When all of the summary celebrations come to a close, it is completely normal for everyone to go through post-graduation depression. Finishing university can feel like each one of your professors who has been there for you every step of the way has pushed you off of a plank, blindfolded and hand tied, yelling “bye, take care now!”
When you are so incredibly used to assignments and classes occupying your time, with a goal waiting to be achieved at the end of each semester, it is expected that a sense of loss and confusion will occur when it all comes to an end and you’re expected to make your own decisions as to what to do next. It is possible you may have studied immediately out of high school, and literally don’t know a life without it.
Not to fret, here are ten ways to get through post-graduation depression!
If you’re a recent graduate, chances are you’re still working your part-time job that you had whilst studying. As great as this job may be and how comfortable it may make you, if you have fallen into post-graduation depression, it is always best to look for a new job, even if it is another part-time one.
Change and refreshment in the professional atmosphere is a super important step in beating the post-grad blues, as it combats the feeling of not having accomplished anything by returning to the same environment in which you already worked.
Even if it is not a job in your qualified field, it’s still a change!
Part of what can contribute to post-graduation depression is missing the connections built in that time period. Whilst it is easy to assume that your friends from university may not be interested and have moved on with their lives, in most cases this couldn’t be any further from the truth!
Rekindling the fire with your uni pals and sharing post-graduation experiences may be the comforting hand that you need.
You know that hobby or sport you promised yourself you’d take up when you had the time? Well, now you’ve got nothing but!
A new hobby/activity is a fantastic way to transition into a new phase of life, and distract yourself from its hardships. It also provides a sense of self-worth, excitement and routine.
If those around you can’t relate to your post-graduation depression and it’s making you feel isolated; time to reach out to the world!
Starting a public blog about how you’re feeling will attract attention and comments from others going through the same phase, giving you comfort in knowing that you are not alone. Getting how you feel out/down in writing is also a fantastic way to clear your mind.
Who knows, you may even go viral!
If you have come to the definite conclusion that it is impossible to gain a position in your desired field with an undergraduate degree, don’t be afraid to do something about it!
It is never too late to go back and obtain a masters degree, or even change your field of expertise entirely! The world is your oyster (with a little patience).
Everyone’s life moves at a completely different pace to the next person’s, and playing the comparison game won’t do much at all other than bring you even more pain and confusion.
Social media is your worst enemy if you find yourself struggling with this, so stay off of it as much as you can help it. Does knowing that your childhood friend Sarah just bought her tenth Chihuahua in her Los Cabos loft make you any more successful?
It’s easy to fall into a defeated slump during post-graduation depression and forget that personal hygiene and fitness routines should still always prevail.
Don’t stop getting your hair and your eyelashes done just because you’re feeling rotten, it’s those little self-rewards that can keep your head above water in a tough time! Even if it’s as simple as taking a bubble bath once a week, keep treating yo’self!
While it can be extremely frustrating and defeating to watch application after application disappear into the electronic world, you have to remember that they are rejecting the opportunity to work with you – not YOU.
We all have that friend who seems to not want to talk about anything except for life’s troubles and point out how bad your situation is – this is not the friend you should be around during post-graduation depression.
Surround yourself with people who inspire you, lift you up, and remind you that there’s always hope. Listen to other’s experiences and take their advice. Remember that networking is always the most important key to employment opportunity in the modern world, so you never know what rewards could surface by remaining social!
At the end of the day, you have successfully completed a degree, which is an opportunity and accomplishment that more than most could even dream of.
Make a list of your accomplishments and go over them every morning, to remind yourself that although you may be going through a lost patch right now, you really have kicked life’s butt in more ways than one!
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