it worth it? of course. There's a YouTube channel called Jun Yuh by a Biomedical student who teaches people how to study. Look into it and you will surely find a way out of this
Make sure you have all study materials offline or in paper form.
Cut your internet and delete all entertainment. Give your phone / router etc. to parents or friends.
If you need internet once a day or week arrange to get it somewhere else.
Replace some coffee with green tea and take l-theanine to counteract adverse effects from caffeine (see r/Nootropics).
Start a meditation practice (see r/Meditation)
You are not a freak, many people do exactly what you do, probably most.
Good luck.
Tell this to your parents or your most dearest friends or relatives, we don't care about you, we will see your post and life goes on. but if you tell them what's happening to you, you can ask them to remind you or to try to help you because is obviously you lost control over, at least, this aspect of your life. After that, you will have to cure your social media addiction which is pretty common in this times so you shouldn't worry excessively about that because you're not the only one with that problem but you will have to look for psychological help from a professional.
I am from a way different field but suffered the same addiction. What helped me a lot was deleting my social media. I couldn't give my phone to others as that is what I work with the most for my job. So, instead I disabled all wifi connections and data plans. The other suggestions given in the comments are good.
I wonder what it feels like to have an actual goal in your life. I struggle too with studying. I would recommend you to go somewhere else, where there is no wifi and study with traditional pen and paper and maybe downloaded pdfs. Changing the surroundings is important (I learned that recently). Even if you don’t want to, just do it. When you put your phone down to go to the bathroom, don’t pick it up again. I regret not studying much more sooner.
Also, last semester, I kind of went into a totally different mind Space. I didn’t think about anything other than studying and would have only done that if I wasn’t a human being. I kind of shut down everything else. That was productive.
as great as all this advice is, let’s be honest. you’re not going to follow it by yourself. so, what do you do?
get a friend. hand them your phone. tell them to not give it back, no matter what. then lock yourself in your room and power through. use:
1. the Pomodoro technique (25min sessions, 5min breaks)
2. blurting method (write down everything you remember on a topic WITHOUT LOOKING AT NOTES, then write the things you missed & repeat)
3. Feynman technique (try and teach a topic to someone else (preferably someone who does not know the topic) to refresh your memory and make sure you know the material)
4. 80/20 rule (identify the essential 20% that leads into the remaining 80% (the core, if you will, of the material) and study the ever-loving shit out of it)
the night before the exam, make sure to review key concepts one last time before bed. an hour is enough. get enough sleep, try to meditate, don’t cram it in last minute; if you’ve followed the above rules and been disciplined in your schedule, you won’t need to stress.
you got this. smash that exam.
I have the same problem with my classes, but i have been slowly getting a bit better. After i get mad at myself for not doing stuff earlier. I hate being put into that adrenalin induced race to the finish mode on doing an assignment last minute or cramming. I will try these methods.
for lessons you’re struggling in, try the priming method!
basically, you write questions related to the topic (these should aim to keep you focused on important concepts!!), take notes during lecture that answer them, and list additional key concepts/words that come up with clear definitions. diagrams might help too, if you’re more visual :D
then just write a quick, 3-5 sentence paragraph summarizing the key points and takeaways. it helps with finding things you need further clarification with
This will not help you in the short term, but use an app like Rise to track your sleep. If your sleep debt is too high it will be much harder to study and way harder to put down your phone. Fix your sleep and you might go from playing this game on hard mode to at least medium. Also, any small road block to your addiction over time will help. Delete all your socially media… Every. Single. Time. that you have the willpower to stop using it. Get an app blocker on your phone. Even if you figure out a way around it, set it back up every. Single. Time. These small hurdles over longer periods of time will help. Also, make your phone black and white. Remove the color. Even if you find yourself putting the colors back on, just take them off again next time. Keep trying. It will slowly get better. But more than anything, once these exams are over make sure you’re getting enough rest.
I actually kind of disagree with the comments to throw out your phone, give it to someone etc.
It sounds like you could be burnt out. You sound like someone who's perhaps put a lot of pressure on themselves to work hard and excel throughout their life so far. In my experience endless scrolling happens when I feel completely overwhelmed by the task at hand. When you're feeling overwhelmed, you can't punish yourself into working harder.
Do you have any hobbies? Also, do you spend time with friends?
I'd suggest making a study schedule that incorporates time for fun stuff and rest as well. Set a number of hours you're going to study each day, and reward yourself after each session. Try things to make it fun, like studying in the library or with friends. Even if you only study a few hours a day this way, it's still better than stressing yourself out and not studying at all.
I agree with this approach. You are at a point in your life that is all about grinding to get to your ultimate goal.... BUT you are also setting the foundation for the habits that will follow you the rest of your life. Find a way to balance now. Set good habits.
Hey man, I get you. I am a highschool senior and this year I fucked up. I was a 3.9+ gpa kid until the end of sophomore year and recently dropped a 3.4 my junior year. I am entering my senior year. Due to my lack of diligence, I lost a research internship at Cornell University that I had in the bad. If you want to DM, it would help me and you. Dude, the fact that you have ranked 1st in highschool shows you have it in you. I don't understand why you stressing. Sir, maam, whoever you are, just know your the only who controls your fate.
Being a good scorer in childhood has always made me also a perfectionist. This has lead me to skip my competitive exams as I always feel I have not given enough as I spend my time doomscrolling sometimes due to heavy pressure, which is unknown. OP needs to understand that whatever it is, just accept the score by mock tests and then make little strategies.
As someone who had a bad burnout period at an elite university:
(1) stop with the energy drinks. Full stop. They are a false promise. Your body needs actual sleep. Sleep is more important than additional hours studying. I’m absolutely dead serious. Protect it like it’s a religious commandment. A lot of your problems are just coming from the weird brain fog that is chronic sleep deprivation. Force yourself to lay in bed, no screens in the room, for 8 hours a day. Do this at the same time every day, weekends and holidays are no exception. I spent so much of my youth rationalizing sacrificing sleep and it was a waste of fucking time. I wasn’t good at it. Neither are you.
(2) give your phone to your mom or another trusted adult in another generation than you. admit to them, verbally, that you have a problem. Get a flip phone with limited/no texting if you need to communicate with others. The good news is that you will have future patients with addictions and you will be able to tell them wholeheartedly that you’ve been there. These apps are literally designed to mimic slot machine behavior. You need an intervention and you need to take this seriously. Social reinforcement of your decision around your addiction is key. Tell everyone and ask everyone for help in supporting you. Again I’m dead serious and you should be too.
(3) Final exams are not the best time for introspection, but schedule some dedicated time right afterwards, at least 3-4 weeks of Do Nothing. Continue your personal detox. Go for daily walks. Read printed books about social media addiction. I haven’t read yet it but I hear “The anxious generation” is supposed to be really good. You are burned out. You need some time that’s not studying and self-torture. Don’t just go on to the next thing because that’s all you’ve ever done in the past. You’ve clearly hit your personal wall and it’s time to change your strategy.
You sound burnt out. Are you currently seeing a therapist? I highly recommend it. Incorporate self-care time into your schedule- even if it’s only 5 min!
I was in your situation
The only thing that could help me was changing my mind about exam concepts.
Now I don't study for degrees, I study because I want to learn my lessons and I enjoy my topics now.
Enjoy, and don't think about degrees! Think about how you want to be a good doctor.
Good luck, buddy.
1- Be kind on yourself, almost every student does this.
2- books might be uninteresting, idk what books you guys follow /read, but reading my medical books felt easy to understand and follow which made me like the subject a lot more. Some books make subject very interesting to read.
3- start reading only 1hr a day, only 1hr. If you do this 6 months before the exams, slowly rise it to 2hrs at 3 months, 3hrs at 1 month, then 6hrs in last week. It'll do wonders.
I experienced that too. I advice is to build your system routine everyday no stopping and i dont know if it will help you this i would advice read Atomic Habits
#1: Take it easy on yourself. I've been there, and it SUCKED, but this will pass. I've been decently successful in school and life in general but there were a few critical periods when my brain went into self-destruct mode and yeah, it's scary, but things won't be this way forever. Brains do this some time. Take a deep breath and keep going.
#2 Find some accountability partners. Start telling people (as many as possible) about your issues and ask them to hold you accountable during finals. Ask them to check up with you each day. Basically, have them treat you like a child. It's embarrassing I know, but this is more important than your pride. Think of it like checking yourself into rehab. It's brave to ask for the help you need. Once you get through this you can find a longer-term solution later on.
#3 Get rid of your phone. OBVIOUSLY. Give it to someone who won't give it back until after finals.
#4 No more caffeine (or at least not more than a normal morning cup of coffee). It's not helpful.
#5 Schedule enough time for sleep, and stick to the schedule. Sleep is the gas that makes your brain work, make sure you get enough.
Good luck. You're going to be fine.
As someone who is probably more than twice your age and has had to battle with similar issues his entire life…
Your issues have deep roots. Your psychological mindset will follow you for much of your life. It will make life harder than it should be.
Realize you’re no worse or better than anyone else and yet…
You deserve to have a happy life.
Discipline, in your case, means figuring out how to be consistently productive even for an hour a day. You can’t just jump to being the person you want to be overnight—which is what you’re trying to do. Take very small steps. Feel the joy of living up to small goals, even if just for that one hour per day.
Rethink how you view __time__…
If you have a lot of something or a little of it, be aware of it. What do I mean?
For example: if you were flat broke or were super wealthy, you’d know it. You’d have reminders as you looked at your plentiful (or not) bank account. When you went to buy something, your credit/debit card would allow the purchase to go through or it would embarrassingly wouldn’t. You’d know. Unfortunately…
Time is an abstract concept to you at this moment. You never give it much thought, until you have to. Instead time is everyone’s most valuable asset. It reflects how we perceive our self worth. You’re either working with time or against it. And that really has to do with loving yourself. If you love yourself, you’d live in a way where you see time as your best friend. Because we all have 24 hours. The richest and poorest amongst us. And what you do with your time either says you care about yourself or you don’t. Time is the one asset that underpins everyone’s dreams. If you want to be really good at baking the best apple pie, or building a better body, or being successful monetarily, or having great communication skills, or whatever…you’d invest unhurried, living-in-the-moment time to achieve those things. Having a realistic and valued outlook of time will help guide your life.
