Post-graduation blues are REAL

While technically not a recognised term, post-graduation depression is a REAL thing, and more common than you probably think. It's not just feeling sad about leaving your friends and going out into the big wide world. It's crippling feelings of anxiety, stress and depression that can be linked to a number of sources post-graduation.

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A high percentage of depressive symptoms often hit young adults right after graduating from tertiary education. A lot of these symptoms can be attributed to the feeling of loss.

By the end of a diploma or degree, most higher education students have spent close to 20 consecutive years (and sometimes more) as a student. This has formed a huge chunk of their life. It's a routine they have become comfortable in, and a lot of students struggle to let this go.

For some, being a student is their whole identity and has been for some time. Suddenly they are forced to question themselves;

Who am I?

What will I do next?

Will I be successful at seeking, attaining and maintaining fulfilling employment?

It's an overload of stressful situations piling on top of each other that very few people are adept at handling.

An in-depth look at what makes you more susceptible to this phenomenon

Something that is important to note when looking at post-graduation depression is that it can definitely be a continuation of a pre-existing mental health diagnosis. According to Black Dog Institute, the onset of mental illness is typically around the mid-to-late adolescence stage, with 17-24 year olds having the highest prevalence of mental illness.

This is typically around the age that students are completing final exams, moving into tertiary education and usually graduating around the age of 22 (standard course time being 4 years).

That is not to say that only those with a pre-existing diagnosis are susceptible. Anyone can experience post-graduation depression.

Research has suggested that women are more likely to experience these feelings. There can be a number of reasons for this. It can be harder for women to attain jobs, especially in fields dominated by men. There is an underlying pressure for women to look their best at all times which can lead to feelings of doubt and stress. It has also been suggested that women are more mentally affected by the rejection of employment than their male counterparts.

It is worth noting that women are 75% more likely to report having suffered from a mental illness compared to their male counterparts. This can skew research into women being more likely to experience post-graduation depression. (Please encourage your male loved-ones to open up.)

Everyone has heard that you should always keep a good routine, even after you graduate. As a student, you have a daily routine with set schedules and deadlines to meet. Most graduates tend to want to take a few weeks at home to sleep in and relax before going into another routine of work. This can work against you, leaving you with a horrid sleeping schedule and no motivation for anything.

A major factor that not many people are willing to acknowledge is the unbelievable amount of pressure that is put on graduates, which can come from multiple different avenues.

Some graduates have no trouble finding a job as soon as they graduate. Careers in engineering, medicine, marketing, finance and teaching usually always have jobs available. They also generally require placements prior to graduating, so you have a higher chance of networking and being made permanent.

Careers in niche areas like the arts, HR, communications and law, that don't necessarily require placements and are sometimes considered generalist, are competitive industries.

There is usually pressure from family that is not necessarily meant to be negative, but can often become unwanted, leading a graduate to feel resentful.

On top of this, seeing your peers on social media posting about their successful careers can increase levels of uncertainty and stress, leading to low levels of self-esteem. Feeling like you NEED to attain the perfect job to post about is an unnecessary stressor on graduates, whom already have enough to worry about.

As aspect of graduating that is often overlooked is the responsibilities that come not only with graduating, but also with a sudden reminder of age.

Engaging in tertiary study, most graduates still feel like a young student with little to no responsibilities for anything apart from their own coursework. This is only enhanced by the fact that you are provided with a syllabus to set out an entire semester of work, and clear expectations of what to do, how to do it and when it should be done by.

When suddenly thrust into a world of equally high expectations, graduates are left to organise and structure responsibilities that they never had problems with prior.

While this includes managing work expectations and a sustainable balance between work and play, it can also mean maintaining relationships that you previously didn't have to worry about breaking down.

Some people are forced to move away or take jobs that have clashing hours, so maintaining a certain level of flexibility and willingness to communicate is a responsibility that comes with time and patience.

So what are the signs and symptoms?

There are a number of signs of a potential diagnosis; too many to list. These are some of the common ones that can be noticed by both the graduate themselves and those around them.

1. Loosing interest things that once brought enjoyment is one of the major telltale signs of depression. Along with this, you will most likely find; you are sleeping a lot of the time since you feel like you have nothing to do, you unknowingly put distance between yourself and things you love, you find it difficult to stick to a routine and you loose interest in whether you succeed or fail.

2. Feeling a sense of loneliness and disconnection from everything around you. This stems from being uprooted from your previous structured life as a student and being thrown into the unknown. You have gone from being surrounded by thousands of students to being essentially on your own with potentially limited contact with friends.

3. Disorganisation and lack of routine can stem from an innocent feeling of wanting to relax and turn into a catalyst for depressive symptoms. If a graduate doesn't go from one set schedule into another (school to work), they will loose routine, stop setting alarms, sleep late and feel highly unmotivated. Even if you go into work, most graduate positions are entry level and have the potential to be 'boring' and repetitive, making it hard to want to stick to the routine.

It's okay to feel these things!

You can build up this epic picture of what it's supposed to be like, and feel incredibly let down by the reality of it all. Life is (unfortunately) not a real world High School Music 3 scene. You can't just slide into law school, despite Elle Woods claiming it's not that hard. Internships (and paid ones at that) aren't as easy to score as they once were.

On top of all of the already existing hardships graduates can face, the pandemic has made it even more difficult to get into the working world.

It's important to put your life into perspective, and think of it in the real word, not what you see in movies and on social media. Have goals, work hard, don't put all of your eggs in one basket etc etc. Life isn't just about the 9-5 work week anymore.

Graduates can be met with a lot of free time while stuck in the limbo stage; use it wisely. Enhance some skills; either already existing ones or things you just have an interest in.

Pick up some mindful hobbies to give yourself an outlet for when things do get tough.

Cultivate meaningful relationships with friends and family.

One thing I learnt after graduating was checking in on myself. I had been bottling up so many negative emotions. I hadn't just been able to slide into a writing job fresh out of college. I felt I was stuck in a never ending loop and was never going to be able to move on with my life and start to earn a proper income and fill my days with work I enjoyed.

Once I let myself feel these things properly, I realised that I was quite lucky. The pandemic had shifted everyones plans around, and whilst I didn't get to move into a new job, I at least still had my old job to fill some time, and give me some free time to enhance my skills and look into new options for my future.

Some tips from the experts!

• Stay off social media! There is a lot of societal pressure to post the 'perfect finished product' and not the process behind it. Feeling like you need to compete with your peers is toxic, and you need to distance yourself from those feelings.

• Start looking early. Many companies will hire staff that haven't yet finished their studies and are usually willing to work around course hours. (I work with a 19 year old studying full time and working full time. She schedules night classes, and said she wanted to get in early and not have to compete for the limited positions offered at graduation!)

• Don't be afraid to seek help! Although the Medicare subsidy for therapy sessions is dropping back to 10 per year, it can still be worthwhile to have a monthly check in with a clinic, just to keep yourself mentally clear and on the right track.

• Stay active! So cliche but daily exercise (even just a walk with the dog) and eating clean can make a real difference. Feeling good on the inside can help you feel motivated to get up in the morning.

• Keep a schedule! Waking up at relatively the same time every day, sticking to meal times and ensuring you make time for hobbies is going to lead to mental clarity. Dedicated an hour or so every day towards the job hunt and preparing cover letters and your CV. Getting too caught up in it can cause you to feel deflated!