Whether you’re a student, part-time or full-time worker there will always be stresses thrown at you from many different directions, be it workload, deadlines and general work stress. For me I find this stress okay, I thrive upon actually having something to ‘stress’ over. It’s when I find myself feeling unbearably low, when everyone else around me is getting on with their work, when I’m smiling and laughing and when I have nothing to ‘stress’ over… it these kind of days that I really really struggle.

Do you ever find yourself thinking – in the middle of a perfectly straightforward day – that nothing will ever get better? Nothing will ever change? That you’re wasting your time (even though you love your job, you love your degree…) basically, everything’s in place, but you couldn’t be feeling any worse. I’m often left questioning “what’s the point?” Which is for me a question 100% clearly linked to my mood, I’m not regretting or feeling negative toward any of the work I’ve done and undertaken. I choose what I want to put my energy into, that includes the studying I’ve done, the roles I’ve taken on and the projects I’ve been so fortunate to be a part of. Which is why I get so incredibly frustrated and angry toward myself when I do feel low – especially when I feel low at work, or at University. I hate feeling low during these ‘day-to-day’ situations purely because these situations are things that I really want to be doing, they are things that I love. But, even the things I love can’t keep my demons away.

I need to know, I desperately need to know, of any tools or tips people have when it comes to dealing with severe low mood while at work. (Or while in social/general contexts where you should be feeling peachy but everything sucks). I don’t want to turn to food, or to go load up on coffee and sugar, because that’ll just make me feel worse in the long run.

I work in a Higher Education context (I’m working full-time, but also currently finishing my postgraduate degree). So while I’m technically still a student I no longer live in halls, and I have a strict work schedule – which if I don’t stick to nobody else is able to pick up the slack. Within my role I often get to chat with students on the undergraduate programmes within my university – which I love. I love being able to speak to them and work with them offering them guidance and support – I really really do love my job, and most importantly – I actually genuinely believe that I’m good at it. So I don’t want any low mood (depression or whatever) to come and try and wreck the party.