By Tessa Nacke & Vy Nguyen
You sit at your desk, mind blank.
“Ugh,” you think, “I have no motivation to do homework right now. I feel like I am constantly exhausted.”
Ever felt like this?
This might be a sign of burnout.
Defined by Mayo Clinic, job burnout is described as “a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.”
Burnout can be caused by a variety of environmental factors, usually the amount of pressure surmounted on a person. Social, academic, parental and emotional stress can all slowly contribute to what is known as burnout.
For school, it can look like putting too much on your plate, with no regard for recuperation or rest.
“If your work takes up so much of your time and effort that you don’t have the energy to spend time with your family and friends, you might burn out quickly,” says Mayo Clinic.
Obviously, work needs to get done. But, everything in moderation. So although it is good to work hard, remember that humans need breaks.
“[Students] may not rest long enough to feel a sense of accomplishment. And they may not have enough time to recharge by the time they take on their next challenge,” said Understood.
Burnout can rob you of the things you love. As stress builds, frustration grows. This can look like being irrationally angry with other people, stalling homework, and possibly even losing enjoyment in things you used to love.
So, how do you recover when you’ve found yourself in the midst of burnout? Here are a few tips that will help you combat all aspects of this. Train yourself to regain your self-esteem and motivation to find a better school-life balance.
Recognize the symptoms
Though the impacts of burnout feel all-consuming and draining, just know this is only temporary. First, get the ball rolling by acknowledging that you are burned out. Know the signs and recognize just how burned out you are.
Remember: burning out isn’t just being tired, it has a psychological effect on how you behave.
Everyone is different and can face stress in their own way, so it’s important to meet yourself at your level. To do this, reflect on the past month or so on your stress levels and what’s been causing this to occur.
Ask for help & surround yourself with support
This may be the hardest step, but one of the most crucial ones. Seek help from others, especially your family or close friends, a school psychologist, or your teachers. After the first interaction has happened, connect to these people regularly and have them be your support system.
It is helpful to ask for advice and accountability from people you see everyday because they know you best. The ones you trust have the advantage of having a fresh set of eyes. They can point out activities or perfectionist tendencies that are causing you more harm than good.
Asking help from your teachers can take that tremendous weight off from your shoulders, once you get past the intimidation. Many teachers are more understanding about academic pressures and stress than we think, with several willing to offer extensions or receive late work. Communication is key.
Take breaks
Start small. Find time during your day, such as during spare class time or study sessions to break free of your homework, your tests and even your phone to spend some quality time. Instead of worrying about studying for that test during break time, choose to socialize with friends or grab a snack to boost your energy and morale.
Especially during the school day, there are few times where students can successfully study or do homework regardless, with break being 10 minutes and lunch 30 minutes.
Rather than being tempted to skip your lunch or hanging out with your friends, it is much more fruitful to grant yourself some time to recharge. Even 5 minutes of a guilt-free break can make you more mentally prepared for your next class or event, more so than if you were cramming information last minute.
You are allowed to say no
Now, it’s time to take a bit of a leap.
After you begin to get into the habit of allowing yourself a few guilt-free breaks, go even further by declining, or dropping, a few items from your schedule.
Begin to say no to activities that you don’t want to go to, or know that you can’t take on. Reorganize your priorities and values to know what events you can cut. Though it can seem like a sacrifice, having boundaries within your schedule will keep you from pushing yourself past your limit.
Begin regular self-care habits
The most essential piece of advice, but often the most overlooked, is to take care of yourself. Self-care can look differently for each person, but begin by getting enough hours of sleep, staying hydrated during the school day and eating well.
From there, you can also try to make time during your day or week for hobbies you enjoy, as ways to motivate yourself to stay productive without sacrificing fun.
It isn’t shameful to say you need help or a break every once in a while, even if you are in the midst of deadlines or a rushed week. Though it may feel like you need to maintain all of your classes or activities just to do well in school, being a student and having good health should not be mutually exclusive.
Accumulated feelings of stress and burnout will only lead to worse consequences and negative long-term habits. And sometimes it’s better to hit the brakes on your busy schedule before you hit and crash.
Remember: no matter what, your health should come first.
