Stage 2 of 7 · 7 lessons · ~1 week
The first 48 hours
The days right after a bad result are when people make the choices they regret: angry messages, quitting, deciding they are finished. Get through them with your body looked after, one or two people around you and no big decisions.
Start: Let yourself feel it, for a whileLessons· one lesson for each topic, in this order
Do this
- Write your first 48 hours card and save it on your phone
- Choose two people you would tell first and what you would ask them for
- Decide which apps or groups you will mute after a bad result
- Write one decision you will never make in the first 48 hours
- Pick one small next step you could take on day two
Start with
- GuideFreeDoing What Matters in Times of Stress (WHO)
World Health Organization
Short, illustrated WHO guide to grounding yourself when stress is high
Practise
Keep handy
Before moving on: A personal "first 48 hours" card you keep on your phone: how you will look after your body, the two people you will tell, the apps you will mute, the decisions you will not make, and one small next step.
Think of the first two days as first aid, not treatment. You are not trying to understand everything or fix your life. Eat, sleep, talk to someone, stay off the feed and do one small thing. The thinking can wait until you can think.
Struggling right now? If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, contact local emergency services or a crisis line: Find a helpline (any country), Umang (Pakistan), Tele-MANAS, 14416 (India).