Graduating in a Crisis: Tips to Steady your Mental Health During COVID

Author: Lauren Matthews

Lauren holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Kent and a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Surrey; she has also undergone Research Training at UCL. She specializes in political philosophy with a keen focus on human-animal relations and climate correction. She graduated during the pandemic, making the most of her time through internships and volunteering in social impact projects. She is currently Project Lead at Project Gnosis, Coordinator for AIR UK, and Editor for Women in Foreign Policy. Lauren keeps herself up to date on current news, critiquing decisions made, readying herself up for a future career in political communication – a true passion waiting to blossom.

I’d completed my MSc about five months before the first UK lockdown began. After university, I was full of optimism. I had a job as a Research Intern during my last term and entered into party politics shortly after. I had quite bad anxiety during my MSc and, coupled with my Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), this hindered my confidence. Despite this, I was really hopeful that my experience would help me get that foreign policy position swiftly after I graduated. Although I wasn’t getting a huge amount of attention from employers prior to the pandemic -- on average I had two interviews a month, just enough attention to convince my mental health that I was heading in the right direction. Fast forward to today, the job market has shrivelled. I’ve noticed a dramatic decrease in all vacancies – in just one week, I saw vacancies on Work4AnMP go from over 200 to 17.

As a student, I lived away from home completely self-sufficient and controlled my success. The amount of work I put into my degree equated to the outcome I received. This current situation is totally out of my control, I can’t influence whether or not an employer interviews me or even shortlists my application. I can spend hours on an application and still receive: ‘due to the volume of applications we regrettably cannot interview all suitable candidates…’ if I even get a reply. Although I know that not getting a reply from a potential employer isn’t personal, I can’t help but feel like it is sometimes, especially when I’ve racked up £43,000 worth of student debt.

BPD also has certain traits, such as extreme mood swings, explosive anger, constant fear of abandonment and unstable identity. The lack of control over my success has caused my mood swings to be incredibly intense - to the point they even shock me. Some days I get so angry at the sound of keyboard tapping or someone opening the microwave that I cannot work - it’s literally impossible to concentrate without exploding or suffering incredible physical body pain. I have extreme demotivation -- ‘why should I bother with this job application when they’re not going to even reply?’ -- while also knowing it only takes one shortlisted application to land that job. 

Despite these struggles, I do feel fortunate that I had the opportunity to get to know my mental illness prior to this pandemic. I’ve had almost a decade of practice in managing my mind! I am far more resilient and have just undergone a years’ treatment in psychotherapy, previously DBT, CBT, and done a lot of personal research on mental health wellbeing. I want to share what I have learnt along the way, what I am doing to keep myself going because I didn’t land that foreign policy role I was so hoping for, and how I am investing in myself both mentally and for my future political careers.

My Top Five Tips to Get you Through This

Build a routine

I usually don’t get along with routines -- actually, I hated them. I would say, ‘they cloud my spontaneity’. But the recent impact on my mental health called for something else. So I tried it. I committed to applying for four jobs a week, doing Duolingo daily, and taking the time to post on Instagram, which makes me get ready for the day. This made my days feel worthwhile, as I was striving for the goal of happiness and keeping myself up to date with foreign policy roles.

Make sure that in all your job applications and bits you’re doing to stay in the Foreign Policy world, that you build in some time for you. Whether that’s a weekly bath with candles and incense, cooking a fresh meal, or watching a documentary; feed your happiness today as well as investing in your future. Meditate in the morning and also at night; personally, I opt to listen to sleep hypnosis. It’s amazing how beneficial this is to your mental stability!

Have a healthy sleeping schedule

This was a huge thing in my journey because my go-to answer when asked about my sleep schedule, would be: ‘I can never sleep’. My mental wellbeing has a direct correlation with the time I wake up in the morning. If I wake up and the clock says AM, I think it’s likely to be a good day and if it says PM, I think ‘well, I’ve slept through half the day and suddenly it’s dinner’. My advice is to get up in the morning and plan to make that morning effective. I personally don’t go on my phone an hour before I sleep and an hour after I wake up, I have found my days are far more positive.

Organise to see your friends

In my search for a foreign policy job, I constantly felt guilty or like I was wasting time I could be investing in myself if I chose to socialise; especially when I’m sat here, on Universal Credit, it felt like a colossal waste of money. It has only been since early September that I changed my tactic after a friend reminded me that even people who work have the weekends off. Now I’ve become an organising queen! I plan one social thing each week and, because of this, I am less stressed and happy. 

We can’t neglect that we are pack animals, humans need social interaction and community. So now that we’re facing Covid restrictions, don’t neglect virtual things like virtual quizzes - Kahoot! - or video call to stay connected. One of the causes of BPD comes from a lack of community when you are young; a sense of community is a core pillar to our mental wellbeing. 

Be honest

You are not alone in your situation, now more than ever there are people who are in the same or likewise situations to yourself. I openly tell people I am on Universal Credit, I tell people about my BPD just as openly as I tell people when I’m PMSing. The majority understand, when they don’t they tend to ask for greater clarity and have a desire to understand. Honesty helps you feel connected to those around you again, less alone. This, in combination with regular (virtual) meet-ups with friends and family, is the true dream team for positive mental wellbeing. 

Stay productive and relevant

My final tip is to make sure you stay relevant. I’d recommend volunteering. During lockdown, I became an editor for Women in Foreign Policy, took on a part-time internship with Project Gnosis, and I am due to start volunteering for AIR UK. I’ve taken on a lot of roles - I find being busy is super beneficial to my mental health, but it only takes one role to gain experience and keep your mind machine oiled. Lockdown has offered a unique opportunity to volunteer, as prior to, in many cases, it would be a decision which would involve more financial sacrifice. Now they may be your only job opportunity.

Final words

I hope this piece helps you to improve your wellbeing and continue to strive for foreign policy roles. I hope that you can learn something from my experiences that will go towards keeping your mind calm in these unsteady days. I’d also remind you that this is a hard, unique, time for us all -- we can’t be happy all the time and this is ok. Good luck with striving for your best and remember to breathe!

Edited by Ashvini Rae

Published 18th January 2021