Learning how to study when struggling with mental health can feel like an impossible challenge. There are days when even the simplest tasks—like cleaning or cooking—seem overwhelming. Unfortunately, many students don't have the luxury of unlimited time to recover before facing academic responsibilities.
While taking breaks is essential for your wellbeing, there comes a point where postponing responsibilities leads to serious real-life consequences. Skipping one study session is perfectly acceptable, but avoiding your coursework for an entire semester can result in failing grades and potentially dropping out. This guide will help you navigate studying with mental health challenges while maintaining your academic progress.
Stop Comparing Yourself to Your Former Self
One of the biggest obstacles when trying to study with mental health issues is the tendency to compare your current capabilities to when you were feeling well. Thoughts like "I used to complete three lectures in a single day, but now I can barely finish one" or "I used to wake up at 4 AM, but now I can't get out of bed until mid-afternoon" can be incredibly damaging.
Instead of measuring yourself against the person you once were or aspire to become, focus on working with your current capabilities. If understanding concepts takes longer than before, simply allocate additional time for each topic. If maintaining focus proves difficult, determine how long you can concentrate and gradually extend your study sessions as you improve.
The key is making progress, regardless of how small it might seem. Every step forward counts when you're studying while dealing with mental health struggles. For additional study strategies, check out resources from Mind UK's student mental health guide.
Create a Prioritized To-Do List
When managing studies with mental health challenges, organizing your tasks effectively becomes crucial. Start by writing everything down to clear your mind, then ask yourself two essential questions for each item:
- Do I really need to do this?
- Do I really need to do it right now?
Academic stress often stems from feeling like we're not covering enough material. But ask yourself honestly: do you genuinely need to memorize every page of your textbook, or are you being unnecessarily paranoid about what might appear on the exam?
Similarly, while assignments certainly need completion, they rarely require immediate attention. Students can request extensions from teachers, and university submissions typically only lose minimal marks for late submission. Resting today and submitting a quality assignment tomorrow—even with a small penalty—is far better than rushing and losing significant marks due to poor quality work.
The NHS stress reduction guide offers additional techniques for managing academic anxiety.
Organize Your Digital Workspace
When you're struggling with mental health and trying to study, even minor disorganization can feel overwhelming. Your laptop serves as your primary workspace as a student, so keeping it organized can significantly reduce stress.
Consider organizing all your frequently used websites into categorized folders. Keep your school emails, learning management systems, note-taking apps, and video conferencing links easily accessible in one location. Create separate folders for different aspects of your life—academic materials in subject-specific folders, personal items elsewhere.
Implementing digital to-do lists with due dates linked directly to relevant resources can dramatically improve your efficiency and reduce the mental load of tracking multiple responsibilities.
Remove Yourself from Overwhelming Situations
The famous quote "Believe you can and you're halfway there" applies equally to both success and failure. When studying with anxiety and depression, negative thoughts can quickly spiral if you remain in a triggering environment.
Develop a reflex that works for your specific needs. When overwhelm strikes, immediately remove yourself from the situation if possible. At school, ask to visit the restroom. At home, move to a different room. The goal is creating distance between yourself and the source of anxiety.
Since anxiety fundamentally involves fear about future events, grounding yourself in the present moment can be incredibly effective. Try this technique:
- Walk around and verbally describe what you observe
- Use your senses—note what you see, smell, and hear
- Focus entirely on your immediate surroundings
This practice isn't about distraction; it's about training yourself to stop worrying about things that haven't occurred and focus on the present moment. When anxiety spikes, recognize it and know exactly what you need to do—whether that means putting on headphones to create personal space or physically leaving the environment.
Learn more grounding techniques from Anxiety Canada's comprehensive guide.
You Don't Have to Complete Everything Immediately
A crucial realization for anyone studying while managing mental health is that tasks don't require immediate completion. We often create unnecessary stress by believing we must finish an entire topic today or we're unproductive, or that failing to complete our entire to-do list makes us failures.
This toxic self-pressure only increases anxiety, creating a destructive cycle. The truth is, you can study part of a lecture today and finish it tomorrow. Complete half your assignment now and the remainder in a few days. If your to-do list remains incomplete today, simply continue tomorrow.
Nobody is forcing you to accomplish everything at once. Develop the habit of viewing incomplete tasks not as sources of worry but as items in progress. Instead of thinking "I still have so much to do," reframe it as "I've already made progress, which is better than doing nothing at all."
Consider tackling quick tasks first—clearing small items reduces mental clutter and creates momentum for larger projects.
When You Rest, Actually Rest
Many students dealing with mental health while studying feel guilty about resting, which ironically prevents actual recovery. If you still feel exhausted after multiple naps, you're likely spending that time worrying about pending tasks rather than genuinely resting. Your breaks become self-sabotage sessions rather than recovery periods.
Instead of lying down while your mind races, try going for a walk or listening to music. If silence triggers overthinking, use white noise or calming sounds. Think of proper rest like restarting a lagging computer—without a genuine reset, the system will eventually crash, and you'll lose all progress.
The Sleep Foundation's mental health resources provide valuable insights on the connection between rest and mental wellbeing.
Establish Your Personal Reset Routine
A reset routine is any process that helps you relax or prepares you for upcoming tasks. When studying with mental health difficulties, finding activities that bring calm or happiness becomes essential. Consider these suggestions:
- Practicing a skincare routine
- Enjoying comfort food mindfully
- Watching favorite shows or series
- Taking a brief walk outdoors
- Listening to calming music
One crucial piece of advice: develop a reset routine that doesn't depend on other people. While social support is valuable, others may not always have the capacity to help—not because they don't care, but because they might be managing their own challenges. Having self-sufficient coping strategies ensures you always have access to relief.
Ignore criticism about how you choose to reset. If shopping or traveling helps and you have the resources, don't let others' opinions prevent you from doing what works for you.
Final Thoughts on Studying with Mental Health Challenges
Understanding how to study when struggling with mental health requires patience, self-compassion, and practical strategies. The journey toward better mental health while maintaining academic progress isn't linear, and that's perfectly acceptable.
If you've read this far, recognize that simply seeking help and trying to improve demonstrates incredible strength. The fact that you're actively looking for ways to manage your studies despite mental health challenges shows remarkable determination.
Remember these key points:
- Work with your current capabilities rather than comparing to your past self
- Prioritize tasks by necessity and urgency
- Remove yourself from overwhelming situations
- Accept that completing everything immediately isn't required
- Rest genuinely rather than worrying during breaks
- Develop personal reset routines that don't depend on others
For additional mental health support, consider reaching out to BetterHelp for online counseling or exploring resources from Active Minds, an organization dedicated to student mental health.
You're making progress simply by trying, and that progress matters immensely.