I’ve been where you are and am just this week fighting the fight. So I can tell you from experience that things don’t get better by cramming. You need to rewire how you approach life (and time). And being a doctor (at this point in your life) may not be as valuable as learning life skills that will help set you up for future success.
Also, life is a journey. The things I screwed up that I didn’t think would allow me to go on living ended up being rather small bumps in the road. I went on to do greater things than I could have imagined. So don’t look at life as a one-way street. Pausing to reflect and recalibrate won’t extinguish everything wonderful that life has in store for you.
But I can tell you, how you live with or against time will ultimately catch up to you in a good or bad way. So figure out a way to be the victor and not the victim.
Thanks for allowing me to share this with you. It’s been helpful to me to write these words.
Think about all the people and the great impact you will have as a doctor. As somebody who went through some shit I’m so thankful that there are people like you who are kind, understanding and help. We need you so let’s get to work and get it done.
Doc here. I am super easily distracted. I would often go to a quiet coffee shop, leaving my phone AT HOME. Put your earphones in so nobody bugs you. Write your notes. Put flashcards up in the toilet. You spend a bit of time in there. Leave your phone. Also- there is an app that can lock your phone for a certain period of time. I think the app is called Day One. Only study during the day on weekends and plan something fun for the evenings. Take Fridays off entirely. These got me through 5 years of medical school. With a decent pass. 😂
1 - Prioritise sleep. Your frontal cortex needs it.
2 - Use caffeine strategically, not after late afternoon.
3 - Study like you don’t need the grades. I’m not sure how dry the topics are but is it possible to be curious about what you’re trying to study for? If you slow down you may enjoy the studying process more and not rush it.
I know I have been up allnight but I dont remember writing this.
I just found out last night, that my screen time is 12 hours too and I have 8 assignments to submit by Friday. Looool i tried deleting IG and codm, it made it worse for me. Honestly if I fail this module, then I dont pass my PGDip.
Im tryna think on the spott for a corrective action plan - I even failed on that. Sorry,I hope we come through this stronger and mature our mindsets. I really need to be more decisive, which may help with my severe procrastination problem…
I suffer from a similar procrastination effect. The only way I can get past it is extreme measures, it's a constant struggle.
I make rules for myself, no dinner until after I do "x" for 30 minutes (or until it's complete).
Or I will make myself go to the library for a change of scenery+ focused work.
I have thought of this idea but never tried it - some kind of in-person study partner for the same class should help.
I'm curious if you really even want to be a doctor if you have such an aversion to studying.
Imagine printing out this Reddit post in 24 point font and having it on your waiting room wall as a big poster for your patients and their families to read while they're waiting to see you about whatever health issue they have? Would you bring *your* spouse, your parent, your baby, to that doctor?
Seriously, are you in medical school because of parental pressure or a desire for big money, or...what?
If you can't change who you are--even if that requires taking a break from medical school and getting good therapy for a year--I don't think you should continue to try to be someone that others trust with their health and life. And I'm not saying that to condemn you as a person--these addictions are not something you really *chose*, in some important sense, and I feel empathy for what you're going through.
I know I'm going to get downvoted for this, but OK. I want doctors to be better than this.
1. I agree you have to stop the caffeine drinks. They probably contain lots of sugar too? The excess sugar alone could be messing your brain up. Combined with caffeine, they’re a killer. Making you jumpy and hyper anxious.
2. You need to start studying a few days before. Reason: you’re fooling yourself that the superficial way you’re studying - to pass your exams - is a good preparation for your professional career. That’s what you should be preparing for. Years from now, you may regret not studying properly.
Flipping from hardworking dude to procrastinating person is a sign of mental stress and addictions are the mind’s ways to deal with mental stress. Take time off for 3-4 days to give time to your mind decompress itself. Don’t have any agenda during that time off. Better to do that in nature but without any company. And for sure without mobile phone.
>For context, I always ranked first during high school and was a very exceptional student. During my first year of medical school, I excelled and never suffered from extreme procrastination.
I think this might be your issue. Throughout your childhood, you were probably constantly called a ‘genius’, or an exceptional student who can ‘excel in anything’ ‘as long as you make an effort’. If you didn’t excel in something, it was only because you didn’t put in as much effort. If you grew up constantly hearing this, you might have internalized it as well, and your brain now has a screwed up logic to procrastinate and waste time whenever something is above your level because that way you only failed to excel because you didn’t put the work into it. Another aspect is that since you never had to struggle at school level education, you never learned to get better at trying again and again to understand and get better at a difficult subject.
Your key to getting out of this mindset is to acknowledge that you were a bright student, and still are a bright student, but you’re not a prodigy or a genius who can excel in everything. Some subjects are difficult for you, and you need to put in extra effort to get good at them. It’s okay to not excel in everything because you’re not some sort of genius prodigy. You’re just a normal person, and there are tons and tons of smarter people in the world, including your own class. Set your goals at 60-70% of what you aim to achieve now, and work towards it. And make it clear to your ego that you procrastinated until the last minute, because you were scared of not being able to excel even after putting the effort, and to next time stop trying such silly tactics, and to start helping you get better at this subject.
Also, make sure you understand that marks are pretty much worthless if you don’t actually understand what you’re learning and what you gain out of your subjects. 10 years from now, nobody will care about the marks you scored in exams, but will value you if you are able to retain what you learned and apply it in practical situations.
You need to get up and move every ninety minutes. Stand up walk outside and walk to the end of your block and back. Get some fresh air Every ninety minutes t I reset ypur brain and focus on the task at hanf.
The best way I've found to combat procrastination is to do micro tasks, and just build on them. The thought of sitting down to study for hours is hard to commit to, especially when you feel like you "have time to do it later." So start with something smaller. This will sound ridiculous, but give it a try.
Grab yourself a timer, or get a timer app on your phone, then tell yourself you're going to get up off the couch and walk across the room. It takes 5 seconds. Complete that task, then you can sit down and indulge in another 5 minutes of social media (time it). After the timer goes off, do it again, but this time walk across the room, grab a book/notebook you need for studying it, just set it on the table, then sit back down and enjoy another 5 minutes of doing whatever the hell you want. Time it. When the timer goes off, get off the couch again, walk over to the book/notebook, and open it to the appropriate page to start studying. Leave it open, then go sit down and indulge in another 5 minutes of social media.
Continue this, gradually incrementing your tasks after each timer. Yeah it'll take a while to actually be doing something productive, but if you start it days before your exam it's better than waiting until the last minute to cram. The idea is to gradually ease yourself into it to make it seem less difficult to get started, and to also learn to use the social media or whatever as more of a reward than your default go-to for spending your time.
Rather than giving practical advice, I'll try a different tack: Why are you doing this in the first place? What brought you to medical school? Why do you want to have a degree in the first place?
If you can't answer that, or if you find you don't want to do those things, then maybe there's your problem. Motivation is 99% perspiration, it's true, but it's also 1% inspiration, and especially when you're feeling the way that you're feeling, sometimes it's because you're trying to ice skate uphill, to quote the great Blade.
So: Figure out why you're doing this, figure out what makes you passionate about what you're doing, or why you are taking on your goals in this way. If you can answer those questions successfully or tap into that passion in some way, it will undoubtedly help with what you're doing. And if you can't answer those questions or maybe find that you don't want this thing, then maybe it's time to think about alternative paths or other goals in general. Good luck!
If your issue is anything like mine, I had anxiety in high school and almost dropped out because I couldn’t bear to pick up a book and just study. But by the end of my academic career, having completed a MSc and BFA, I handle this issue like a pro.
This seemed to work for me: Trick your brain and your body. Tell yourself to open a book. Just to look. Then tell yourself, maybe you will only study a small section/page that you like, and then if you still don’t feel like it, you can stop. Full stop. Tell yourself that.
For example, I don’t want to go to the gym at all. But I tell myself, ok, I will go just to stretch. 15mins. And if I really don’t feel like it, I will go home. I always end up going, and staying for an hour, and actually working out. Because the issue wasn’t my focus. I could scroll through my phone for 4 days straight. I clearly have focus. Just not the right place.
Something I learned as an extreme procrastinator back then was that, sometimes punishing yourself and feeling bad for yourself because you took a day off makes it worse. It makes you want to procasinate even more. So somedays I don’t feel like doing anything even though I should. I let myself enjoy one day of absolutely nothing, and I don’t beat myself up for it. Usually it helps me reset. And the next day I actually get things done
As someone late diagnosed neurodivergent, this sounds like you’re in burnout/ADHD possibly autistic. I would highly encourage you to seek out your school administrators, counseling service, career counseling services, disability services, and let them know that you’re struggling if it truly is ADHD, while there are tools and tricks and ultimately medication, you’re literally fighting your brain and it is executive dysfunction and while I say it can’t necessarily be fixed, treated, yes, but you are extremely hard on yourself or something that you may or may not be able to control. Yes, again there are things you can do turn your cell phone off try and focus, body double etc. Maybe go to the library or Starbucks versus studying at home?
But ultimately, this is still going to continue to happen and it’s only going to get worse if you truly do have some sort of different neurotype. Especially with you sounding and saying that you have been pretty successful and things like that, you are until you’re not. The same thing happened to me. I also want to put that out there because it was such a relief to find out that I had ADHD. I can put my mind to anything I accomplish. I can hyper focus but ultimately Just sometimes, usually paperwork, trips me up lol. But the internalized narrative I had in my brain, but I just wasn’t enough, why couldn’t I just get it together, what’s wrong with me or I must be doing something wrong or it must be me because I can be so successful in one avenue and yet not successful in another. Though why can’t I just get it done? You know what needs to be done. You clearly have tools and tricks but it’s just not working. And then you feel bad because you didn’t do it. That’s not all on you if you literally got a disability.
