How to keep focus while depressed/moody?

[katniss09]

---

Members don't see this ad.

.

 

[i5hina]

Hey guys. As we all know, studying for the mcat is not endorphin-stimulating to say the least. How do you stay focused/keep your head up when everyone around you is having fun? There are times when I feel the lowest of the low, and its really discouraging. I'm retaking the exam and I know that I should have done much better during the real thing because I was scoring fine on my practice exams. I feel like I'm at a dead end here. If any of you fellow premeds have any advice on this, it would be much appreciated.

Katniss09,

The best thing to do is to regularly exercise. You'd be surprised how much running outside or working out does for you. Just going out for a 20 minute walk will help you feel better. Staying active stimulates endorphins, keeps your body shape and most importantly, your mind in check. Studying for the mcat sucks big time but the fact is that for you to maximize what you learn besides the obvious practice, you have to be mentally strong and focused. Depression, a pessimistic attitude won't help on test day. However, an optimistic but realistic mindset, in addition to moderate exercise and mediation will help you accomplish this. Remember, this is only temporary.

 

[JLeBling]

Vigorous regular exercise. At least once every 2 days. Once every three days for me is pushing it and I start to get bug-eyed and lose focus. High intensity cardio is the best. Don't jog. SPRINT! I go to an MMA gym and do pad-work and light sparring 3-4 times a week to get reinvigorated. Yoga is probably good too. Really just anything to mop up the excess cortisol that is swimming in your blood.

As for other people having fun? Delete facebook, turn off your phone, and stop worrying what a bunch of fake people think. The MCAT is about you. None of your friends will get you into medschool, You are facing this battle alone. Let them have their "fun". We'll see who's having fun in 10 years when the next subprime whatever asset bubble collapses and the unemployment rate skyrockets with chaos ensuing. At least with an M.D. your skillset will ALWAYS be in demand pretty much anywhere in the world. Although you may not become filthy banker rich,(maybe you will not become rich at all) you will be a valued member of your community. Unfortunately our debased monetary system does not currently recognize this, but that's a whole other subject I won't discuss here.

This whole idea that we are supposed to have "Fun":
Noun
Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure: "anyone who turns up can join in the fun".

Is a boldface lie that has been force-fed to our generation (and our parent's generation) through rabid consumerist corporate broadcasting, enabled by cheap abundant oil and easy credit. My generation is a pathetic, sheepish and ignorant generation, severely lacking critical reasoning skills and barely literate. Our eyes are always glued to bright screens, mesmerized, and oblivious, that if we just lifted our heads for one second we would see to the rampant plundering of our institutions and the degradation of the trust that holds our society together.

NOTHING in life is free. No one will ever give you something for nothing. The opposite is true, people will always be trying to take stuff away from you that you earned through blood, sweat, and tears. But at the end of the day, when **** REALLY starts hitting the fan, your hardwork WILL pay off and those who were too busy having fun will be ****ed.

The Ant and the Cricket... Get your fables straight 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1DgihKHVI

 

[jeffs office]

Vigorous regular exercise. At least once every 2 days. Once every three days for me is pushing it and I start to get bug-eyed and lose focus. High intensity cardio is the best. Don't jog. SPRINT! I go to an MMA gym and do pad-work and light sparring 3-4 times a week to get reinvigorated. Yoga is probably good too. Really just anything to mop up the excess cortisol that is swimming in your blood.

As for other people having fun? Delete facebook, turn off your phone, and stop worrying what a bunch of fake people think. The MCAT is about you. None of your friends will get you into medschool, You are facing this battle alone. Let them have their "fun". We'll see who's having fun in 10 years when the next subprime whatever asset bubble collapses and the unemployment rate skyrockets with chaos ensuing. At least with an M.D. your skillset will ALWAYS be in demand pretty much anywhere in the world. Although you may not become filthy banker rich,(maybe you will not become rich at all) you will be a valued member of your community. Unfortunately our debased monetary system does not currently recognize this, but that's a whole other subject I won't discuss here.

This whole idea that we are supposed to have "Fun":
Noun
Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure: "anyone who turns up can join in the fun".

Is a boldface lie that has been force-fed to our generation (and our parent's generation) through rabid consumerist corporate broadcasting, enabled by cheap abundant oil and easy credit. My generation is a pathetic, sheepish and ignorant generation, severely lacking critical reasoning skills and barely literate. Our eyes are always glued to bright screens, mesmerized, and oblivious, that if we just lifted our heads for one second we would see to the rampant plundering of our institutions and the degradation of the trust that holds our society together.

NOTHING in life is free. No one will ever give you something for nothing. The opposite is true, people will always be trying to take stuff away from you that you earned through blood, sweat, and tears. But at the end of the day, when **** REALLY starts hitting the fan, your hardwork WILL pay off and those who were too busy having fun will be ****ed.

The Ant and the Cricket... Get your fables straight 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1DgihKHVI

😍

 

[7ec13]

Hey guys. As we all know, studying for the mcat is not endorphin-stimulating to say the least. How do you stay focused/keep your head up when everyone around you is having fun? There are times when I feel the lowest of the low, and its really discouraging. I'm retaking the exam and I know that I should have done much better during the real thing because I was scoring fine on my practice exams. I feel like I'm at a dead end here. If any of you fellow premeds have any advice on this, it would be much appreciated.

I sympathize. It really does suck. The MCAT is a beast of a test, and its designed to be tough. It sucks having to retake and go through all that stress again, but realize that you're definitely not alone. Many other premeds have to take the MCAT more than once, and are probably going through the same struggles as you are.

