Dealing with Chronic Fatigue and Brain Fog in Grad School

For me making colorful to do lists and having a whiteboard calendar in my room has been super helpful. Being able to visually see how many days there are to finish something can help to divide your work into the days. You don't even have to do that much work each day. As long as you start on the day assignments are assigned. College has been ok for me. Some days are going to be worse than others. Just keep trying!

I'm in college right now and I have the same issues. For studying or completing school work, I found that the pomodoro technique really helps me. It sets a specific time for work and a time for a break in between so you aren't burning yourself out with assignments or study sessions.

I can relate - I'm working on my third degree and working full-time with two kids, and I've had ME-like symptoms (no formal diagnosis yet) since my covid infection in 2022. It's extremely challenging. The most important thing is pacing: don't do too much in a day, and prioritize rest as much as possible around the times you need to study/do assignments. Usually, I'll jump into school work as soon as I get home in the evening, but if I have a particularly busy/stressful work day and my brain is too foggy, I give in and just rest. Then I make up for it when I feel more rested, like on the weekend. Plus, make sure you're hydrated with electrolytes (Liquid IV is amazing) and eat healthy food so your body has what it needs for energy. And take breaks/nap when you need to.

Bouldering has spun my life a good bit. The attitude of the people there is uplifting. Everyone is so supportive. Even if I mostly stretch and chat with people going to Central Rock Gym has really helped me— it’s in MA though…

It’s almost as if all I do is work and sleep. A nine to five can be quite challenging for me. B12 helps a lot! I also have to plan my days around my activity. The more active I am today the more I’m gonna pay for it tomorrow.

Kate!! I am not in grad school, and I can't imagine how difficult that must be. My boyfriend is in his last year of a 5 year degree, and as of right now, neither of us can even imagine furthering his education and doing grad school. He is so ready to be done! You brave soul. Personally, I run a home bakery and it's my sole income, so I don't have homework or exams, but I can understand having to focus when your brain isn't working. So frustrating!! I am currently navigating this issue on a whole new level than ever previously experienced, so I look foward to other's replies to this post, as well. Something I've found helpful recently is extremely detailed to-do lists. By writing out all of the things I need to be focusing on, and keeping it directly in front of me, any time I have a little disassociation or brain fog moment, I can just look to my list and get back on track easily. And take breaks when you need them!! Let yourself rest now to avoid a huge burnout later. It's always worth it. Sometimes I'll be on a roll for a while and start to get tired, so instead of working on dishes while waiting on something in the oven, I'm going to hydrate and lay down until that timer goes off. It may be hard to rest your brain since you know there's stuff you should be doing, but continually remind yourself that resting hurts nothing, and helps your body tremendously. I hope you found something in all of that helpful😂 You are doing great! You have to fight so much harder to simply go about your day. Remember to be patient and kind with yourself. I hope the best for you with grad school, and wish you lots of good energy days ahead🥰