How to Survive Academic Burnout
Finals are coming up and if you’re like me, you’re bracing yourself. Partially for the stress of exams, yes, but also for the killer burnout that seems to inevitably come after. You wake up one morning and you can’t convince yourself to get out of bed. Your heart feels as though it’s moved from your ribcage into your esophagus and no matter how well you slept, you can’t find the energy to get up, shower, get dressed or do any of the other things necessary to go about your day as usual. You know there’s so much to do, but that doesn’t mean you know how you’re going to get it all done. To remedy this, here are some methods for avoiding academic burnout and- in case you’re already burnt out– some ways to make it through so that you can come back burning even brighter than before.
What is Academic Burnout?
Before we can figure out the best ways to handle academic burnout, we should talk about what it is and why it happens. The APA Dictionary of Psychology defines burnout on their website as, “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes toward oneself and others. It results from performing at a high level until stress and tension, especially from extreme and prolonged physical or mental exertion or an overburdening workload, take their toll,” the term was coined in 1975 by Herbert J. Freudenberger, a psychologist who was referring at the time to clinic workers with heavy caseloads. Additionally, academic burnout is a term used to describe burnout in students due to prolonged periods of high stress from influences at school and home. The causes of burnout can include a lack of control over what work you’re doing, feeling unappreciated by your peers, or any other scenario that puts you in a prolonged high-stress environment.
What Does Burnout Look Like?
How to Avoid Academic Burnout
Pace Yourself
To avoid burnout, it’s important to ensure that you aren’t overworking yourself. I usually like to do this by setting aside “chill time” for myself so that I can rest. This can look like doing homework a little bit at once during a designated time throughout the week or setting aside a day during which you don’t do any homework and instead give that time to yourself. If getting all or most of your work for the week done at once is what works best for you, you can still avoid becoming overwhelmed by setting aside time to do the work early in the week, taking frequent short breaks, and resting when you begin to feel overwhelmed with your assignments. There’s a way to pace yourself no matter how you like to work. Feel free to brainstorm some ideas for ways to fit breaks into your schedule!
Spend Time Having Fun
While you’re resting, make plans that are solely for you! Spend time with friends, set aside one day a month to do nothing but read your favorite books, take a trip to the park, the gym, or an arcade. If you don’t feel like doing those things, maybe you’d rather treat yourself to a nice long nap. Do whatever feels right for you to keep yourself feeling refreshed.
Communicate Your Needs
You are one hundred percent allowed to need help, but no one can help you if you don’t tell them what you need. If you are struggling to keep up with your classes, your professors can help. Reach out to your professor as soon as you start to feel like you might be falling behind. Communicate clearly that you’re feeling overwhelmed and need help. If you can’t get help from your professor or supervisor, talk to friends and family to see if they are able to help, or see what sort of help you can get at tutoring centers. You’d be surprised to find how much help is available if you’re willing to ask.
Eat Enough and Hydrate
Food is fuel. Maintaining a balanced diet and proper hydration have huge impacts on both mental and physical health. Now, I’m not saying you need to have the perfect diet all the time, but if all you’ve had to eat since yesterday morning has been ramen noodles and half of a PB&J, then that could have effects on your health and wellbeing. Remember to set aside time in your day to eat, and to keep yourself as hydrated as possible. A fire needs fuel or it will burn out. The same goes for you.
Remember to Sleep
In the same vein as ensuring you eat and drink, you have to make sure your body and mind have time to recharge between one day and the next. Some people try to go to sleep at the same time every night to help their sleep schedule, others use supplements such as melatonin to help them fall asleep more easily. Enough sleep gives you a better chance of having the energy you need to have a successful day.
