Burnout feels overwhelming. The feeling of being unmotivated to do those pesky assignments is a symptom so many students feel.
“When I feel burned out, I feel slow and unmotivated. I feel slightly angry with myself for not being able to find the motivation to accomplish as much as I did at the beginning of the year,” said Kirra McEntire, a first-year student studying interior design.
Burnout can feel different to everyone. Some stop working entirely or just do the bare minimum of what they have to do while others keep pushing themselves to their limit.
“I would describe burnout as working myself so hard that I have no motivation to push through,” said Justice Larken, a first-year student studying elementary education. “I try to combat burnout by looking forward to things and finding small moments to take relaxing breaks.”
Balancing school and work are tough to do while trying to take care of yourself. It’s easy to see why so many experience burnout.
“I feel burnout when I don’t have time to get homework done because of work. I also find it hard to manage my time for big projects or tests which just leaves me feeling stressed for a while,” said Emerald Spencer, a first-year student studying business management. “Something I do to ease stress is running three miles every morning and eating a good breakfast. It reminds me that I can accomplish hard things and helps me stick to a routine the rest of the day.”
Finding ways to combat burnout can be tricky, but we all seem to find ways to be able to cope with the stress of our everyday lives. There are many different ways to cope and everyone has their own way that works for them.
“When I feel burnout I feel like I’m frozen. I feel so stuck and paralyzed. Like I don’t even know where to start. I know what needs to be done but there is a disconnect between what I know I need to do and get started on it,” first-year student Avery Wolfenbarger said. “I talk to my roommates or parents to express how I feel. I try to take time to rest but now hide from my problems. I find that sometimes when I’m resting I’m really just avoiding what I need to do.”
Common tips to help work through or prevent burnout include things like taking breaks, taking care of yourself by getting good sleep, eating well, exercising, and taking care of your belongings. Setting goals and celebrating when you accomplish them helps to keep burnout at bay.
“To work through burnout, I try to remind myself why I am in school and start studying the subjects that I am most interested in first,” said Angela Taylor, a first-year student studying nursing. “I also make it a priority to work out and take PE classes to lower my stress.”
Getting good sleep is a huge factor in keeping stress levels low. Being off your phone for at least an hour before bed helps with sleep routines which can help with the stress that impacts burnout. Reading a book before bed is a popular alternative to being on your phone or other electronics. No caffeine for a few hours prior to bed is something well known that many experts agree on to help get a good night’s rest. Burnout is hard to beat, but there are ways to work through it.