Be truthful and honest, and they can guide you with your instructor.
Close your eyes and literally meditate on imagining your life if you flunk out of med school. I’m this imagination, remember your journey to this point and what you went through and then imagine the feeling of all of it
Coming to nothing because your couldn’t control your own mind. And how you’ll be blaming yourself and dig yourself into an even worse out of you fail out. The resulting fear should help you snap out of it
Don’t take “Trust in God and leave all consequences to Him” so lightly, take yourself a break and talk to God, being sincere with Him is 99 % of the battle, and if it is God’s will for you to be where you are, then He will see you through it!
God Bless, Hope you ace your Finals!🙏❤️
Personally, I think the most productive place to start is to have intentional fun.
Your work bleeds into every part of your day.
If you get enough done during "work time" you'll be able to enjoy free time.
But, you can't get enough done during "work time" because you're procrastinating and avoiding, likely because you're burnt out.
Full your cup. Rest, recharge, have fun. Then, start a fresh day with a very solid plan and execute one day of solid work time. When work time is done, stop working. It takes discipline to stop. Then have fun again. Not mindless avoidance, but actual fun. Then do it all again :)
Fully agree with the burnout comments. But you also need to address your screen time and work to break that addiction because it’s giving you an out when you don’t want to study, which sounds like always right now. I don’t know if I would suggest a full cold turkey— I struggle to stay connected to people as I severely limit my social media intake. Try setting a rule that you will check social media at a very specific time and set a timer. Also move all of your apps off of your home screen. Those logos cue your brain to open them.
Body doubling could help with not procrastinating on studying.
Journaling has been HUGE for my productivity. I put my intentions/to-dos on paper and I’ll journal out my emotions right next to it if I’m feeling resistance OR if I have success. Each night for the following day or at the beginning of the week I decide what I’m going to do for the first few hours right after I wake up. If your school schedule doesn’t allow it, maybe try a power nap right after classes and then go straight to studying after you wake up. I made myself so guilty for so long about taking naps but it can really give me a second wind if I crack open a sparkling water immediately.
I can’t stress the journaling enough. Gave me so much clarity on why I was avoiding what I was avoiding.
Gwt a page. Write down all the different points you're supposed to study. Then, divide it among the 5 days.
At the end of each day, you will feel less overwhelmed.
Hey, look you worked hard to get into medical school and took all the tests you need to get, got through the first year, it’s time now buckle down and get your second year finished. Yes and give your mobile to some one that is trusted or lock it in drawer and forget about it. I stick mine on “forest” lock it drawer and forget about it and by the time I have given a shit about it and the people on it battery has died.
For me, I had to fail at something to snap myself out of it. The realization had to hit me. Since you can’t fail your exams, you have to find something else that makes you feel the same realization. I had to quit my job for it to really hit me that I had to focus on school.
You’re burnt out. Period.
Screw the stigma and pursue therapy. Own it for yourself. You don’t need to tell anyone, bc it’s for YOU and YOU alone.
You also need to sit down and write out why you pursued this field. Go back and read your admissions essay. Go back and appreciate how you beat the odds - you were accepted. Take a day off and volunteer. Get in touch with the people in need. The people that need YOU.
Medicine is unforgiving, so it’s crucial you take time to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for being human and being tired. Forgive yourself for fearing failure. Celebrating small wins is the name of the game in these moments.
Finally, it’s finals. You’re almost done with the year. You’re even closer to your clinicals in year 3. That’s a whole different ball game and often where people rediscover their why. If year 2 is going to end regardless, you mine as well knock it out of the park.
Get after it and good luck.
You sound burnt out.
You don’t have to listen, but here’s what I’ve done. I have dealt with similar.
Step 1: reset your sleep schedule around the time you want to wake up.
- go a whole day without caffeine, no matter how long you’ve been awake
- day one, I didn’t let myself go to bed until 9 pm
- wake up 5 am regardless of when you could get to sleep (that was my personal choice of wake up time
- you will be tired but keep doing it, it will get better
Step 2: delete social media and any apps you use to distract yourself from your phone
- this doesn’t have to be a forever thing, just while you’re getting through exams.
Step 3: gray scale your phone; it will make it less appealing. It will turn your phone into a tool more than a distraction
Step 4: leave your phone outside your room at night, use a traditional alarm clock that is far enough from your bed where you physically have to get up to turn it off.
Step 5: journal about whatever it is you’re feeling. About whatever is holding you back. Try to make sense of your mindset and then reframe it.
Step 6: any other self care you can think of. Cut out alcohol. Drink water. Eat three good meals. Exercise. Shower. Do laundry. The occasional treat.
Remember that you’re human and allowed to make mistakes, have bad days, and feel things. Everyone does; even the most successful doctors, lawyers, CEOs’s. You’ve got this.
1. There's probably more than one thing going on here. Which means there may not be a single solution. You may need a variety of strategies and approaches to a) triage and deal with the most pressing issues first and b) continue to unravel all of this more deeply over time.
E.g. if you're neurodivergent as some folks have suggested, that's its own rabbit hole. The gifted childhood educational experience is another topic. Workable new strategies to replace your unsustainable strategies is another. Etc, etc.
Bottom line: don't just try one or two things. Try all the things, and do them together. As best you can, over time. Let each new learning or strategy build on the others.
2. My "unconscious issues" radar is going off. It's possible for a person to be handed all the best information and strategies and still not succeed with them if they are not internally congruent with the outcome they say they want. The quickest way I know how to deal with such things is by working with a professional who is well trained in tools to work with unconscious patterning (hypnosis, family constellations, hakomi, etc) – the issue is finding someone whose skillset is up to whatever level your particular case requires, and unfortunately there's not a great way for someone in your shoes to really evaluate that. I am happy to make some referrals if you want to really good practitioners.
3. I want to underline and emphasize every comment that has suggested you ask for help. TELL people what's going on with you, ASK for their help, and then IMPLEMENT their advice. Talk to the appropriate people at school and let them know what's going on. Get an evaluation from a competent psychiatrist. Reach out for both professional support and personal. Your future is worth it. You are worth it.
As somebody who recently went through this, seeing a psychiatrist/ looking into therapy is helpful for most people regardless of circumstance so if you are in a position that you can do that, I definitely would. I waited until I was so depressed I could hardly get out of bed and I wish I would have been more proactive because the worse things get the harder taking that first step to fixing things seems.
The rest of this is just general things that might help and have helped me in dealing with sleep, caffeine dependence, and
For social media use I downloaded Freedom and bought a BRICK and downloaded the app with the same name. Freedom lets you set parameters for what you are allowed to access on the internet and is customizable. Freedom has a setting that will not allow you to delete the app or quit your session without going onto their website on your browser and force it to deactivate. BRICK does the same thing but when you tap your phone on the box(the brick) you are locked out of apps until you touch it again. You could give the brick to somebody that you know will hold you accountable. My screen time was super high so I used both those apps to force myself to focus.
I also used to be extremely dependent on caffeine. No easy way out of a caffeine dependency but tapering off slowly or switching to coffee/tea or just soda/diet soda. Try to keep caffeine use to as early as possible and refrain from using it as soon as you wake up (Ideally wait 60-90 minutes but this isn't a must).
I would make sleep your #1 priority when possible. I don't remember the exact statistic but if you're getting less than 5-6 hours consistently your cognitive abilities are essentially the same as if you were moderately drunk. I don't think you mentioned having trouble actually sleeping but if you need advice on sleeping better listen to any video/podcast interviewing Matthew Walker. He is one of the worlds experts in sleep science and I can say that I definitely sleep much better after using his advice. A magnesium supplement and regular sleep schedule will do wonders though.
Like others said you may be burnt out too. Friends, hobbies, talking to family, school activities etc are important to save some time for. You have to have time to relax and just take it easy otherwise you'll just be solely focused on catching up on studying or whatever it may be and just run yourself empty. It sounds like there are a lot of moving parts but I know first hand that having a lot of stressors, sacrificing sleep to work/study (more stress), and using caffeine which is a stimulant can all have huge effects on your mental health and cognitive function.
I feel for you and was recently in the same spot. I hope you get to the root cause of the issue and your mental health gets better! You got this!
Im sorry dude that you have to go through so much.
We all have such times in life when we hate what we are doing atm. And just scroll whole day to avoid it.
You need a fresh start. Being organized. Mentally speaking to youself that Why are you doing this for?
Always remember the younger you who struggled hard to reach where you are right now. The younger you did so much , made so many sacrificed and suffered so that he can reach where you are right now.
Same way the Now you will be appreciated and well thanked by the future you.
And having seniors in touch would help perhaps. Taking them as inspiration like Ya i wanna be where that guy is. It makes you he competitive like i can definetly do better than him.
Self reflect obviously.
All the luck to you bro🤍 may you achieve what you want!♡
Hmmm… do you have ADHD? I had undiagnosed adhd at uni, and scraped through. Got diagnosed in my fourties’ and holy the meds made everything so much easier!
For now, spend a bit of time mapping out exactly what you need to do. Make a check list. Decide you’re going to complete one item. Start with the smallest, and decide you’re going to do it, NOW. Do it. Cross it off the list. Take a break. NOT SCREEN TIME! Drink water. Dance. Stretch.
Pick the next item. DO IT. Cross it off. Take a break. Repeat.
Okay, so here is what you want to do:
Day 1-4: Study for 25 minutes, take a 5 minutes break, study 30 minutes, take a 10 minute break (each time, keep adding 5 to the break time and study time) until about, let's say 3 pm, then you can have some fun, go party or something.
