Student Blog: Burnout: What to Do and When to Stop?

" Burnout, an unavoidable sensation caused by repeated feelings of stress – promptly encouraged by the end of semester and the responsibilities and pressures that lie within that "

It is like you close your eyes, blink and it becomes a race against the clock. There are a hundred things to do but not enough time to do it, you see your friends having the times of their lives at parties and functions, yet you are cozied up inside waiting for these assignments and examinations to disappear.   

Time is ticking.... You notice that the timetable is out, three exams in one day “how can I cope?”, you notice that your favourite subject has an exam that you never even knew about. A part of you feels regret, you feel as if time is against you, and you truly have nothing you can do to get yourself out of this slump you have fallen into.   

Everything is rush, rush, rush to the point that you feel like you have too much time but at the same time no time at all....  

Everything is rushing at a pace beyond your control, you experience that infamous end of semester fatigue. You get another assignment and slowly but surely you are losing ability to cope with all. Sure, you are prepared to give this one a miss and sacrifice all that you have worked hard for.   

Rather than succumb to the burnout here are some tips to help avoid succumbing to this sensation and rather how to deal with it. 

1. Plan Your Workload 

Often students feel they have all the time in the world for their end of semseter exams and assignments and leave everything until the week before. Although it might work in the short term, when it is the week before Christmas and you have twenty things due on the same day at the same time, a feeling of defeat and inability to cope is inevitable. Therefore, to avoid getting to this state it is better to start early meaning you can knock assignments off one by one. 

2. Prioritize your health and wellbeing 

College and school are often portrayed as the be all or end all however, this is not the truth, and it should never be worth sacrificing your mental health over. For instance, ensure that you eat and sleep well. As well as taking well deserved breaks throughout your study and your work, the brain can only take in so much information at a time that going overboard is pointless in its essence. In addition to your health, it is important to still have fun in moments of stress. Even going for a walk, meeting a friend or listening to your favourite artist is enough to relieve this feeling of hopelessness and bring some normality into your life.  

3. Know your ability 

Often during exam season, it becomes normalised for students to set unrealistic expectations and goals for themselves that anything beneath this is seen as failure. Thus, it is important to recognise the goals that you are capable of. To begin, set small goals and as you begin to reach these, you can slowly but surely aim higher. Taking baby steps ensures that you can reach your goals at a natural pace without diminishing your own health at the stake of it all. 

4. Take a day off 

Sometimes in the peak of all our busy nature, it is important to dedicate a day or two to pure rest and meditation in which we can leave all our worries and pressures aside and focus on ourselves. A day dedicated to no academics will not hinder your results but rather will improve it as returning with a fresh mind will be much more effective than overstimulating yourself. 

Therefore, hopefully this guide is effective in helping you reach your goals whilst protecting your own mental health in this challenging period. If you feel overwhelmed, it is essential to take a break as overdoing it will only hinder yourself and your goals. Good Luck!!