Combining study with health issues or care at home
Are you finding that studying is becoming difficult due to health issues or caring responsibilities at home? Perhaps you’d like to keep up, but lectures, assignments, travel time and responsibilities at home are taking up a lot of your energy. Or you may feel under pressure because others seem to be carrying on as normal, whilst you’re constantly having to work out what’s feasible. Studying requires concentration, planning and perseverance. When pain, tiredness, stress or caring for someone at home are added to the mix, it’s easy to lose your balance. It’s important not to wait until you’re completely stuck.
What do you notice?
Balancing your studies with health issues or care at home can be challenging in various ways.
You may, for example, notice that:
- you find it difficult to concentrate;
- tasks are left undone;
- you miss lectures due to health issues or care responsibilities;
- you have little time to recover;
- you fall behind and consequently become stressed;
- you feel guilty towards school or at home;
- you take part in fewer social activities;
- you are having trouble sleeping due to stress or worries;
- You are unsure whether you can see the course through to the end.
Sometimes you can keep up appearances for the outside world for a long time. But on the inside, it can feel as though you’re constantly playing catch-up.
