Coping with the mental load of university life

By University Study

When I first arrived at university, I thought the hardest part would be the coursework. I expected long hours in the library, group projects that stretched late into the evening and the occasional night of studying until sunrise before an exam. Those challenges were real, but they were not what left me most exhausted. The real burden came from something quieter, something I had never even heard of before: the mental load.

The mental load is all of the things you think about, plan for and organize that no one else sees. It is not simply what happens inside the classroom. It is the constant responsibility of keeping your life moving while also trying to keep up with your studies.

The Constant Juggle

In between lectures, I would find myself thinking about whether I had remembered to email my landlord if my OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program, a government financial aid program for students) payment had arrived and if I could still buy groceries after paying for rent and textbooks. Sometimes, during a lab session, I would suddenly remember that I needed to register for a career fair or renew my student bus pass.

These tasks were not complicated on their own, but together they preoccupied my mind. They became a layer of invisible work that followed me everywhere, even when I was supposed to be focused on something else.

The Many Small Decisions

One thing I never expected was how many decisions I would have to make each day. From the moment I woke up, I was choosing what to wear, whether to walk or take the bus and which assignment to start first. By the time evening arrived, deciding what to make for dinner felt like a major challenge.

This is called decision fatigue. When your mind is busy shifting between so many small choices all day, even the simplest decision can start to feel overwhelming. It is not a sign that you are careless. It is a sign that your brain has been working without pause.

The Responsibilities We Overlook

Alongside coursework, there is a long list of responsibilities that no one includes in a syllabus:

Answering emails from professors and supervisors
Updating a LinkedIn profile before a networking event
Booking medical appointments and renewing important documents
Keeping a budget so you can pay rent and still have enough for groceries

These tasks may not have deadlines or grades attached to them, but they are essential. As they are not part of the formal academic structure, they can be harder to schedule time for. This means they often remain on your mind until they are done.

Learning to Carry Less

It took me some time to realize that managing the mental load was not about doing more, but about creating habits that reduced the number of decisions I needed to make.

I started eating the same breakfast on weekdays. That small change removed one choice from my mornings and left me with more energy for the day ahead.

I set aside a half hour every other day for administrative tasks. During that time, I answered emails, checked my OSAP account and planned my schedule. Instead of letting those tasks interrupt me throughout the day, I completed them in one block.

When I thought of something I needed to do, I wrote it down in a notebook right away. This helped me trust that I would remember it rather than keeping it in my mind all day.

I also gave myself a few regular choices for meals, outfits and bus routes. Limiting these options made my daily routine feel calmer.

Most importantly, I started taking short walks without my phone. Even ten minutes outside gave me a clearer head and a break from constant input.

Why It Matters

The mental load is a real part of university life and it often goes unnoticed. It is easy to think you are simply bad at managing your time or not working hard enough when, in reality, you are carrying a set of responsibilities that no one else can see.

Recognizing this weight is the first step to making it lighter. By creating routines, writing things down and giving your mind genuine rest, you can protect your energy for the work that matters most.

University is about more than attending lectures and completing assignments. It is about learning to manage the many moving parts of your life in a way that keeps you healthy and balanced. That skill will serve you well long after graduation.