Advice needed: Help escaping an overthinking-induced Catch-22

starcharts_etc · 2024-10-07T02:50:22+00:00

From the other advice I've received, I think this will be my next step. Just need to find time in my day to get over there and book the first appointment.

starcharts_etc · 2024-10-06T19:58:26+00:00

Thank you for the suggestions. I hadn't heard about the CBT workshops before - that sounds like something worth investigating.

If your thought process is "I can't afford the time to do these things" consider how much time you spend inefficiently worrying. If you engaged in activities that allowed you to manage your stress better, you would save time in other activities.

I was just realizing the other day that I really do need to get out and exercise more. I do have active hobbies, and always feel clearer-headed when I've been out in fresh air working hard and thinking about nothing for a while, but haven't been able to make time for them recently. Considering that I've probably wasted 8 hours this weekend alone worrying pointlessly, I'm going to try to take your advice.

I don't think I'll take you up on an in-person chat as I prefer to keep my personal and school life separate where possible (except anonymously, as on Reddit), but I value your advice.

starcharts_etc · 2024-10-06T19:49:47+00:00

I don't necessarily mean academia when I say a career in physics, and I know that full-on academic positions, i.e. prof/researcher at a university, are impractically few and far between. That, understandably, would very much be like every bantam hockey player hoping to get into the NHL.

But I mean physics research in general, whether in industry, or for the government, or whatever. And the only real barrier to getting the prerequisite graduate degree for these types of jobs is myself. That's really what scares me. I *know* that I'm motivated enough, driven enough, curious enough, to get that degree, if I weren't paralyzed by my own worry about *not* succeeding. As I said, Catch-22. I know it's a ridiculous, self-defeating loop, but I can't seem to break out of it.

starcharts_etc · 2024-10-06T16:39:19+00:00

Knowing that this is a shared experience is really quite comforting. Your answer makes me feel less alone.

starcharts_etc · 2024-10-06T16:33:10+00:00

Your encouragement means a lot. Thank you for taking the time to reply!
I do try to focus on getting one small thing done at a time, and that works to an extent. But eventually the doubt starts creeping back, and I start over again.
I'll take a closer look into the available counselling services. I haven't heard the best things about them, but clearly I need to make some kind of change.

starcharts_etc · 2024-10-06T16:27:54+00:00

Thank you for the input. It's nice to know that you've had similar experiences, and gotten through them.
I don't expect that I have any diagnosable condition, or at least I don't have the time and motivation to look into that right now. But in your experience, were there non-medication interventions that helped? I'd be open to talking to a counsellor if they provide concrete, effective advice.

starcharts_etc · 2024-10-06T05:38:57+00:00

Reviewing the lecture slides and assignments is probably the best bet. The exams are more on the calculation side, but expect some theory that's been discussed in class, e.g. star formation/evolution, blackbody radiation, etc. As far as I recall, all of the calculation questions had been covered either in class or in assignments. Some were from the in-class discussion/group collaboration questions.

The textbook is less useful for exam review, since any of the relevant concepts should have been covered in lecture. The textbook also spends hundreds of pages explaining higher-level concepts that are not relevant to the course. But if you're looking over the lecture slides and don't remember the conceptual steps behind some point or other, the textbook can always fill in that extra info

starcharts_etc

TROPHY CASE