Taking a year out of Uni

Hi all,

I’m in my second year and have been struggling immensely with my mental health - i’ve always had problems with low mood and anxiety but it’s gotten to the point where i don’t really see the point in anything anymore and every little thing is overwhelming. i have adhd and suspected autism and ive been in a state of burnout for probably a lot longer than i have realised and have recently been diagnosed with reactive depression.

anyways im going to try and finish this year but then take a year out before third year. i wondered if anyone had advice on what i should fill my time with so that i can get better instead of worse and recover from this burnout and depression. i always feel guilty for resting no matter if i have work to do or not so with a whole year of rest im really not sure how to look after myself.

thanks <3

Reply 1

kass03

I've got autism, and struggle with anxious thoughts and low moods. Personally I have had a lot of time in which I've not been either in education and in work, and one thing I would fully recommend is to try and get out of the house at least half the days a week, go for walks wherever you can, stay active; dancing, swimming, cycling etc it doesn't have to be exercise, it can just be something fun that involves movement.

And then on the other hand, a low energy cost activity for days that feel tough, such as gaming or colouring/drawing.

If you don't feel ready to work, maybe try volunteering? I've not done it myself but I've heard you can choose the amount of hours you'll do.

So some of these things I have thought about, but haven't managed to do, such as getting out of the house every other day, and volunteering. One thing I did do was talking therapy over the phone, and join an online community through Mind called Side by Side. It's a lovely community, with people going through all different walks of life. It's nice to feel seen and supported, and also to learn from other people as to what they do to keep busy or cope.

Also maybe a self care diary? I have one that does daily intentions, daily self care tasks, and daily gratitudes. Might be nice to have at least one thing to focus on every day, and help you appreciate a day even if it is spent doing nothing but resting.

I hope you have a good gap year!

Reply 2

Anonymous #1

Original post by kass03

I've got autism, and struggle with anxious thoughts and low moods. Personally I have had a lot of time in which I've not been either in education and in work, and one thing I would fully recommend is to try and get out of the house at least half the days a week, go for walks wherever you can, stay active; dancing, swimming, cycling etc it doesn't have to be exercise, it can just be something fun that involves movement.
And then on the other hand, a low energy cost activity for days that feel tough, such as gaming or colouring/drawing.
If you don't feel ready to work, maybe try volunteering? I've not done it myself but I've heard you can choose the amount of hours you'll do.
So some of these things I have thought about, but haven't managed to do, such as getting out of the house every other day, and volunteering. One thing I did do was talking therapy over the phone, and join an online community through Mind called Side by Side. It's a lovely community, with people going through all different walks of life. It's nice to feel seen and supported, and also to learn from other people as to what they do to keep busy or cope.
Also maybe a self care diary? I have one that does daily intentions, daily self care tasks, and daily gratitudes. Might be nice to have at least one thing to focus on every day, and help you appreciate a day even if it is spent doing nothing but resting.
I hope you have a good gap year!

thankyou so so much. i have been trying to go for more walks while listening to music, which i think gives me more stimulation that way. i think dancing is fun too i usually do it as a stim but doing it as “exercise” sounds fun. volunteer work does sound quite good and it’d be nice to choose my hours.

thankyou again :smile: