Hey @Sky_Bison ,
Thank you so much for sharing your experience on the forums. I am sorry to hear that you have been feeling anxious, hollow, insignificant and guilty. Year 12 can be a very stressful and overwhelming time, both due to the workload, and what you describe as the pressure to prepare for independent living. You've mentioned that sleepiness impacts your mood quite a bit, so maybe this might be something to work on first that could have a big impact on your mood? I also find that a lack of sleep greatly affects my mood and anxiety. Some things that sometimes help me get enough rest when I am in a stressful situation is to set a goal for how many hours of sleep a night I would like to get, and then working my work schedule around this so that my sleep is not impacted (i.e. treating my sleep as non-negotiable). Then, I set my wake up & go to sleep time the same for each night (e.g. if I want 8 hours of sleep a night, I try to make sure that I am in bed by 11 pm each night, and set my alarm for 7 am each morning). Prior to going to bed, I would also consider finishing up work at least an hour beforehand, so that it's not playing on my mind when I fall asleep. In that hour, you can spend some time doing some self care to relax yourself before going to sleep. For example, meditating, taking a relaxing bath, or drawing - whatever you enjoy! What are some things that you enjoy doing for self-care?
I was also wondering whether you have a study schedule, or would like to create one to help address procrastination? The Pomodoro technique mentioned by @Anonymous below seems particularly useful. Creating a daily timetable for my workload and splitting study into small chunks helps me to feel less overwhelmed by assignments and study. It's also a useful way of blocking out time for social activities, family, leisure and self-care, which may help address the feelings of loneliness that you are experiencing. While study and the HSC may seem to be the most salient task and goal at the moment, engaging in leisure or social activities that you find relaxing and rewarding are just as important as study. It's also important to reward yourself for all the work that you've been putting in during such a stressful year! What are some things that you find helpful to unwind and relax?
I hope that you find some of these tips useful. Please feel welcome to post on the forums any time, as we are all here for you 💙
