citrusychology

[citrusychology]

How do you force yourself to do things, even when your brain won't let you?

Do you ever push off work until the absolute last second, even though its eating you up inside?

If so, hey! No shame. I do the same exact thing. Right now I have 2 essays due soon that I've barely cracked, a blog post to write (this), fees to pay, assignments to chip away at, a monologue to memorize, people to email, an event to organize and I've spent most of my free time... reading books and webcomics.

I feel this overwhelming sense of shame when I can't make myself work, but at the same time, I can't make myself even open the tab to things that stress me out sometimes. It takes a lot not to just flip the tab to something that's "safe" and not something that will cause unreal amounts of anxiety in me.

That's not a real solution to the issue, though. Pushing something out of sight for another day doesn't make it disappear, and it certainly doesn't abate the shame, embarrassment, and stress of not taking care of your responsibilities, especially if they look easy on paper. Mental blocks can be so, so difficult to overcome. You have to muster it up and force yourself to take action. But how?

I've compiled a list here of things that help me, personally, be productive. My hope is that it helps someone out there know that being 'stuck' on tasks that should be easy or not being able to work even though you desperately want to is okay, and there are ways to push through it.

1: Make a to-do list.

Seeing all of your responsibilities laid out in simple text can make everything seem a lot less intimidating. When I was younger, I would mostly write to-do lists with sticky notes for each week or write it in a planner, but nowadays I use Notion to make them.

Here's an example of how I format it. I like Notion for how easy it is to use- plus it's so satisfying to scroll through all my completed tasks at the end of the week and then delete them all. You might also notice there's a "far off upcoming" section- for me, it's helpful to see what all isn't an immediate worry, but is something I should keep in mind. Using to-do lists helps prevent everything from becoming an amorphous blob that haunts me and changes shape each time I look at it- instead, its a manageable list.

2: Break it into smaller pieces.

Everyone says it, but it is true- big chunks of responsibility is terrifying. Breaking it down into smaller tasks can help you chip away at it instead of being scared off and avoiding it forever. Remember: some work done is better than no work done. It can also help with making the task less anxiety inducing if you can see everything that you have to do in one spot.

3: If you can't work on the big stuff, work on the small stuff instead.

Every piece of advice will tell you the same thing: prioritize! Work on the immediate threats first, then sweat the easier, smaller stuff. However, when you are paralyzed by your own brain to the point where you cannot make yourself do the big stuff, it is often the better choice to do something rather than nothing. It should be noted that this is a last resort type thing. You should try and write your big, important essay first, but if it's between staring at an empty google doc contemplating life or doing some easy extra credit, do the extra credit! Oftentimes, chipping away at your responsibilities can make them less daunting while refreshing you and letting you unwind. It's comforting to feel at least a little productive, even when being a hyper efficient part man, part machine is unattainable.

4: Make sure you are taking care of your physical needs.

On a very genuine level, lack of sleep, poor hydration, hunger, and even not going outside enough can magnify basically any issue you're experiencing. Make sure all of your needs are tended to. For me, taking a shower really helps wake me up and clear my mind.

5: Have someone else hold you accountable.

No one wants to embarrass themselves in front of other people. Sometimes, it's good to weaponize that! You can ask your friends to do a study call on Discord with you, eat at a cafe while you work, or work silently in the same room. It's good to have someone to hold you accountable so that you can't just mess around and avoid it. Just make sure to choose the right people- some people are not great for this purpose.

I've only really started using this method this school year, but I've found it to be really helpful to confront whatever I'm terrified of, even if it is as simple as an email I don't want to check or an assignment I don't want to do. There's something about sitting across from someone who is diligently doing work that makes you want to lock in and accomplish something.

That's all for this post. I hope at least some of these tips were helpful! Practically all of them I had to struggle to learn and internalize, so I would love if that burden is eased for someone else. Learning how to manage the hardships you experience is possible; it gets better.

Want to support me me?

Check out my website here where I crosspost everything!

#mental health #long post #my original posts #psychology #today: i have a little too much fun writing #you can spot a lot more flourishes than usual i feel #anxiety #procrastination #realizing now i didnt use the word procrastination once in this whole post about procrastination.. #well anyways #also a first for the blog: a read more! #this one just really exploded in length #check out my website! i added cursor effects recently and i love them #productivity #studyblr #studying #write up

[citrusychology]

How can your physical health be impacted by stress?

Stress eats you alive. Or at least, that's how it feels, right?

I've been having a tough couple of weeks. My medications changed, life got busy, and suddenly it felt like I was fighting for my life to keep my head above water when everyone else was calmly floating along.

This led me to wonder: to what extent does stress impact the body? There's obviously the idea of hair going grey early, but how much further does it go?

Studies have shown that both short and long term stress can worsen connections in the brain related to memory. If you have ever been so stressed over something that you start to do worse in school, you can probably attest to this on a personal level. One study from UC Irvine showed that with short term stress, hormones called corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) activate and disrupted the dendritic spines where synapeses are. Synapses transmit information from one neuron to another, so they are extremely important.

