Feeling overwhelmed and becoming frozen
I'm an international student who just started my second semester of study of university here in Australia. I'm living in a studio apartement for the first time as last semester I was in a dorm. I've become increasingly overwhelmed with all the things I need to do like cooking for myself, cleaning, studying, social events, etc. All of this has made me freeze up and I just end up not doing anything. For the past few days, I haven't been doing much of anything aside from eating and sleeping. I've also started to isolate a bit from my friends and have been ignoring messages from family back home. I don't want to burden them or make them worry so I just end up avoiding them. I feel extremely guilty for not doing anything. I want to get out of this rut but I don't know how or where to start.
Comments
Hi @ZeeTheWombat, welcome to the ReachOut community, it's so nice to have you here!
Thank you so much for sharing what you’re going through. It sounds like you're having a really tough time, and I can only imagine how overwhelming this transition must feel. Moving overseas to study abroad, then moving from a dorm to living on your own are huge adjustments, and it makes complete sense that you’re feeling stuck with so many new responsibilities. I mean it when I say that you’re not alone in this, so many students go through similar struggles when adjusting to independent living.
It sounds like you have a lot on your plate, and feeling overwhelmed can sometimes make it hard to start anything at all. Sometimes breaking things down into super small steps or choosing one issue to focus on can make things feel more manageable. It could be helpful to consider, what is one thing you’d like to work on first? And what is one small thing you could try tonight or tomorrow toward that one thing? Even if it's just responding to one message from a friend or family member or cleaning one dish in the sink, these can be great first steps.
You mentioned feeling unsure about how or where to start getting support, yet you still managed to find this community and make your first post in search of support. Perhaps you’re more capable than you think!
I’m wondering if there is anyone, maybe a friend, classmate, or university support staff, you feel comfortable reaching out to right now? Even small connections can help break the isolation.
If you’re open to it and haven’t already considered it, your university likely has support services like a well-being support person or counselling services available to help you navigate things. Is this something you’d be open to exploring?
Or, if you prefer online support options, there are options for this too. Kids Helpline and our very own PeerChat are both good options for free one-on-one support.
Thanks again for reaching out 😊
Thank you for sharing how you're feeling & it's super remarkable to be studying abroad. It is tough having to balance all the tasks of life and not wanting other people to worry about you.
My suggestion would be to start by making a list of all the things you need to do during your day and then create a schedule combining all the things you have to do i.e. cooking, cleaning, studying and make sure you also prioritise things you can do for yourself like self-care activities or hobbies. Even if you can't follow the schedule completely the first few days/ weeks, at least getting some of your tasks done is a huge step in the right direction. You may possibly want to explore meal-prepping as well which can save you time and mental energy in the long run.
I would also really recommend reaching out to your friends and family. I know it can feel uncomfortable but I'm sure your family back home especially would love to hear from you and provide support wherever possible. Even a quick chat every day just to check in, not necessarily explaining all the things you are feeling can be really beneficial. Social interaction can help more than people think!
I hope this advice helps, but remember you are doing an awesome job and something really brave. Your hard work will definitely pay off!
