All the matcha 🍵 or espresso ☕️ in the world wouldn’t fix a semester you're barely surviving in.
We inherently solve quiet exhaustion with aesthetic study routines, meticulously curated timetables, and stronger caffeine. But feeling disconnected isn't a time-management problem. It's a lack of awareness.
Mental health rarely shifts drastically.
Instead, it silently erodes during ordinary days, tucked behind a screen of "I'm just tired."
🚀 My reflection
I used to think mental health only mattered when one was actively ‘crashing out’.
Before reaching the breaking point, I had the opinion that bone-deep tiredness was routine, loneliness was a temporary phase, and feeling disconnected from life was simply the opportunity cost of being ambitious.
However, critical turning points happen much earlier e.g. when sleep no longer fixes fatigue or conversations feel overly effortful.
That is why “The Undercurrent” exists.
No clinical jargons or information overloading, but simply holding space to prematurely notice underlying patterns.
I’m thankful to announce that our conversation expands through a special collaboration with the Belgian Federation for Psychology Students (BFPS).
Whether you’re joining us through the BFPS or an existing subscriber, our goal remains the same: to make psychological insight feel relatable, grounding, and actionable.
🚀 The Concept: Rethinking the Switch
We often treat mental health like a light switch: either you’re completely fine, or in crisis. In reality, mental health exists on a fluid continuum, one constantly shaped by our environments and daily routines (WHO, 2026).
It includes that heavy gray zone between flourishing and languishing, where life feels directionless even without a formal diagnosis (Keyes, 2002).
Unfortunately, barely scraping by often goes unnoticed because students feel they aren't "struggling enough" to warrant support (Cuppen et al., 2024; European Commission, 2024).
“You don't need a formal breakdown to deserve care. Support isn't something you have to deteriorate enough to earn.”
🚀 How It Actually Shows Up
Having enough energy to crush your to-do list, but zero bandwidth left for the life behind it.
Treating non-stop busyness and hyper-independence as personality traits rather than warning signs.
Becoming accustomed to performing under pressure that you stop questioning its sustainability.
🚀 The Weekly Challenge
Choose an evening, take 2 quiet minutes and complete this sentence without overthinking:
"The part of my life requiring more attention right now is _____ because _____."
Noticing is sufficient. The goal is to simply build awareness before urgency has to shout.
🚀 Reader Story & Reflection
"I moved abroad for my master’s and hit every milestone: new friends & environment, solid classes, full calendar. However, it all just felt like work.
When friends and family asked to hang out, I defaulted to 'busy.' I had chosen this life, so admitting I felt lonely felt ungrateful. I’m not in crisis... so why do I still feel like I'm struggling?"
My Take:
What stands out is how easily we can use gratitude to invalidate our feelings.
"Not in crisis" shouldn't be the baseline. You can manage your workload while feeling empty inside. Those feelings are valid data, not personal failures.
A meaningful opportunity can still be hard.
A new country can be thrilling and lonely at the same time.
You can value the life you chose and still struggle inside it.
Try replacing "Do I have the right to feel this way?" with "What is this feeling asking me to notice?"
This creates immediate room for self-compassion, connection, or change.
🚀 The Quote
If you do not listen to your body when it whispers, you will have to listen to it when it screams.
🚀 Closing
Mental health is an ongoing, evolving relationship with yourself. One you would keep returning to during different life phases.
Biweekly on Tuesdays, 11:00AM Central European time (CET), The Undercurrent will bring you one research-backed insight, one honest reflection, and one small way to move forward.
If there’s an experience or a question you rarely hear spoken about openly, hit reply and share it with me. I’d love to explore it together in a future issue.
Warmly,
Jing
Founder, Fenara
Know someone who could benefit from this newsletter? Send this their way.
Reply directly to this issue to share your thoughts for a future edition of The Undercurrent, by emailing us at [email protected] or dropping a WhatsApp message to +65 91870588.
The Undercurrent is part of Fenara — a space for the quiet, in-between parts of life.
References
Cuppen, J., Muja, A., Geurts, R., & Broek, A. van den. (2024). Well-being and mental health among students in European higher education. EUROSTUDENT VIII.
Keyes, C. L. M. (2002). The mental health continuum: From languishing to flourishing in life. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 43(2), 207–222.
World Health Organization. (2026). Mental health overview.
