I finished last semester and went into winter break feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted, and feeling like my brain was tired of learning new things and straining to understand novel concepts. I had experienced my first late withdrawal from a class, as I felt like continuing to be in that class and completing the large final project would negatively affect performance in my other classes. I’d heard about the concept of burnout often, but I loved school and loved learning so much that I didn’t think this would happen to me. When it did, I was confused and frustrated, but most of all, I was just plain tired all the time.
Burnout is something that affects, according to a study done by Fortune magazine, approximately 80% of college students. This is an alarming statistic, as it means that most college students are entering the workforce already burnt out and in need of a break, sometimes a rather long one. How can we mitigate this issue? First, we must acknowledge the mental and emotional toll that college takes on us, especially as we advance in our academic career. Deadlines are constantly looming, and we are concerned with portraying ourselves in a certain way to ensure the approval of professors and our peers. We must also be concerned with our professional presence and our next steps. All these things can be stressful!
Once we acknowledge the emotional and mental impacts of academia, we can prioritize our mental health before achievement, and recognize that our well-being and mental health is more important than any academic or professional goal. Prioritizing our mental health and well-being can take many different forms. For me, I decided that I don’t do homework on Mondays, as I have a large class load those days. For other days of the week, I stop doing homework (unless there is a specific deadline for the next day, and I am behind) at 9 pm. As someone who always considered herself an “overachiever”, if I don’t set these boundaries for myself, I will constantly be engaged in schoolwork, even if that means working ahead. Sometimes it’s as easy as taking a break. Winter break was very rejuvenating for me, and a vacation or staycation is always an option. Another option that I’ve taken advantage of is therapy. Many people believe that therapy is for people who are mentally ill, but therapy can often be akin to a preventative wellness check at the doctor. Discussing daily issues, including burnout, with a therapist can prevent one from getting to the point where they get so overwhelmed that they give up or drop everything. Therapists can also provide us with specific coping techniques to manage burnout. Finally, I’ve reminded myself repeatedly that I am here because I love learning. I love obtaining new knowledge and applying that knowledge to the world around me to help myself and others, and maintaining this passion and value helps me to push through the temporary struggles of burnout. This has helped me find renewed motivation to attend classes this semester, and I thoroughly enjoy most of these classes. It’s important to find ways to manage our academic career so that it doesn’t consume our entire life. If we go into the workforce or into graduate school already burnt out, we are at a significant disadvantage.
This time in our lives is not only incredibly important, but also transitional. We must do everything right at this stage to succeed in the next stage, and that is a lot of pressure. We must prioritize our mental health and must ask ourselves why this is important to us. For me, I can’t lose sight of my love of learning. Although this stage is all about applications and deadlines, as well as professional development, keeping our primary goals in mind is important. We must care for ourselves and love learning enough to continue doing so, even when it is difficult.
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