Don't scroll during your study break, go outside, drink some water, or play a game, do some drawing, something other than technology.
Day 5: Quiz yourself on everything, and then (if you know it well) you can do whatever you want.
Also try studying before the 5 days, like, say you've just finished a chapter in the book, review it a few times, it'll be much easier to remember.
Also, while studying, chew a certain flavour gum, and when writing the exam, chew the same flavour gum as you did when you were studying.
Hope this helps!
"I really can’t identify the problem I’m having this year. I never consumed that much caffeinated drinks, I only started excessively drinking them this year."
Sounds like maybe the caffeines the problem since you started excessively drinking it when you started having problems? I procrastinate on it as well makes me crave mindless junk.
So sorry you are struggling. It doesn't make you lazy or a bad person. Instead, I think it sounds like you are suffering from burnout and also feeling stressed. Your phone is your escape and your means of avoidance.
I think you need help and support outside of your capacity to help yourself. I think you need to talk to someone professionally or at least someone who can listen to you without judgement.
Do you have a counselor or student support services on campus? See if you can book an appointment to see a counselor. I am sure there are people available to help you.
I think you can make plans and try to be pragmatic, but I believe you need support and accountability. Can you find someone else to revise with? They call it body doubling - so having someone physically present helps you to focus.
But I think until you face what is causing you to be avoidant it will be difficult to overcome. Please understand you are not alone in your struggle and being a procrastinator does not automatically make you a bad doctor (shut up judgey people) or a bad person.
Pls seek help and if your loved ones are accepting and understanding, pls share your struggle with them so that they can offer support.
I hope you find some real support. You are worth it and deserve help and understanding.
Look at it this way what would be more important your career or what someone is getting upto online ie social media.
Basically u seem nosey thats why the slightest sound wakes you up during ur sleep.
Good look for the future.
I have had a huge struggle with social media addiction too and am very happy to address that if you would like! Currently have no social media and feel no compulsion to go on it :)
I went through this when I was in Criminal Justice program. At some point I felt baord and would turn to my phone to help stimulate my mental in order to complete the tasks at hand (I know, makes no sense). There was A LOT OF READING AND RESEARCH and at times I was overwhelmed. Did the same things you did from end to end. Nothing worked until I pray and asked GOD for the strength to stay focused on my studies and the patients to see it through. I asked HIM for help. I’m sure people may criticize on what I’ve said but🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️, HE helped…
I don't mean to advocate for substance use but marijuana can help reduce stress levels I would maybe try gummies or something that won't effect your study habits but will make you feel better. If mental health gets to a point where you just need help then seek help. Social media is as easy as pushing the power button. It's not even that interesting and your dreams are a priority.
I would recommend changing the environment where you study, perhaps radically. A lot of more run of the mill addictions like social media, TV, food, etc. (things that don't involve like powerfully addictive chemicals like heroin or something) are very location/setting dependent. My productivity went way up in medical school when I started getting out of my apartment to study in new locations. There is a bit of mild social pressure from studying somewhat in public (even just a library, or a coffee shop), and you might find that it helps to curb your cravings for social media scrolling. You can do this! You were exceptional in the past, and that is still you. Try to change up your routine in order to break out of some of these habits/maladaptive behaviors, and try to taper caffeine slowly/but progressively.
If you own an iPhone, set screen time limits for your social media apps. Something like 10 minutes per day. It’s easy to totally lose track of time on those things, and even if you allow yourself to extend your time, the screen popping up and reminding you that it’s been a certain amount of time can keep you from losing hours at a time.
Get a friend to commit to studying with you a week before the final, and tell them you will buy them a drink/snack if they catch you wasting time on the phone during the study session. External accountability helps when you don’t seem to have control over yourself.
Once finals are over, drop the caffeine, get back to a normal sleep pattern (sleep deprivation will WRECK you), and talk to a therapist if you can.
My Remedy
Volunteer at a food or shelter
Things that you get to help
Will benefit your focus achievements
Everything we ever do
Usually involves alot of
Rethinking are stinking Thinking
Mentally are sub Conscious
Relpays 7 to 10 things
Over an over
So that's when the mind
Shifts into dream state
Try shifting sum of your studies into audio
Replays when doing regular
Activities ...laundry
TV.. errands...
Lunch breaks...
Shower ...
ETC
Promise you bro try breathwork, try lots of diffrent ones because some are hard for beginners, best possible thing you can do for stress and it’s easy and cost nothing!!! Everyday I do an hour and I feel so at peace and calm after every session please try it out brother 👊
Honestly do 1 hour each day or at least 20-30 minutes and within 2 weeks you will see a massive difference if you do it correctly. Focus on the breath while you do it and don’t force the breath too much you don’t want it to be uncomfy at all really. I recommend the 4-7-8, or 4-4-4-4 or vagues nerve ones. I try get so many people to do this stuff and no one listens it’s changed my life for the better by simply taking the time to breath. You can find them on yt. Let me know if you try
Currently applying to vet school and I loved all the feedback everyone has given! I struggle with study strategies and procrastination and this was very helpful! Good luck with everything, OP!
I have gone through phases of this too. Deleting apps is not enough for me, so I purchased an electronic locking cookie jar from Amazon. Best investment ever. Locking your phone in it for four hours. You'll be so bored without it you will actually be productive!
Don’t know if you’ll read this, but I think underneath you are suffering from a stress/panic disorder. I studied at the University of Cambridge, and got a Double First, but my situation wasn’t dissimilar to yours. I was a MESS. Instead of social media, I played stupid games, instead of studying and working. The same thing - it was just ‘for a little bit’, until I would get started. It was just this last time. But then I would spend hours and hours of every day playing mobile or laptop casual games. Which is madness. This was in my final year, before exam period. I look back and I can’t believe what I did. Can’t believe the state I was in.
The reality is I was stressed out of my mind. Literally. The weight of what was at stake. That I could graduate with a First or Double First, or fail terribly and then it would be some indelible failure on my record forever. Irrecoverable. The stress was physiological - and uncontrollable. It’s like you’re in a sea, it doesn’t matter what the hell you do, because the sea is bigger and stronger than you are. It’s not something you can get away from.
What to do? I only have two suggestions. The first is that you have to give up the caffeine. That is exacerbating things beyond belief. You are literally fuelling the internal volcano consuming you. Second, and this is going to be hard to achieve, if it is possible at all. But you need someone with you. You need help. The presence of someone physically with you, for instance who just sits by while you work or is in the room, could make a big difference. I don’t mean watching over you while you work, but someone who is on board with the whole situation and knows what you are going through, and can help you. That can break it down into bitesize pieces. You work an hour. You go on social media for half an hour, or lie down, or whatever. Then they encourage you to work another two hours. And repeat. Someone who works out a schedule with you, for the rest of the finals, you guys strategize. And they are then when you panic, they are there to talk you round, to make it more manageable, to literally get you to work one hour, then another hour, and so on and so forth. If you have a parent who could do this, or anyone.
1- the reason you feel and behave like that are 4 things: technology, your diet and sunlight exposure, movement.
First off- get on a damn dopamine detox for just one fucking day and see what happens. You will become bored-good, maybe even depressed-even better, you will be so bored that the most fun thing you can possibly do is either learning or working out, dopamine detoxing will help you make tedious tasks be more enjoyable. Learn more about dopamine detoxing from Hamza on YouTube. And don't you dare to cope and say you can't do it, you're a fucking man, you're not supposed to only do things when you feel like doing them, have some fucking self respect and self control.
Fix your diet: Cut out all the ultraprocessed shit from your diet and cut out sugar, only eat natural foods and especially eat lots of meat and animal fats like cow's butter and tallow, eggs,... This will help you cut out brain fog and feel sharper, if you want to completely avoid brain fog and depression etc get on a carnivore diet.
Sunlight- Go outside WITHOUT your phone, spend time in the sun, go in nature.
Movement- you're a lazy prick because you probably don't move as much as you're supposed to. Working out gives you energy even though many people think it only takes it away. Well why the fuck are they tired then after doing nothing the whole day? Try it out, have a workout that is not too light and not too hard at the same time- workouts that are too hard take your energy away but those are the 2 hour long unnecessarily hard ones not many people do anyway.
I've been rude in this comment- good. The only way you will actually wake up from your trance is by being scolded. I was there too. Realize that you are not your phone, you are an independent human that has free will and that you can choose your actions and emotions and that you as a man are supposed to perform regardless of how you feel, depression is literally just chemicals in your brain telling you that something bad has happened.
Armed with these insights, get working on yourself and most importantly put the fucking phone down for just one fucking day, when I did it changed my life.
You probably won't achieve all those things I listed straight away but If you do you will flourish. If you won't even start- then congratulations, you failed.
You can always pick yourself up though and change yourself and your situation.
Good luck.
I agree with the people saying you are burnt out, but I think it is because of your extreme phone usage. I had similar issues when I was going through exams. I spent so much mental energy distracting myself because studying is hard and scrolling feels like a relief. But studying is not that hard when you have enough time and aren’t constantly distracted. You need to turn the phone off and put it away. If you can’t manage that, order a lock box with a timer online and lock your phone away so you physically can’t access it. It is so much easier to ignore the urge to look at your phone when you can’t get to it. You can also set screen time/app limits and have someone you trust set the password so you can’t bypass them.
If you deleted social media once, you can do it again. I did it on Jan 1 and my life has changed because of it. Is it difficult? Of course! Is it worth it? of course. There's a YouTube channel called Jun Yuh by a Biomedical student who teaches people how to study. Look into it and you will surely find a way out of this
those study tutorials actually helped me a lot throughout college 😭
Make sure you have all study materials offline or in paper form. Cut your internet and delete all entertainment. Give your phone / router etc. to parents or friends. If you need internet once a day or week arrange to get it somewhere else. Replace some coffee with green tea and take l-theanine to counteract adverse effects from caffeine (see r/Nootropics). Start a meditation practice (see r/Meditation) You are not a freak, many people do exactly what you do, probably most. Good luck.
