This week’s special feature in the Surviving Your Twenties Series is Panashe Musabayana. Panashe is a law student at BPP University so she knows what its like to have a lot of pressure and anxiety due to the intensity of the course. In today’s feature, Panashe gives tips on how you can take care of your mental health, especially while at university.

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There has been an increase in the awareness of mental health, and this is particularly important in education, especially at university. Over the past year, I have been completing the Bar Professional Training Course and I am about to graduate law school and be called to the Bar of England and Wales. I completed my undergraduate Law Degree at the University of Keele in 2018.

How has law school been for you?

Law school pretty much lives up to its name, it’s intense, at times competitive and I found that it is like a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker? Well yes. I enjoyed my year of Law school, but I also found it very intense. The novelty of the bar is amazing and did not wear off quickly. There’s a certain level of prestige that people associate with the bar. It’s as though you step into a different world with its own traditions and culture.

With all this, comes the pressure to have to perform well and stand out. The intensity of the workload which seems to be on a conveyor belt (it just keeps coming) is a lot to get used to. There are a lot of extracurricular activities to keep you active whilst completing your studies. During the course, I took part in the Birmingham Legal Access Clinic and Street Law which are pro bono activities in which law students assist in providing free legal advice and education to the community.

As a result of the workload of the course, a lot of anxiety comes with the course; with having to meet deadlines and constantly perform. Your esteem and self-confidence, if not careful, can be compromised and you can find yourself doubting your abilities.

How did you take care of your mental health?

To help with this pressure, I ensured that I was organised and prepared to meet the constant deadlines. This meant that I prioritised work and had to be honest with myself about what I could do in each amount of time. To cope further, I kept the end goal in mind. I constantly reminded my self of where l wanted to end up (the day of call and practising as the best lawyer I could be). Talking to those close and dear to me allowed me to vent and express the anxiety and pressure I felt. I am a practising Christian, so my faith helped to uplift me too. Those are some the ways that I managed the anxiety I felt during law school.

“I prioritised work and had to be honest with myself about what I could do in each amount of time.”

– Panashe

Top Tips for Taking Care of Your Mental Health

Here are some tips on how you can take care of your mental health at university:

1. Make friends.

Although it might present difficult, it is good to make and have a friend or two who are completing the course to help you. This allows you to be around like-minded people, who understand what you are going through, who can help with work and who you ask questions if you need to.

2. Have a good support system.

Words of encouragement never cease to uplift. Having people who help you financially, emotionally and with your physical needs is very important.

3. Talk to someone.

Please tell someone when it all becomes too much, and you need to ease the pressure by talking it through. If things get really bad, seek professional help. Most universities have a learning support team that you can speak to if you feel overwhelmed.

4. Pray.

If you are a person of faith, pray and encourage yourself in God. Ask God to help you get through this season. Listen to podcasts or sermons relating to what you may be going through.

5. Be kind to yourself.

Speak words of affirmation over yourself and celebrate the small wins you achieve along the way this boosts your morale and esteem.

6. Cry.

It is also alright to cry. There’s nothing wrong with crying if you feel overwhelmed.

7. Seek advice.

Speak to those already in the profession or have just finished the course. Their advice might help you to navigate the course better.

8. Remember that this is a learning process.

Allow yourself room to grow and make mistakes but learn from them. You are not yet a finished product- that is why you are learning.

9. Look after yourself.

Eat healthy, hydrate and sleep.  It’s simple but, it can be easily neglected.

10. Be intentional about your work.

Work hard and try your best always. Begin with tenacity.

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If you enjoyed this post, check out other blogs in the Surviving Your Twenties series.

You can follow Panashe on Instagram @pn.she_.

Which one of Panashe’s tips resonated with you most? Let us know in the comments!