The Student Room Group

How do I start?

To keep it brief, I’m always planning everything related to my studies down to the last detail, but then I never follow through because I get so anxious of failure.

How do I actually take action and live the life I’ve thought about and planned?
Original post by Anonymous
To keep it brief, I’m always planning everything related to my studies down to the last detail, but then I never follow through because I get so anxious of failure.
How do I actually take action and live the life I’ve thought about and planned?

Stop making excuses for not following through and start taking action. You have already planned everything, so it should be easier to follow and stay motivated if you remind yourself why you must do certain things and what you want achieve.

Hope it helps.
Reply 2
Original post by Anonymous
Stop making excuses for not following through and start taking action. You have already planned everything, so it should be easier to follow and stay motivated if you remind yourself why you must do certain things and what you want achieve.
Hope it helps.

Yes I does. Iguess my only concern is that the reason i don’t follow through is due to my mental health.

I plan so much because I’m anxious and want to avoid stressful situations in the future. But, in the end it’s being overwhelmed by consistent sad and anxious thoughts that prevents me from following through cause I convince myself I will fail…

So, I guess to stop this getting in my way I need to stop making excuses for not getting help and speak to my GP/school counsellor? Would that be a good idea?
Original post by Anonymous
To keep it brief, I’m always planning everything related to my studies down to the last detail, but then I never follow through because I get so anxious of failure.
How do I actually take action and live the life I’ve thought about and planned?


Obvious answer, you just have to do it- thats that.
If you want good grades you have to study, thats that.
If there is distractions that get in your way of doing so, eliminate them, such as putting your phone in a different room or setting goals for yourself that you will reward later.
If your mental health is really debilitating to the point you can't do anything, you need to get specialist help, even if it is as simple as speaking to your schools councellor or equivalent.
Sorry to be so brutal but if it was easy to just do everything in life, everyone would.
Best of luck.
Reply 4
Original post by stilllearning123
Obvious answer, you just have to do it- thats that.
If you want good grades you have to study, thats that.
If there is distractions that get in your way of doing so, eliminate them, such as putting your phone in a different room or setting goals for yourself that you will reward later.
If your mental health is really debilitating to the point you can't do anything, you need to get specialist help, even if it is as simple as speaking to your schools councellor or equivalent.
Sorry to be so brutal but if it was easy to just do everything in life, everyone would.
Best of luck.

No no, I definitely agree with you. That’s the kind of attitude I had during my GCSEs, but over the years my mental health has gotten so bad I physically can’t get myself to do anything.

I feel so empty that I’ve lost my sense of urgency. During my GCSEs I beat myself up if I didn’t get at least a 7 in a mock, but now I just feel so hopeless about life and my A-levels i can’t find a reason to do anything anymore.

I’m convinced I won’t make it to Y13 at all, so what’s the point?
Original post by Anonymous
Yes I does. Iguess my only concern is that the reason i don’t follow through is due to my mental health.
I plan so much because I’m anxious and want to avoid stressful situations in the future. But, in the end it’s being overwhelmed by consistent sad and anxious thoughts that prevents me from following through cause I convince myself I will fail…
So, I guess to stop this getting in my way I need to stop making excuses for not getting help and speak to my GP/school counsellor? Would that be a good idea?

If you have acknowledged that your mental health is having a negative impact in your life then definitely get help. There’s nothing wrong with seeking help. Speaking with professionals such as counsellors could potentially improve things for you and help you find ways to cope, manage or overcome the negative emotions.

Good luck.
Reply 6
Original post by stilllearning123
Obvious answer, you just have to do it- thats that.
If you want good grades you have to study, thats that.
If there is distractions that get in your way of doing so, eliminate them, such as putting your phone in a different room or setting goals for yourself that you will reward later.
If your mental health is really debilitating to the point you can't do anything, you need to get specialist help, even if it is as simple as speaking to your schools councellor or equivalent.
Sorry to be so brutal but if it was easy to just do everything in life, everyone would.
Best of luck.


And, I think part of it is that even though I’m predicted good grades for this stage of Y12 (ABB/BBB), and I’m receiving praise from my teachers, I can’t feel happy about it.

I know I haven’t been working as hard as I could due to my mental health, which just makes it worse. I feel like I’ve completely screwed over my A-levels, and that it’s too late to make up for the lost time. But, I know I can’t blame myself either, because I’ve done nothing by hold in tears at sixth form and cried for hours at home, and I’m only settling at school now..

Idk, maybe I am making excuses, but it’s hard to work when all I can do is cry.
Reply 7
I don’t even understand what’s going on anymore. One minute, like last night, I could be planning an essay for essay competition, and the next minute I’m crying my eyes out? I feel like I have no control over my life anymorez
Reply 8
But, tbh I think I need to stop talking badly about myself. I find when I say positive things about myself to combat the negative, I feel better.

I know I have a good work ethic, I know I can do well, I just wish I’d stop getting in my own way! I’m hoping if I stop being hard on myself and actually use the revision timetable/subject spreadsheets I’ve made, read all the books I want to read, do that essay competition, do that work experience and go to those taster lectures, I’d be able to do so well and get into a good university.

I just need to stop getting in my own way.

Idk why I just had a spark of inspiration lol. Let’s hope it sticks around for a bit.
Original post by Anonymous
But, tbh I think I need to stop talking badly about myself. I find when I say positive things about myself to combat the negative, I feel better.
I know I have a good work ethic, I know I can do well, I just wish I’d stop getting in my own way! I’m hoping if I stop being hard on myself and actually use the revision timetable/subject spreadsheets I’ve made, read all the books I want to read, do that essay competition, do that work experience and go to those taster lectures, I’d be able to do so well and get into a good university.
I just need to stop getting in my own way.
Idk why I just had a spark of inspiration lol. Let’s hope it sticks around for a bit.

use this spark to get yourself help with someone experienced in these matters to try and sort yourself out. You might not want to now but you will thank yourself 100 times over in the future when it works out.

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