Talking about Emotional Crashes

Post created: Tue, 18 Mar 2025 20:22:00 +0800

Quick note: I’m definitely not a psychologist. If you’re dealing with serious mental health issues or feel like talking to someone professionally, please reach out to a local clinical psychologist near you.

Preliminary

When it comes to emotional crashes, some of us might have experienced them before, while others maybe not yet. Some people might have had one without even realising it, while others could be worrying they’re about to have one anytime soon. Emotional crashes are a hot topic - especially for us university students - mainly because they can hit us pretty hard. I think it’s important that we talk openly about what an emotional crash is, how to spot one coming, and how to handle it. I hope this blog post helps you understand emotional crashes better.

What is an Emotional Crash

Usually, when people haven’t been productive or haven’t studied for several days (or even a week or two), they might call this an “emotional crash.” Personally, I think those situations happen mostly because we don’t stick to a regular schedule or because stuff around us got pretty distracting. Not saying that doesn’t count as crasing, but when I say “emotional crash,” I’m talking about that sudden moment when a huge wave of negative feelings hits you out of nowhere. It makes you feel totally uncomfortable, wanting to stop everything you’re doing right at that moment, and making it almost impossible to be productive.

When Will You Crash

Honestly speaking, we can’t really predict exactly when we’ll crash. But sometimes having a long, non-stop lecture (like those 4-hour ones…) might push you closer to a meltdown. Also, not getting enough sleep definitely doesn’t help either.

Am I Really Crashing?

Crashes are pretty subjective; different people feel them differently. But usually, when you’re crashing, you’ll focus more on short-term distractions rather than things that reward you later on. You might just keep scrolling social media (doomscroll alert!) or avoid all productive tasks. It’s sort of a cycle - doomscrolling can cause crashes, and crashes can lead to doomscrolling.

Some Important Facts About Emotional Crashes

  1. Sudden surge of emotions, difficult (or impossible) to handle.
  2. Becoming a “walking zombie.”

What You Really Need to Do When There Is a Crash

  1. First thing to do: Take a deep breath, step away from your desk and walk around. From my own experience, I find that walking around HKU (from CYM Canteen all the way to Centennial Campus, a couple times at least) is great for clearing your mind, improving your mood, and reflecting a bit on life.
  2. Don’t immediately run away from your challenges or tasks - instead, use that walk to slow down your mind a bit and gain some perspective.
  3. Bargain with yourself. If you really need a break, ask yourself: would maybe a short 30-minute break be good enough? It’s likely better than spending the next four hours on Netflix or Instagram.

What Should You Do When Others Crash

We’ve probably all seen friends cancel plans or suddenly ditch important meetings and events. That kind of behaviour is pretty normal for people experiencing an emotional slump or “crash.” You shouldn’t feel good about it (although honestly, if you’re an introvert like me, cancelled plans can feel like a secret relief - except if it’s a study meeting!). But more importantly, when friends tell you they’re having a tough time, it usually means they really trust you enough to open up (seriously, you should feel honored).

Don’t

  1. Ignore the message.
  2. Reply with just “Okay” and leave it at that.
  3. Send something generic like “Hope you’ll feel better soon!” (I mean, it’s harmless, but it’s kind of too cliché to actually help.)

Do’s

  1. If you sort of know what’s been going on in their life lately, that’s a great start! Connect your reply with what they’ve shared recently (maybe they’re stressed about exams, revision, or group projects?). This helps you better understand why they’ve messaged you about it.
  2. Try to really get a sense of what they actually need. Okay, I know this is pretty hard. One tip is to pay attention to what events/tasks they’re cancelling. If it’s something important and you’re involved, you could say something simple but helpful like, “Whenever you feel ready, just hit me up and I’ll be around!” Trust me, that’ll boost your emotional IQ points.

How to Sense Others Having a Crash

Actually, I think sensing when someone’s crashing is easier if you already know that person pretty well. What’s harder, though, is paying enough attention to pick up on these signals - basically stopping yourself from casually brushing off their problems and instead genuinely thinking about what they might need at that moment.

Final Notes

Life isn’t easy. It’s complicated and messy, and honestly, we’re probably never walking exactly the same path as anyone else in our lives - be it class schedules, skills, interests, or personal goals. It’s always worth remembering: Everyone’s unique in their own complicated way.

I really hope you found something helpful here!

Recent Updates

Midterms are coming real soon, and it’s pretty important for me right now to keep my study/sleep schedule steady.
Anyway, some random life updates about me:

  • Got an offer from RTHK for a summer internship - feeling relieved and sort-of-secured now for my Year 2 summer break, even though the internship is just about 2 months.
  • Recently I’ve noticed a huge flood of information coming in from classes. I’m kinda worried there’s NO WAY I’ll perfectly remember all lecture note details, especially since they might be asked in exams.
  • Something odd I’ve noticed is that certain subjects stick better in my memory (like database/SQL - I find it easy to write MySQL queries). But other classes like STAT3600 Linear Statistical Analysis (this one’s quite serious), APAI3010 Computer Vision (mildly forgetful), and web development (same here, mild) seem to disappear from my memory very quickly, like within just a few days or a week. Probably because I haven’t practiced those key concepts enough?
  • Oh, and seriously: taking six courses per semester? I don’t really recommend it… It’s a HUGE mental pressure test. Maybe it’s doable if you have already mastered like half the content for at least three courses beforehand. (Quick disclaimer: Not everyone is the same! Different people handle academic stress differently, totally depends on your learning style and stamina.)

Some interesting information if you want to know about me

  • I’m ISTP-T. (If you’ve taken the MBTI test before, you’ll know what this means. However, my MBTI type is not a fixed thing, and it can change over time. I think it’s more about how you feel at that moment.)
  • Zero dating experience so far (wait, why would anyone even ask this?).
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