Overcoming Post-Graduation Depression

Exactly a year ago I graduated with my Masters in Communication at the age of 22. I attended school in Canada, met some of my lifelong friends and really got to grow by living in another country for two years. After graduation, I decided to move back to South Florida to pursue a career in Public Relations while also jump-starting my entrepreneur career as well.

Being back at home felt good……until it didn’t. Being closer to home and near family meant that I was closer to their pressures-pressures that I was already getting from everywhere else. The anxiety of finding a new day to day rhythm,  searching for a job,  and jump-starting my career and business was causing me so much stress.    I started not wanting to be around people or go out as much and realized that I was falling into a really deep funk.

For me, post-graduation depression was the intense sadness that came after graduating with my Masters.   I would not consider myself as having depression, but I did go through a period of depression. For some people post-graduation depression can last a few weeks, months, or even a year; it really depends on the person.

Here are a few tips that helped me overcome post-graduation depression.

Embrace the Struggle

I had to remind myself that this situation or feeling was just temporary. Take this time to focus on your goals. Read more, work out, eat healthier! Turn this “negative ” into a positive, and enjoy the time you have before you have to work a 9-5. Remember worrying or stressing about the situation is not going to fix it. Counting your blessings, being positive, and taking action will.

Mind ya Business & Don’t Compare Yourself 

Y’all I cannot stress this enough! In general, it’s so easy to compare yourself, especially with social media.  If you need to take a social media break to refocus, do it! You have to remind yourself that everyone has their own journey and path in life, so comparing yourself to someone else is not only a waste of time but creates insecurities within your self. Mind ya business and focus on yourself!

Find What Makes You Happy 

Don’t be afraid to treat your self! It’s okay to treat yourself to a dinner, or a coffee date with a friend. For myself, I notice I would talk myself out of doing things that I enjoy such as hanging out with friends simply because I felt like I didn’t “deserve it”, crazy right? After the accomplishment of JUST graduating with my Masters,  this was my thought process.

Blogging and working on my business makes me happy. So while I was looking for a job, I used the free time I had to work on my side business which really helped to take my mind off things.

PRAY!

While dealing with this deep funk, prayer helped me remind myself of the many blessings that I have in order to help me refocus my spirit and mind. For those of you who aren’t religious, meditation is a great alternative.

Personally, I started to become angry at God. Like always asking him “why me” or ” you really not going to have that job call me for an interview huh” lol. But rather than complaining to God, I trust that he was putting me through this for a REASON. Right now I have a job that I absolutely love, so I knew God was having me wait for the right opportunity.

This post was longer than usual lol but I really do feel like post-graduation depression isn’t talked about enough.  For those who may be experiencing this, you are are not alone! I hope this helps someone out there!

XO

Sam