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Dr. Ramani Durvasula(Licensed Clinical Psychologist)answered(11/1/2012)Break it down. These are noble goals - it's not as if you are borrowing money to be a slacker! You are setting a future for yourself - and there are few tools better for a woman to acquire than an education. Break it down into practical stuff - set a budget and a timeline, talk realistically to your parents about how much you need to borrow. But also take care of yourself - make sure you are getting enough sleep. This is not a good time to be up late. Try and achieve a healthy diet - good food can be a real source of energy. And a huge coping tool is exercise - even if it is 30 minutes a day - it clears the mind and can make even the most daunting tasks seem possible. Get organized - try not to live amidst clutter which can make you feel even more overwhelmed. Each day, try to build in one small pleasurable thing - reading a book you like, take a bath, visiting a friend, cooking something you like - whatever floats your boat - try not to make it something that will insert more stress (e.g. spending money you don't have) - but if you know that once a day there will be a few minutes of nurturance- it can go a long way. So many women are good at beating themselves into the ground - the only way you can achieve lofty goals - is to ensure that you get plenty of rest, food, activity and sunshine (like any living thing!). Best of luck!! Dr. Ramani
Dr. Camilo Ortiz(Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology)answered(11/25/2012)Approach your fears as if you were a scientist! Step 1 is to write down a detailed description of each fear. You might write "I'm afraid I wont find a job in my field after I graduate" Next, write down all the evidence you can find that this fear is true! Yes, you read that right! So let's say your friend Joe just finished grad school in the field and hasn't found a job. You would write that down as well as any other objective facts you can find that support your fear. The reason you do this is because some fears are completely reasonable and you should be afraid! Next, write down all of the facts you can find that your fear is unfounded. Here, you might look up what the unemployment rate is for people who graduate with that degree. Once you have entered things in both columns, you can make a much more reasonable decision about whether your fear makes sense. You will be much more informed and you are likely to feel much less stressed!