In mouse/rat experiments with the same team, they found that by blocking CRH from interating with their receptor molecules, they can prevent stress damage to the dendritic spines. Future medicines or therapies could possibly use that information to help patients with ADHD, PTSD, or other situations where stress negatively impacts memories.

A study from the INRS found that long term work related stress, like a job that puts one in danger, had links to lung, colon, rectal,and stomach cancer, as well as Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma.

If constant pressure can degrade our body to such a degree, we should make more efforts to support those who are struggling. I look around everyday and I see people casually talking about killing themselves and giving up entirely out of stress and exhaustion. I constantly hear: - 'If I skip a day for mental health, I'll have to spend so much time making up work I'll be even more stressed.' -'It's like one awful, stressful thing is over and 15 more pop up with no room to breathe.'-'I'm holding on by a thread, but if I take a break I'll want to die even more...' This mental health crisis, especially among teens, speaks to the lack of support most feel they have in regards to their mental health. More safety nets need to exist so that a few bad days in a row don't build into something that is so stressful to get out of, ending it all or giving up entirely is preferable.

--

Quick, off-topic tangent before we go:

The dendrites we've been talking about come from the greek word "déndron", which literally means tree, since the dendrites look like treee roots in the way they sprawl out.

Dionysus, the greek god of wine, theatre, fertility, and madness has many epithets. One that caught my attention was "Dendrites", meaning he of the trees, alluding to his fertility associations.

Though obviously they come from the same root word and that's really the extent of the connection, I think its interesting that unintentionally, a god who has all these connections to the mind and madness in this way, has a direct connection to the science of the brain. Maybe a bit silly of a connection, but I think it's fun!

Links I Reference:

Stress Influences Brain and Psyche Via Immune System

Short-term Stress Can Affect Learning And Memory

Dendrites

Like my Work?

Check out my website here where I crosspost everything!!

#my original posts #stress #burnout #mental health #psychology #long post #interesting #today: i sneak in a greek myth reference in my psychology posting #i love greek mythology i must admit #stigma #write up

[citrusychology]

Even when you can't open your curtains to welcome the sunlight. Even when your heart feels twice as small as it usually is. Even in the deepest dark you know. Especially then.

Inspired by @wetheurban

[citrusychology]

[citrusychology]

About me!

Hi, I'm Neha! I have a passion for psychology, history, sociology, and mental health. I make write-ups about the things that interest me and post them online!

My aim with this blog is to write helpful posts that break down concepts that can sometimes be difficult and make them more accessible. I would love for you to check my stuff out! ♡♡♡

My posts will be crossposted both here and on my website. Your support means so much!

Also, while you’re visiting, sign the guestbook!

#about me #about my blog

[citrusychology]

How does marginalization change someone's brain chemistry?

It’s always been interesting to me how mental health ties into the physical health of the brain.

I feel as though the public often thinks of the traumatic things as impacting our mental health, but fails to consider how the actual chemistry of the brain is changed.

For instance, one study from Yale and Columbia found that mothers encountering discrimination during their pregnancy had children with weaker connectivity between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex.

The amygdala handles emotions, and the prefrontal cortex controls things such as speech, memory, attention span, decision making, and other high-order cognitive abilities. These areas of the brain are incredibly important for normal functioning. The impacts of discrimination being passed down to the child has worrying implications.

Similarly, a study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis found that there was a link between poverty and worse structures of white matter tracts in the brain. White matter connects areas of the brains so that it can transmit information to gray matter, which is made of unmyelinated nerve cells. White matter helps with learning new skills and information.

The study also acknowledged that other factors could play into this correlation: children who grow up in poverty also have a higher risk of obesity. Since nutritional food can be more expensive, many have to turn to foods with less beneficial ingredients. This could contribute to the differences in brain chemistry.

In addition, the article also notes that those in poverty score lower on cognitive function tests, which they claim may be because of “limited access to enriching […] cognitive stimulation”. In other words, people in poverty often lack resources to use to challenge the brain.

This is one of the reasons I personally get irritated when someone dismisses these constant struggles as ‘not that bad’- facing discrimination and poverty every day can already be difficult to work through mentally, but they can also change someone on a chemical level. I believe we, as a society, need do more to support these groups.

For kids in disadvantaged neighborhoods, it may be helpful to provide more stimulating activities and materials to schools and stores for free or for very little to ensure that they have the same resources that those who are more affluent have. With the mothers facing discrimination, even if we cannot stop discrimination entirely, people can still make more of an effort to understand and show empathy for how tremendously discrimination in one’s day to day life can impact someone.

Society understanding how serious poor mental health can be and creating a culture of empathy and kindness is essential for us to progress as people.

Links I Reference:

Poverty negatively impacts structural wiring in children’s brains, study indicates

Discrimination during pregnancy can affect infants’ brain circuitry

What Is White Matter In The Brain

Amygdala

Like my Work?

Check out my website here where I crosspost everything!!

This is my first blog post, so support would mean a lot to me :)

#my original posts #long post #mental health #psychology #poverty #marginalization #neuroscience #discrimination #write up