Switch to traditional pen paper studies. Print out readings. Give your phone to someone else. Deprive yourself.
just give ur phone away to a friend or a staff of the uni. For gods sake. Burn the phone. Its ur future.
Tell this to your parents or your most dearest friends or relatives, we don't care about you, we will see your post and life goes on. but if you tell them what's happening to you, you can ask them to remind you or to try to help you because is obviously you lost control over, at least, this aspect of your life. After that, you will have to cure your social media addiction which is pretty common in this times so you shouldn't worry excessively about that because you're not the only one with that problem but you will have to look for psychological help from a professional.
Very nice to see that you do acknowledge the problem and are willing to look for/implement solutions. Don't give up.
I am from a way different field but suffered the same addiction. What helped me a lot was deleting my social media. I couldn't give my phone to others as that is what I work with the most for my job. So, instead I disabled all wifi connections and data plans. The other suggestions given in the comments are good.
Buy a timer based lock box and put your phone in it.
I wonder what it feels like to have an actual goal in your life. I struggle too with studying. I would recommend you to go somewhere else, where there is no wifi and study with traditional pen and paper and maybe downloaded pdfs. Changing the surroundings is important (I learned that recently). Even if you don’t want to, just do it. When you put your phone down to go to the bathroom, don’t pick it up again. I regret not studying much more sooner. Also, last semester, I kind of went into a totally different mind Space. I didn’t think about anything other than studying and would have only done that if I wasn’t a human being. I kind of shut down everything else. That was productive.
as great as all this advice is, let’s be honest. you’re not going to follow it by yourself. so, what do you do? get a friend. hand them your phone. tell them to not give it back, no matter what. then lock yourself in your room and power through. use: 1. the Pomodoro technique (25min sessions, 5min breaks) 2. blurting method (write down everything you remember on a topic WITHOUT LOOKING AT NOTES, then write the things you missed & repeat) 3. Feynman technique (try and teach a topic to someone else (preferably someone who does not know the topic) to refresh your memory and make sure you know the material) 4. 80/20 rule (identify the essential 20% that leads into the remaining 80% (the core, if you will, of the material) and study the ever-loving shit out of it) the night before the exam, make sure to review key concepts one last time before bed. an hour is enough. get enough sleep, try to meditate, don’t cram it in last minute; if you’ve followed the above rules and been disciplined in your schedule, you won’t need to stress. you got this. smash that exam.
I have the same problem with my classes, but i have been slowly getting a bit better. After i get mad at myself for not doing stuff earlier. I hate being put into that adrenalin induced race to the finish mode on doing an assignment last minute or cramming. I will try these methods.
for lessons you’re struggling in, try the priming method! basically, you write questions related to the topic (these should aim to keep you focused on important concepts!!), take notes during lecture that answer them, and list additional key concepts/words that come up with clear definitions. diagrams might help too, if you’re more visual :D then just write a quick, 3-5 sentence paragraph summarizing the key points and takeaways. it helps with finding things you need further clarification with
This will not help you in the short term, but use an app like Rise to track your sleep. If your sleep debt is too high it will be much harder to study and way harder to put down your phone. Fix your sleep and you might go from playing this game on hard mode to at least medium. Also, any small road block to your addiction over time will help. Delete all your socially media… Every. Single. Time. that you have the willpower to stop using it. Get an app blocker on your phone. Even if you figure out a way around it, set it back up every. Single. Time. These small hurdles over longer periods of time will help. Also, make your phone black and white. Remove the color. Even if you find yourself putting the colors back on, just take them off again next time. Keep trying. It will slowly get better. But more than anything, once these exams are over make sure you’re getting enough rest.
If you don't pass don't worry, life will go on.
I actually kind of disagree with the comments to throw out your phone, give it to someone etc. It sounds like you could be burnt out. You sound like someone who's perhaps put a lot of pressure on themselves to work hard and excel throughout their life so far. In my experience endless scrolling happens when I feel completely overwhelmed by the task at hand. When you're feeling overwhelmed, you can't punish yourself into working harder. Do you have any hobbies? Also, do you spend time with friends? I'd suggest making a study schedule that incorporates time for fun stuff and rest as well. Set a number of hours you're going to study each day, and reward yourself after each session. Try things to make it fun, like studying in the library or with friends. Even if you only study a few hours a day this way, it's still better than stressing yourself out and not studying at all.
I agree with this approach. You are at a point in your life that is all about grinding to get to your ultimate goal.... BUT you are also setting the foundation for the habits that will follow you the rest of your life. Find a way to balance now. Set good habits.
I wouldn’t want you to be my doctor, if you’re waiting to the last day to study.
Hey man, I get you. I am a highschool senior and this year I fucked up. I was a 3.9+ gpa kid until the end of sophomore year and recently dropped a 3.4 my junior year. I am entering my senior year. Due to my lack of diligence, I lost a research internship at Cornell University that I had in the bad. If you want to DM, it would help me and you. Dude, the fact that you have ranked 1st in highschool shows you have it in you. I don't understand why you stressing. Sir, maam, whoever you are, just know your the only who controls your fate.
Being a good scorer in childhood has always made me also a perfectionist. This has lead me to skip my competitive exams as I always feel I have not given enough as I spend my time doomscrolling sometimes due to heavy pressure, which is unknown. OP needs to understand that whatever it is, just accept the score by mock tests and then make little strategies.
Stop coffee and energy drinks. Listen to the Andrew Huberman podcasts and perfect your sleep. If your sleep sucks you’ll never succeed.
As someone who had a bad burnout period at an elite university: (1) stop with the energy drinks. Full stop. They are a false promise. Your body needs actual sleep. Sleep is more important than additional hours studying. I’m absolutely dead serious. Protect it like it’s a religious commandment. A lot of your problems are just coming from the weird brain fog that is chronic sleep deprivation. Force yourself to lay in bed, no screens in the room, for 8 hours a day. Do this at the same time every day, weekends and holidays are no exception. I spent so much of my youth rationalizing sacrificing sleep and it was a waste of fucking time. I wasn’t good at it. Neither are you. (2) give your phone to your mom or another trusted adult in another generation than you. admit to them, verbally, that you have a problem. Get a flip phone with limited/no texting if you need to communicate with others. The good news is that you will have future patients with addictions and you will be able to tell them wholeheartedly that you’ve been there. These apps are literally designed to mimic slot machine behavior. You need an intervention and you need to take this seriously. Social reinforcement of your decision around your addiction is key. Tell everyone and ask everyone for help in supporting you. Again I’m dead serious and you should be too. (3) Final exams are not the best time for introspection, but schedule some dedicated time right afterwards, at least 3-4 weeks of Do Nothing. Continue your personal detox. Go for daily walks. Read printed books about social media addiction. I haven’t read yet it but I hear “The anxious generation” is supposed to be really good. You are burned out. You need some time that’s not studying and self-torture. Don’t just go on to the next thing because that’s all you’ve ever done in the past. You’ve clearly hit your personal wall and it’s time to change your strategy.
Thanks for this response, this is insightful
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You sound burnt out. Are you currently seeing a therapist? I highly recommend it. Incorporate self-care time into your schedule- even if it’s only 5 min!
I was in your situation The only thing that could help me was changing my mind about exam concepts. Now I don't study for degrees, I study because I want to learn my lessons and I enjoy my topics now. Enjoy, and don't think about degrees! Think about how you want to be a good doctor. Good luck, buddy.
this is how life has been for me lol
1- Be kind on yourself, almost every student does this. 2- books might be uninteresting, idk what books you guys follow /read, but reading my medical books felt easy to understand and follow which made me like the subject a lot more. Some books make subject very interesting to read. 3- start reading only 1hr a day, only 1hr. If you do this 6 months before the exams, slowly rise it to 2hrs at 3 months, 3hrs at 1 month, then 6hrs in last week. It'll do wonders.
I experienced that too. I advice is to build your system routine everyday no stopping and i dont know if it will help you this i would advice read Atomic Habits
#1: Take it easy on yourself. I've been there, and it SUCKED, but this will pass. I've been decently successful in school and life in general but there were a few critical periods when my brain went into self-destruct mode and yeah, it's scary, but things won't be this way forever. Brains do this some time. Take a deep breath and keep going. #2 Find some accountability partners. Start telling people (as many as possible) about your issues and ask them to hold you accountable during finals. Ask them to check up with you each day. Basically, have them treat you like a child. It's embarrassing I know, but this is more important than your pride. Think of it like checking yourself into rehab. It's brave to ask for the help you need. Once you get through this you can find a longer-term solution later on. #3 Get rid of your phone. OBVIOUSLY. Give it to someone who won't give it back until after finals. #4 No more caffeine (or at least not more than a normal morning cup of coffee). It's not helpful. #5 Schedule enough time for sleep, and stick to the schedule. Sleep is the gas that makes your brain work, make sure you get enough. Good luck. You're going to be fine.
