End-of-Semester Overwhelm? What I Do When I’m Drowning

Written by Laura, a Public Health student on placement with BetterU, this piece shares her practical system to tackle study overwhelm and stay on track. Also consider checking out her last article on Read & Write.

I don’t know about you, but from mid to late semester – when everything lands at once: assessments due, unfinished modules, personal stuff getting in the way, admin piling up – I feel overwhelmed. I start to procrastinate more, healthy habits fade away, my focus and energy levels drop, I fall behind and start drowning… Classic spiral.

What I used to do? Feel like a failure, continue to shovel down in my spiral and… add more (more tasks, bigger to-do list, new resources/apps/habits). It sounds ridiculous to add more to a workload I’m already struggling to manage… But I thought that if I’m not doing well, it must be because I’m not doing enough. I found out that I’m not the only one (yay!). This is not an uncommon pattern – lots of us do it. Under stress, our brains default to adding fixes, and even well-being advice (meditate, exercise, journal, sleep etc.) can pile on more ‘to-dos’ and become unhelpful or not adapted to our needs.

Unfortunately, this is a very recurrent cycle in my personal life too. Reflecting back, it seems that I am either spiralling or trying to prevent it – and inevitably end up there again. Earlier this year, I hit my first real burnout. It was tough but it forced me to create a strategy that finally works.

Now when I notice I’m slipping (like last week, and the week before), I do the opposite of my old habits: I stop, subtract the non-essentials, then prioritise and plan what matters. A short, realistic reset that gets me moving again – instead of telling myself I can do everything.

1. Reset

✅ I STOP. I close all tabs, turn off notifications, ignore emails, clear the desk.

✅ Step outside, have a coffee, breathe (Meditation and journaling are goals, but I’m not there yet).

Note: Before the next step, I sometimes need an hour or more likely a day if I hadn’t already bailed out a day prior. It might sound counterproductive, but I’ve learned the hard way that I’m better off using some time to rest, reset, and organise myself smartly rather than continue to dig slowly.

2. Prioritise & Plan (capture essentials only)

In my calendar/system*:

✅ Delete/ cancel/ postpone anything not urgent or important.

✅ Then I check:

Lectures/ workshops/ appointments/ meetings are in.
All assessments (or anything with a deadline) are in, with correct times/dates.
Verify and add all key personal commitments/ tasks such as medical appointments, family dinners, time with kids, groceries/meal prep, travel time.

* If you don’t use a system, a simple calendar, template or note works too. I personally use a comprehensive Notion system (tasks + calendar in one place) because I need clarity and visuals. It’s derived from Tiago Forte’s concept of a “second brain” (see his website or YT channel). If you’d like a tour and template, let me know in the comments or email us.

3. Break Tasks into Small Pieces

✅ For tasks that (absolutely) require preparation, I add a ‘prep task’ (e.g., prep honours interview, prep module 10).

✅ For assessments, I read instructions/ criteria, decide how many study blocks I’ll likely need, then create a few smaller tasks.

4. Allocate/ Time -Block

✅ Then I place tasks ideally ~1 or 2 weeks before the due date (as fits each task/ time available).

✅ If it’s too much (it usually is): I move what can move, request extensions for assessments, or email lecturers for time/ help (they’re often happy to provide extra support). I prioritise modules/ lectures that feed into the assessment – and the same goes for all my personal commitments.

5. Schedule ‘Well-being Anchors’

These are ‘rules’ or tasks that support my well-being (self-care, sleep and routine habits):

✅ I block one time per week for:

Grocery and meal prep (I have a note with quick and easy menus/ ingredients/ recipes to follow) so I eat good food.
And one time (more if possible) blocked for self-care (drawing, seeing a friend, doing nothing, or whatever I want).

✅ Routine reminders: I’ve set notifications for wind-down/ sleep, wake-time and study time. My notifications are pre-set to go off for those times.

✅ Set some wellbeing rules to create habits. For example:

prep clothes/ shoes by the bed the night before
In the morning, no coffee allowed (I’m addicted obvs) until my walk is done – even just 5 min.
For the rest of my day, coffee only after I finish a task, and I drink it outside in the sun (real break, no phone).

6. Shape the Day

Finally, when I’m left with a more reasonable number of tasks for the coming days/weeks:

✅ I shuffle one focus task (most urgent/ important) into the morning when my energy and focus are best.

✅ And add 1–2 smaller/ easier tasks in the afternoon. If the day gets cut short, the important thing is done.

7. 10-minute Evening ‘Admin’

I also create a 10-minute time block (that takes me 30, but anyway) every weekday evening where I do emails, shuffle tasks, quick admin stuff – so in the morning I can directly start my main task. I never used to consider how much time those things take, but they do add up…

There are at least 3 things that I think makes this system work:

I subtract first so I stop making the load heavier.
I break things into small pieces to reduce overwhelm and give clearer places to start.
Having a realistic plan gives me better clarity and focus.

Personal note: Subtraction has become my lifeline during episodes of burnout. It’s now how I review my time, energy, and habits. If you’re curious about the science of subtraction and some simple starter practices, check for my upcoming article on the “The Subtractive Mindset”.

When Planning Feels Impossible, Connection Helps

Sometimes, when we’re really overwhelmed, even thinking clearly or making a plan feels impossible. That’s when it helps to bring someone else into the picture – a trusted person who can help you sort through the noise and find a starting point. Whether it’s a friend, family member, student peer, lecturer or student success and wellbeing advisor, having someone to talk things through with can make a huge difference.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone. If you’re stuck, reach out. To find out about all the services and programs and people to which you can reach out, visit the Student Support and Services Directory.

If you like this article, you might be interested in some related articles from the past:

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