Regarding feeling really down, sometimes (or often) that happens because you're getting frustrated with yourself by not achieving what you want. Try to remind yourself that the MCAT score does not define you. It may be upsetting now, but after you get past this, you'll have the joy of knowing you'll never have to take it again 🙂

The path to med school isn't easy; we all know that. You've chosen a difficult career, and it'll require a lot of patience before you reach your end goal. But if it's what you really want, sometimes you just have to accept that "that's life" and keep chugging along, Good luck 🙂

 

[UTKpreMD]

Vigorous regular exercise. At least once every 2 days. Once every three days for me is pushing it and I start to get bug-eyed and lose focus. High intensity cardio is the best. Don't jog. SPRINT! I go to an MMA gym and do pad-work and light sparring 3-4 times a week to get reinvigorated. Yoga is probably good too. Really just anything to mop up the excess cortisol that is swimming in your blood.

As for other people having fun? Delete facebook, turn off your phone, and stop worrying what a bunch of fake people think. The MCAT is about you. None of your friends will get you into medschool, You are facing this battle alone. Let them have their "fun". We'll see who's having fun in 10 years when the next subprime whatever asset bubble collapses and the unemployment rate skyrockets with chaos ensuing. At least with an M.D. your skillset will ALWAYS be in demand pretty much anywhere in the world. Although you may not become filthy banker rich,(maybe you will not become rich at all) you will be a valued member of your community. Unfortunately our debased monetary system does not currently recognize this, but that's a whole other subject I won't discuss here.

This whole idea that we are supposed to have "Fun":
Noun
Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure: "anyone who turns up can join in the fun".

Is a boldface lie that has been force-fed to our generation (and our parent's generation) through rabid consumerist corporate broadcasting, enabled by cheap abundant oil and easy credit. My generation is a pathetic, sheepish and ignorant generation, severely lacking critical reasoning skills and barely literate. Our eyes are always glued to bright screens, mesmerized, and oblivious, that if we just lifted our heads for one second we would see to the rampant plundering of our institutions and the degradation of the trust that holds our society together.

NOTHING in life is free. No one will ever give you something for nothing. The opposite is true, people will always be trying to take stuff away from you that you earned through blood, sweat, and tears. But at the end of the day, when **** REALLY starts hitting the fan, your hardwork WILL pay off and those who were too busy having fun will be ****ed.

The Ant and the Cricket... Get your fables straight 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1DgihKHVI

nice... but I have to disagree that nothing in life is free. Obama is doing a good job making many things free for these ignorant lazy pieces of **** you're talking about. 👎

 

[Mehd School]

nice... but I have to disagree that nothing in life is free. Obama is doing a good job making many things free for these ignorant lazy pieces of **** you're talking about. 👎

👍


Politics aside, I find that I cannot study if I'm not in the mood. It ends up being a waste of time. What I do is step away from the material and go do something away from academics. The most popular being exercise, but I'll also go play some xbox, watch tv, or even catch a quick nap.

I come back refreshed and in the correct mindset, and am 100x's more efficient.

 

[Fifty 3rds]

Vigorous regular exercise. At least once every 2 days. Once every three days for me is pushing it and I start to get bug-eyed and lose focus. High intensity cardio is the best. Don't jog. SPRINT! I go to an MMA gym and do pad-work and light sparring 3-4 times a week to get reinvigorated. Yoga is probably good too. Really just anything to mop up the excess cortisol that is swimming in your blood.

As for other people having fun? Delete facebook, turn off your phone, and stop worrying what a bunch of fake people think. The MCAT is about you. None of your friends will get you into medschool, You are facing this battle alone. Let them have their "fun". We'll see who's having fun in 10 years when the next subprime whatever asset bubble collapses and the unemployment rate skyrockets with chaos ensuing. At least with an M.D. your skillset will ALWAYS be in demand pretty much anywhere in the world. Although you may not become filthy banker rich,(maybe you will not become rich at all) you will be a valued member of your community. Unfortunately our debased monetary system does not currently recognize this, but that's a whole other subject I won't discuss here.

This whole idea that we are supposed to have "Fun":
Noun
Enjoyment, amusement, or lighthearted pleasure: "anyone who turns up can join in the fun".

Is a boldface lie that has been force-fed to our generation (and our parent's generation) through rabid consumerist corporate broadcasting, enabled by cheap abundant oil and easy credit. My generation is a pathetic, sheepish and ignorant generation, severely lacking critical reasoning skills and barely literate. Our eyes are always glued to bright screens, mesmerized, and oblivious, that if we just lifted our heads for one second we would see to the rampant plundering of our institutions and the degradation of the trust that holds our society together.

NOTHING in life is free. No one will ever give you something for nothing. The opposite is true, people will always be trying to take stuff away from you that you earned through blood, sweat, and tears. But at the end of the day, when **** REALLY starts hitting the fan, your hardwork WILL pay off and those who were too busy having fun will be ****ed.

The Ant and the Cricket... Get your fables straight 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1DgihKHVI

Well said and I agree with most.

👍


Politics aside, I find that I cannot study if I'm not in the mood. It ends up being a waste of time. What I do is step away from the material and go do something away from academics. The most popular being exercise, but I'll also go play some xbox, watch tv, or even catch a quick nap.

I come back refreshed and in the correct mindset, and am 100x's more efficient.

Agreed. Sometimes, it's best to take a breather. I'll often just download the latest abstracts from popular science journals so I can kick back and relax **Sarcasm off**

I usually take my dog for a walk, I'm trying to go to the gym more consistently and I'd like one additional hobby to put focus into so I don't feel like all of my eggs are in the one basket.

 

[Chalupa Batman]

If youre feeling down you can do things to take your mind off studying.
Workout, run, play sports, yoga etc
you should also take a day or two off from studying
just do something fun like hang out with friends go to the beach watch a movie