As someone who is probably more than twice your age and has had to battle with similar issues his entire life… Your issues have deep roots. Your psychological mindset will follow you for much of your life. It will make life harder than it should be. Realize you’re no worse or better than anyone else and yet… You deserve to have a happy life. Discipline, in your case, means figuring out how to be consistently productive even for an hour a day. You can’t just jump to being the person you want to be overnight—which is what you’re trying to do. Take very small steps. Feel the joy of living up to small goals, even if just for that one hour per day. Rethink how you view __time__… If you have a lot of something or a little of it, be aware of it. What do I mean? For example: if you were flat broke or were super wealthy, you’d know it. You’d have reminders as you looked at your plentiful (or not) bank account. When you went to buy something, your credit/debit card would allow the purchase to go through or it would embarrassingly wouldn’t. You’d know. Unfortunately… Time is an abstract concept to you at this moment. You never give it much thought, until you have to. Instead time is everyone’s most valuable asset. It reflects how we perceive our self worth. You’re either working with time or against it. And that really has to do with loving yourself. If you love yourself, you’d live in a way where you see time as your best friend. Because we all have 24 hours. The richest and poorest amongst us. And what you do with your time either says you care about yourself or you don’t. Time is the one asset that underpins everyone’s dreams. If you want to be really good at baking the best apple pie, or building a better body, or being successful monetarily, or having great communication skills, or whatever…you’d invest unhurried, living-in-the-moment time to achieve those things. Having a realistic and valued outlook of time will help guide your life. I’ve been where you are and am just this week fighting the fight. So I can tell you from experience that things don’t get better by cramming. You need to rewire how you approach life (and time). And being a doctor (at this point in your life) may not be as valuable as learning life skills that will help set you up for future success. Also, life is a journey. The things I screwed up that I didn’t think would allow me to go on living ended up being rather small bumps in the road. I went on to do greater things than I could have imagined. So don’t look at life as a one-way street. Pausing to reflect and recalibrate won’t extinguish everything wonderful that life has in store for you. But I can tell you, how you live with or against time will ultimately catch up to you in a good or bad way. So figure out a way to be the victor and not the victim. Thanks for allowing me to share this with you. It’s been helpful to me to write these words.
this was beautiful, I really appreciated reading this
Thank you. Means a lot.
Think about all the people and the great impact you will have as a doctor. As somebody who went through some shit I’m so thankful that there are people like you who are kind, understanding and help. We need you so let’s get to work and get it done.
Doc here. I am super easily distracted. I would often go to a quiet coffee shop, leaving my phone AT HOME. Put your earphones in so nobody bugs you. Write your notes. Put flashcards up in the toilet. You spend a bit of time in there. Leave your phone. Also- there is an app that can lock your phone for a certain period of time. I think the app is called Day One. Only study during the day on weekends and plan something fun for the evenings. Take Fridays off entirely. These got me through 5 years of medical school. With a decent pass. 😂
1 - Prioritise sleep. Your frontal cortex needs it. 2 - Use caffeine strategically, not after late afternoon. 3 - Study like you don’t need the grades. I’m not sure how dry the topics are but is it possible to be curious about what you’re trying to study for? If you slow down you may enjoy the studying process more and not rush it.
I know I have been up allnight but I dont remember writing this. I just found out last night, that my screen time is 12 hours too and I have 8 assignments to submit by Friday. Looool i tried deleting IG and codm, it made it worse for me. Honestly if I fail this module, then I dont pass my PGDip. Im tryna think on the spott for a corrective action plan - I even failed on that. Sorry,I hope we come through this stronger and mature our mindsets. I really need to be more decisive, which may help with my severe procrastination problem…
I suffer from a similar procrastination effect. The only way I can get past it is extreme measures, it's a constant struggle. I make rules for myself, no dinner until after I do "x" for 30 minutes (or until it's complete). Or I will make myself go to the library for a change of scenery+ focused work. I have thought of this idea but never tried it - some kind of in-person study partner for the same class should help.
I'm curious if you really even want to be a doctor if you have such an aversion to studying. Imagine printing out this Reddit post in 24 point font and having it on your waiting room wall as a big poster for your patients and their families to read while they're waiting to see you about whatever health issue they have? Would you bring *your* spouse, your parent, your baby, to that doctor? Seriously, are you in medical school because of parental pressure or a desire for big money, or...what? If you can't change who you are--even if that requires taking a break from medical school and getting good therapy for a year--I don't think you should continue to try to be someone that others trust with their health and life. And I'm not saying that to condemn you as a person--these addictions are not something you really *chose*, in some important sense, and I feel empathy for what you're going through. I know I'm going to get downvoted for this, but OK. I want doctors to be better than this.
You are burn out, reach out to a therapist/dr
Agreed with this. Perhaps a psych can suggestion something to help if you’re dealing with related anxiety or depression
1. I agree you have to stop the caffeine drinks. They probably contain lots of sugar too? The excess sugar alone could be messing your brain up. Combined with caffeine, they’re a killer. Making you jumpy and hyper anxious. 2. You need to start studying a few days before. Reason: you’re fooling yourself that the superficial way you’re studying - to pass your exams - is a good preparation for your professional career. That’s what you should be preparing for. Years from now, you may regret not studying properly.
Flipping from hardworking dude to procrastinating person is a sign of mental stress and addictions are the mind’s ways to deal with mental stress. Take time off for 3-4 days to give time to your mind decompress itself. Don’t have any agenda during that time off. Better to do that in nature but without any company. And for sure without mobile phone.
Do you workout?
Every adversity has the seed of an equivalent or greater benefit for those who have a positive mental attitude.
>For context, I always ranked first during high school and was a very exceptional student. During my first year of medical school, I excelled and never suffered from extreme procrastination. I think this might be your issue. Throughout your childhood, you were probably constantly called a ‘genius’, or an exceptional student who can ‘excel in anything’ ‘as long as you make an effort’. If you didn’t excel in something, it was only because you didn’t put in as much effort. If you grew up constantly hearing this, you might have internalized it as well, and your brain now has a screwed up logic to procrastinate and waste time whenever something is above your level because that way you only failed to excel because you didn’t put the work into it. Another aspect is that since you never had to struggle at school level education, you never learned to get better at trying again and again to understand and get better at a difficult subject. Your key to getting out of this mindset is to acknowledge that you were a bright student, and still are a bright student, but you’re not a prodigy or a genius who can excel in everything. Some subjects are difficult for you, and you need to put in extra effort to get good at them. It’s okay to not excel in everything because you’re not some sort of genius prodigy. You’re just a normal person, and there are tons and tons of smarter people in the world, including your own class. Set your goals at 60-70% of what you aim to achieve now, and work towards it. And make it clear to your ego that you procrastinated until the last minute, because you were scared of not being able to excel even after putting the effort, and to next time stop trying such silly tactics, and to start helping you get better at this subject. Also, make sure you understand that marks are pretty much worthless if you don’t actually understand what you’re learning and what you gain out of your subjects. 10 years from now, nobody will care about the marks you scored in exams, but will value you if you are able to retain what you learned and apply it in practical situations.
You need to get up and move every ninety minutes. Stand up walk outside and walk to the end of your block and back. Get some fresh air Every ninety minutes t I reset ypur brain and focus on the task at hanf.
The best way I've found to combat procrastination is to do micro tasks, and just build on them. The thought of sitting down to study for hours is hard to commit to, especially when you feel like you "have time to do it later." So start with something smaller. This will sound ridiculous, but give it a try. Grab yourself a timer, or get a timer app on your phone, then tell yourself you're going to get up off the couch and walk across the room. It takes 5 seconds. Complete that task, then you can sit down and indulge in another 5 minutes of social media (time it). After the timer goes off, do it again, but this time walk across the room, grab a book/notebook you need for studying it, just set it on the table, then sit back down and enjoy another 5 minutes of doing whatever the hell you want. Time it. When the timer goes off, get off the couch again, walk over to the book/notebook, and open it to the appropriate page to start studying. Leave it open, then go sit down and indulge in another 5 minutes of social media. Continue this, gradually incrementing your tasks after each timer. Yeah it'll take a while to actually be doing something productive, but if you start it days before your exam it's better than waiting until the last minute to cram. The idea is to gradually ease yourself into it to make it seem less difficult to get started, and to also learn to use the social media or whatever as more of a reward than your default go-to for spending your time.
Rather than giving practical advice, I'll try a different tack: Why are you doing this in the first place? What brought you to medical school? Why do you want to have a degree in the first place? If you can't answer that, or if you find you don't want to do those things, then maybe there's your problem. Motivation is 99% perspiration, it's true, but it's also 1% inspiration, and especially when you're feeling the way that you're feeling, sometimes it's because you're trying to ice skate uphill, to quote the great Blade. So: Figure out why you're doing this, figure out what makes you passionate about what you're doing, or why you are taking on your goals in this way. If you can answer those questions successfully or tap into that passion in some way, it will undoubtedly help with what you're doing. And if you can't answer those questions or maybe find that you don't want this thing, then maybe it's time to think about alternative paths or other goals in general. Good luck!
Don’t let fear of failure paralyze you. Get real with yourself and TAKE ACTION NOW. You have to do it.
🙏Trust in God, (Pray) and leave all the consequences to Him!🙏❤️
I get that people mean the best but this is completely unhelpful.
If your issue is anything like mine, I had anxiety in high school and almost dropped out because I couldn’t bear to pick up a book and just study. But by the end of my academic career, having completed a MSc and BFA, I handle this issue like a pro. This seemed to work for me: Trick your brain and your body. Tell yourself to open a book. Just to look. Then tell yourself, maybe you will only study a small section/page that you like, and then if you still don’t feel like it, you can stop. Full stop. Tell yourself that. For example, I don’t want to go to the gym at all. But I tell myself, ok, I will go just to stretch. 15mins. And if I really don’t feel like it, I will go home. I always end up going, and staying for an hour, and actually working out. Because the issue wasn’t my focus. I could scroll through my phone for 4 days straight. I clearly have focus. Just not the right place. Something I learned as an extreme procrastinator back then was that, sometimes punishing yourself and feeling bad for yourself because you took a day off makes it worse. It makes you want to procasinate even more. So somedays I don’t feel like doing anything even though I should. I let myself enjoy one day of absolutely nothing, and I don’t beat myself up for it. Usually it helps me reset. And the next day I actually get things done
As someone late diagnosed neurodivergent, this sounds like you’re in burnout/ADHD possibly autistic. I would highly encourage you to seek out your school administrators, counseling service, career counseling services, disability services, and let them know that you’re struggling if it truly is ADHD, while there are tools and tricks and ultimately medication, you’re literally fighting your brain and it is executive dysfunction and while I say it can’t necessarily be fixed, treated, yes, but you are extremely hard on yourself or something that you may or may not be able to control. Yes, again there are things you can do turn your cell phone off try and focus, body double etc. Maybe go to the library or Starbucks versus studying at home? But ultimately, this is still going to continue to happen and it’s only going to get worse if you truly do have some sort of different neurotype. Especially with you sounding and saying that you have been pretty successful and things like that, you are until you’re not. The same thing happened to me. I also want to put that out there because it was such a relief to find out that I had ADHD. I can put my mind to anything I accomplish. I can hyper focus but ultimately Just sometimes, usually paperwork, trips me up lol. But the internalized narrative I had in my brain, but I just wasn’t enough, why couldn’t I just get it together, what’s wrong with me or I must be doing something wrong or it must be me because I can be so successful in one avenue and yet not successful in another. Though why can’t I just get it done? You know what needs to be done. You clearly have tools and tricks but it’s just not working. And then you feel bad because you didn’t do it. That’s not all on you if you literally got a disability. Be truthful and honest, and they can guide you with your instructor.
Close your eyes and literally meditate on imagining your life if you flunk out of med school. I’m this imagination, remember your journey to this point and what you went through and then imagine the feeling of all of it Coming to nothing because your couldn’t control your own mind. And how you’ll be blaming yourself and dig yourself into an even worse out of you fail out. The resulting fear should help you snap out of it
Don’t take “Trust in God and leave all consequences to Him” so lightly, take yourself a break and talk to God, being sincere with Him is 99 % of the battle, and if it is God’s will for you to be where you are, then He will see you through it! God Bless, Hope you ace your Finals!🙏❤️
Personally, I think the most productive place to start is to have intentional fun. Your work bleeds into every part of your day. If you get enough done during "work time" you'll be able to enjoy free time. But, you can't get enough done during "work time" because you're procrastinating and avoiding, likely because you're burnt out. Full your cup. Rest, recharge, have fun. Then, start a fresh day with a very solid plan and execute one day of solid work time. When work time is done, stop working. It takes discipline to stop. Then have fun again. Not mindless avoidance, but actual fun. Then do it all again :)
Do you have any addictions? Alcohol, pot, porn, etc? They can significantly contribute to your addled mental state.
Fully agree with the burnout comments. But you also need to address your screen time and work to break that addiction because it’s giving you an out when you don’t want to study, which sounds like always right now. I don’t know if I would suggest a full cold turkey— I struggle to stay connected to people as I severely limit my social media intake. Try setting a rule that you will check social media at a very specific time and set a timer. Also move all of your apps off of your home screen. Those logos cue your brain to open them. Body doubling could help with not procrastinating on studying. Journaling has been HUGE for my productivity. I put my intentions/to-dos on paper and I’ll journal out my emotions right next to it if I’m feeling resistance OR if I have success. Each night for the following day or at the beginning of the week I decide what I’m going to do for the first few hours right after I wake up. If your school schedule doesn’t allow it, maybe try a power nap right after classes and then go straight to studying after you wake up. I made myself so guilty for so long about taking naps but it can really give me a second wind if I crack open a sparkling water immediately. I can’t stress the journaling enough. Gave me so much clarity on why I was avoiding what I was avoiding.
well, for me studying one day is fine, Ive never actually had to study ... Are you able to pass that way?
Gwt a page. Write down all the different points you're supposed to study. Then, divide it among the 5 days. At the end of each day, you will feel less overwhelmed.
Hey, look you worked hard to get into medical school and took all the tests you need to get, got through the first year, it’s time now buckle down and get your second year finished. Yes and give your mobile to some one that is trusted or lock it in drawer and forget about it. I stick mine on “forest” lock it drawer and forget about it and by the time I have given a shit about it and the people on it battery has died.
For me, I had to fail at something to snap myself out of it. The realization had to hit me. Since you can’t fail your exams, you have to find something else that makes you feel the same realization. I had to quit my job for it to really hit me that I had to focus on school.
You’re burnt out. Period. Screw the stigma and pursue therapy. Own it for yourself. You don’t need to tell anyone, bc it’s for YOU and YOU alone. You also need to sit down and write out why you pursued this field. Go back and read your admissions essay. Go back and appreciate how you beat the odds - you were accepted. Take a day off and volunteer. Get in touch with the people in need. The people that need YOU. Medicine is unforgiving, so it’s crucial you take time to forgive yourself. Forgive yourself for being human and being tired. Forgive yourself for fearing failure. Celebrating small wins is the name of the game in these moments. Finally, it’s finals. You’re almost done with the year. You’re even closer to your clinicals in year 3. That’s a whole different ball game and often where people rediscover their why. If year 2 is going to end regardless, you mine as well knock it out of the park. Get after it and good luck.
Bunp
You sound burnt out. You don’t have to listen, but here’s what I’ve done. I have dealt with similar. Step 1: reset your sleep schedule around the time you want to wake up. - go a whole day without caffeine, no matter how long you’ve been awake - day one, I didn’t let myself go to bed until 9 pm - wake up 5 am regardless of when you could get to sleep (that was my personal choice of wake up time - you will be tired but keep doing it, it will get better Step 2: delete social media and any apps you use to distract yourself from your phone - this doesn’t have to be a forever thing, just while you’re getting through exams. Step 3: gray scale your phone; it will make it less appealing. It will turn your phone into a tool more than a distraction Step 4: leave your phone outside your room at night, use a traditional alarm clock that is far enough from your bed where you physically have to get up to turn it off. Step 5: journal about whatever it is you’re feeling. About whatever is holding you back. Try to make sense of your mindset and then reframe it. Step 6: any other self care you can think of. Cut out alcohol. Drink water. Eat three good meals. Exercise. Shower. Do laundry. The occasional treat. Remember that you’re human and allowed to make mistakes, have bad days, and feel things. Everyone does; even the most successful doctors, lawyers, CEOs’s. You’ve got this.
I thank god I came from nothing cause wtf
1. There's probably more than one thing going on here. Which means there may not be a single solution. You may need a variety of strategies and approaches to a) triage and deal with the most pressing issues first and b) continue to unravel all of this more deeply over time. E.g. if you're neurodivergent as some folks have suggested, that's its own rabbit hole. The gifted childhood educational experience is another topic. Workable new strategies to replace your unsustainable strategies is another. Etc, etc. Bottom line: don't just try one or two things. Try all the things, and do them together. As best you can, over time. Let each new learning or strategy build on the others. 2. My "unconscious issues" radar is going off. It's possible for a person to be handed all the best information and strategies and still not succeed with them if they are not internally congruent with the outcome they say they want. The quickest way I know how to deal with such things is by working with a professional who is well trained in tools to work with unconscious patterning (hypnosis, family constellations, hakomi, etc) – the issue is finding someone whose skillset is up to whatever level your particular case requires, and unfortunately there's not a great way for someone in your shoes to really evaluate that. I am happy to make some referrals if you want to really good practitioners. 3. I want to underline and emphasize every comment that has suggested you ask for help. TELL people what's going on with you, ASK for their help, and then IMPLEMENT their advice. Talk to the appropriate people at school and let them know what's going on. Get an evaluation from a competent psychiatrist. Reach out for both professional support and personal. Your future is worth it. You are worth it.
As somebody who recently went through this, seeing a psychiatrist/ looking into therapy is helpful for most people regardless of circumstance so if you are in a position that you can do that, I definitely would. I waited until I was so depressed I could hardly get out of bed and I wish I would have been more proactive because the worse things get the harder taking that first step to fixing things seems. The rest of this is just general things that might help and have helped me in dealing with sleep, caffeine dependence, and For social media use I downloaded Freedom and bought a BRICK and downloaded the app with the same name. Freedom lets you set parameters for what you are allowed to access on the internet and is customizable. Freedom has a setting that will not allow you to delete the app or quit your session without going onto their website on your browser and force it to deactivate. BRICK does the same thing but when you tap your phone on the box(the brick) you are locked out of apps until you touch it again. You could give the brick to somebody that you know will hold you accountable. My screen time was super high so I used both those apps to force myself to focus. I also used to be extremely dependent on caffeine. No easy way out of a caffeine dependency but tapering off slowly or switching to coffee/tea or just soda/diet soda. Try to keep caffeine use to as early as possible and refrain from using it as soon as you wake up (Ideally wait 60-90 minutes but this isn't a must). I would make sleep your #1 priority when possible. I don't remember the exact statistic but if you're getting less than 5-6 hours consistently your cognitive abilities are essentially the same as if you were moderately drunk. I don't think you mentioned having trouble actually sleeping but if you need advice on sleeping better listen to any video/podcast interviewing Matthew Walker. He is one of the worlds experts in sleep science and I can say that I definitely sleep much better after using his advice. A magnesium supplement and regular sleep schedule will do wonders though. Like others said you may be burnt out too. Friends, hobbies, talking to family, school activities etc are important to save some time for. You have to have time to relax and just take it easy otherwise you'll just be solely focused on catching up on studying or whatever it may be and just run yourself empty. It sounds like there are a lot of moving parts but I know first hand that having a lot of stressors, sacrificing sleep to work/study (more stress), and using caffeine which is a stimulant can all have huge effects on your mental health and cognitive function. I feel for you and was recently in the same spot. I hope you get to the root cause of the issue and your mental health gets better! You got this!
Im sorry dude that you have to go through so much. We all have such times in life when we hate what we are doing atm. And just scroll whole day to avoid it. You need a fresh start. Being organized. Mentally speaking to youself that Why are you doing this for? Always remember the younger you who struggled hard to reach where you are right now. The younger you did so much , made so many sacrificed and suffered so that he can reach where you are right now. Same way the Now you will be appreciated and well thanked by the future you. And having seniors in touch would help perhaps. Taking them as inspiration like Ya i wanna be where that guy is. It makes you he competitive like i can definetly do better than him. Self reflect obviously. All the luck to you bro🤍 may you achieve what you want!♡
Hmmm… do you have ADHD? I had undiagnosed adhd at uni, and scraped through. Got diagnosed in my fourties’ and holy the meds made everything so much easier! For now, spend a bit of time mapping out exactly what you need to do. Make a check list. Decide you’re going to complete one item. Start with the smallest, and decide you’re going to do it, NOW. Do it. Cross it off the list. Take a break. NOT SCREEN TIME! Drink water. Dance. Stretch. Pick the next item. DO IT. Cross it off. Take a break. Repeat.
you need only 3 Rs that is, Refresh Restart Rebuild
You migh have r/ADHD
Okay, so here is what you want to do: Day 1-4: Study for 25 minutes, take a 5 minutes break, study 30 minutes, take a 10 minute break (each time, keep adding 5 to the break time and study time) until about, let's say 3 pm, then you can have some fun, go party or something. Don't scroll during your study break, go outside, drink some water, or play a game, do some drawing, something other than technology. Day 5: Quiz yourself on everything, and then (if you know it well) you can do whatever you want. Also try studying before the 5 days, like, say you've just finished a chapter in the book, review it a few times, it'll be much easier to remember. Also, while studying, chew a certain flavour gum, and when writing the exam, chew the same flavour gum as you did when you were studying. Hope this helps!
"I really can’t identify the problem I’m having this year. I never consumed that much caffeinated drinks, I only started excessively drinking them this year." Sounds like maybe the caffeines the problem since you started excessively drinking it when you started having problems? I procrastinate on it as well makes me crave mindless junk.
So sorry you are struggling. It doesn't make you lazy or a bad person. Instead, I think it sounds like you are suffering from burnout and also feeling stressed. Your phone is your escape and your means of avoidance. I think you need help and support outside of your capacity to help yourself. I think you need to talk to someone professionally or at least someone who can listen to you without judgement. Do you have a counselor or student support services on campus? See if you can book an appointment to see a counselor. I am sure there are people available to help you. I think you can make plans and try to be pragmatic, but I believe you need support and accountability. Can you find someone else to revise with? They call it body doubling - so having someone physically present helps you to focus. But I think until you face what is causing you to be avoidant it will be difficult to overcome. Please understand you are not alone in your struggle and being a procrastinator does not automatically make you a bad doctor (shut up judgey people) or a bad person. Pls seek help and if your loved ones are accepting and understanding, pls share your struggle with them so that they can offer support. I hope you find some real support. You are worth it and deserve help and understanding.
Look at it this way what would be more important your career or what someone is getting upto online ie social media. Basically u seem nosey thats why the slightest sound wakes you up during ur sleep. Good look for the future.
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I have had a huge struggle with social media addiction too and am very happy to address that if you would like! Currently have no social media and feel no compulsion to go on it :)
I went through this when I was in Criminal Justice program. At some point I felt baord and would turn to my phone to help stimulate my mental in order to complete the tasks at hand (I know, makes no sense). There was A LOT OF READING AND RESEARCH and at times I was overwhelmed. Did the same things you did from end to end. Nothing worked until I pray and asked GOD for the strength to stay focused on my studies and the patients to see it through. I asked HIM for help. I’m sure people may criticize on what I’ve said but🤷🏾♀️🤷🏾♀️, HE helped…
I don't mean to advocate for substance use but marijuana can help reduce stress levels I would maybe try gummies or something that won't effect your study habits but will make you feel better. If mental health gets to a point where you just need help then seek help. Social media is as easy as pushing the power button. It's not even that interesting and your dreams are a priority.
I would recommend changing the environment where you study, perhaps radically. A lot of more run of the mill addictions like social media, TV, food, etc. (things that don't involve like powerfully addictive chemicals like heroin or something) are very location/setting dependent. My productivity went way up in medical school when I started getting out of my apartment to study in new locations. There is a bit of mild social pressure from studying somewhat in public (even just a library, or a coffee shop), and you might find that it helps to curb your cravings for social media scrolling. You can do this! You were exceptional in the past, and that is still you. Try to change up your routine in order to break out of some of these habits/maladaptive behaviors, and try to taper caffeine slowly/but progressively.
If you own an iPhone, set screen time limits for your social media apps. Something like 10 minutes per day. It’s easy to totally lose track of time on those things, and even if you allow yourself to extend your time, the screen popping up and reminding you that it’s been a certain amount of time can keep you from losing hours at a time. Get a friend to commit to studying with you a week before the final, and tell them you will buy them a drink/snack if they catch you wasting time on the phone during the study session. External accountability helps when you don’t seem to have control over yourself. Once finals are over, drop the caffeine, get back to a normal sleep pattern (sleep deprivation will WRECK you), and talk to a therapist if you can.
You are looking for motivation techniques, not productivity. I think your problems go deeper than reddit can support.
My Remedy Volunteer at a food or shelter Things that you get to help Will benefit your focus achievements Everything we ever do Usually involves alot of Rethinking are stinking Thinking Mentally are sub Conscious Relpays 7 to 10 things Over an over So that's when the mind Shifts into dream state Try shifting sum of your studies into audio Replays when doing regular Activities ...laundry TV.. errands... Lunch breaks... Shower ... ETC
Phone addiction is real try 20 min timer method with 5 min breaks
procrastination is related to anxiety. get checked and treated for an anxiety disorder. also, you probs have depression too.
Promise you bro try breathwork, try lots of diffrent ones because some are hard for beginners, best possible thing you can do for stress and it’s easy and cost nothing!!! Everyday I do an hour and I feel so at peace and calm after every session please try it out brother 👊
Honestly do 1 hour each day or at least 20-30 minutes and within 2 weeks you will see a massive difference if you do it correctly. Focus on the breath while you do it and don’t force the breath too much you don’t want it to be uncomfy at all really. I recommend the 4-7-8, or 4-4-4-4 or vagues nerve ones. I try get so many people to do this stuff and no one listens it’s changed my life for the better by simply taking the time to breath. You can find them on yt. Let me know if you try
Currently applying to vet school and I loved all the feedback everyone has given! I struggle with study strategies and procrastination and this was very helpful! Good luck with everything, OP!
I'm like that for the past 3-4 years🙂
I have gone through phases of this too. Deleting apps is not enough for me, so I purchased an electronic locking cookie jar from Amazon. Best investment ever. Locking your phone in it for four hours. You'll be so bored without it you will actually be productive!
Don’t know if you’ll read this, but I think underneath you are suffering from a stress/panic disorder. I studied at the University of Cambridge, and got a Double First, but my situation wasn’t dissimilar to yours. I was a MESS. Instead of social media, I played stupid games, instead of studying and working. The same thing - it was just ‘for a little bit’, until I would get started. It was just this last time. But then I would spend hours and hours of every day playing mobile or laptop casual games. Which is madness. This was in my final year, before exam period. I look back and I can’t believe what I did. Can’t believe the state I was in. The reality is I was stressed out of my mind. Literally. The weight of what was at stake. That I could graduate with a First or Double First, or fail terribly and then it would be some indelible failure on my record forever. Irrecoverable. The stress was physiological - and uncontrollable. It’s like you’re in a sea, it doesn’t matter what the hell you do, because the sea is bigger and stronger than you are. It’s not something you can get away from. What to do? I only have two suggestions. The first is that you have to give up the caffeine. That is exacerbating things beyond belief. You are literally fuelling the internal volcano consuming you. Second, and this is going to be hard to achieve, if it is possible at all. But you need someone with you. You need help. The presence of someone physically with you, for instance who just sits by while you work or is in the room, could make a big difference. I don’t mean watching over you while you work, but someone who is on board with the whole situation and knows what you are going through, and can help you. That can break it down into bitesize pieces. You work an hour. You go on social media for half an hour, or lie down, or whatever. Then they encourage you to work another two hours. And repeat. Someone who works out a schedule with you, for the rest of the finals, you guys strategize. And they are then when you panic, they are there to talk you round, to make it more manageable, to literally get you to work one hour, then another hour, and so on and so forth. If you have a parent who could do this, or anyone.
1- the reason you feel and behave like that are 4 things: technology, your diet and sunlight exposure, movement. First off- get on a damn dopamine detox for just one fucking day and see what happens. You will become bored-good, maybe even depressed-even better, you will be so bored that the most fun thing you can possibly do is either learning or working out, dopamine detoxing will help you make tedious tasks be more enjoyable. Learn more about dopamine detoxing from Hamza on YouTube. And don't you dare to cope and say you can't do it, you're a fucking man, you're not supposed to only do things when you feel like doing them, have some fucking self respect and self control. Fix your diet: Cut out all the ultraprocessed shit from your diet and cut out sugar, only eat natural foods and especially eat lots of meat and animal fats like cow's butter and tallow, eggs,... This will help you cut out brain fog and feel sharper, if you want to completely avoid brain fog and depression etc get on a carnivore diet. Sunlight- Go outside WITHOUT your phone, spend time in the sun, go in nature. Movement- you're a lazy prick because you probably don't move as much as you're supposed to. Working out gives you energy even though many people think it only takes it away. Well why the fuck are they tired then after doing nothing the whole day? Try it out, have a workout that is not too light and not too hard at the same time- workouts that are too hard take your energy away but those are the 2 hour long unnecessarily hard ones not many people do anyway. I've been rude in this comment- good. The only way you will actually wake up from your trance is by being scolded. I was there too. Realize that you are not your phone, you are an independent human that has free will and that you can choose your actions and emotions and that you as a man are supposed to perform regardless of how you feel, depression is literally just chemicals in your brain telling you that something bad has happened. Armed with these insights, get working on yourself and most importantly put the fucking phone down for just one fucking day, when I did it changed my life. You probably won't achieve all those things I listed straight away but If you do you will flourish. If you won't even start- then congratulations, you failed. You can always pick yourself up though and change yourself and your situation. Good luck.
Also fix your sleep schedule, read why we sleep when you have time