Student Burnout: How to Beat It

As we near the end of first semester, many students are starting to feel academic burnout creep in. With seasonal challenges and the holiday rush, many students can start to feel unmotivated, overwhelmed, unproductive, and burnt out. 

This type of burnout can affect students mentally, emotionally, physically, and academically. In this post, we'll help you move past burnout and prevent it from happening again with these actionable tips.

First, what is student burnout? 

Burnout is a state of chronic stress that can hinder someone's ability to function, both in their academic and personal life. 

Some common signs of burnout include:

• physical and emotional exhaustion
• lack of motivation
• feeling detached, alone, or depressed
• sense of failure or self-doubt
• feeling helpless, trapped, or defeated
• increasingly negative outlook
• decreased satisfaction and sense of accomplishment

If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, you may be experiencing academic burnout. Burnout is not something that happens overnight, but a condition that sneaks up on individuals over a long period of time, which is sometimes why it's difficult to detect.

Some common physical signs of burnout include: 

• chronic fatigue or insomnia
• forgetfulness
• decreasing academic performance
• isolating oneself from friends and family
• negative self-talk
• avoiding activities that used to bring you joy

How to Recover from Student Burnout

If you are feeling stressed, anxious, and find yourself just going through the motions, try these tips to move past academic burnout.

1. Take a Break

Many students struggle to take sufficient breaks, believing that you have to "earn" them. Rest is essential to human life, not a privilege to be earned. When you fail to give your body and brain adequate rest, you aren't able to perform your best. 

Incorporate breaks by:

• Schedule time in your calendar to relax or do activities you love.
• Get outside every day, even if just for five minutes.
• Use the Pomodoro method when studying.
• Try to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day.
• Set up automatic reminders on your phone to notify you when it's time to rest.

2. Ask for Help.

If you are experiencing burnout, it is easy to become overwhelmed and feel like you have to do everything on your own. One of the best ways to recover from burnout is to start asking for help. Odds are, you have access to a greater support system than you think: friends, family, teachers, tutors, counselors, organizations, teams, and more.

Some of the best ways to get support are:

• Parter with a classmate to split up notes or study for a test
• Ask a teacher for an extension
• Find a tutor to help you catch up
• Ask a friend to check in on you during a tough week
• Explain what you're going through to a family member

3. Say No.

Our society speaks so much about this elusive work-life balance. Honestly, I'm not sure it exists. Especially today, when teens are trying to balance schoolwork with work, sports, family responsibilities, and sleep. With only so many hours in the day, sometimes you just can't take on any more. Just declining one invitation or rescheduling one commitment can do wonders for your mental health. Saying no can be tough, but can help you protect and honor your time and energy. 

A few ways you can say no are:

• "No."
• "I appreciate you thinking of me, but I can't."
• "Unfortunately, now is not a good time."
• "I am not taking on anything else right now."
• "I have another commitment."
• "I really don't have the energy to take on anything else."
• "Not this time."

4. Find Tangible Solutions.

Make a list of all the things causing you to feel stressed, worried, or anxious. This can be anything from a history project to laundry to a personal relationship, just write down anything that's bringing up negative feelings. Next to each point on your list, write down at least one way you could reduce the impact it's having on you. Even if you don't use all the potential strategies, this can help you start thinking more creatively in solving problems.

A few examples:

• PROBLEM: I'm stressed about catching up on my math homework; I'm three lessons behind.
• SOLUTION: I could borrow notes from a friend, meet with a tutor, use photomath to complete the work and turn in for points, use khan academy to review the material later.
• PROBLEM: I got into an argument with my friend and now we're not speaking.
• SOLUTION: I could send a text message, try calling them, drop off their favorite snack with a note, take responsibility for any wrongdoing, write them a letter.

How to Prevent Burnout

If you're not feeling burnt out right now, you may want to consider how you can prevent it from happening in the future. You can prevent burnout by:

1. Maintaining good sleep hygiene

2. Practicing regular self care

3. Taking breaks, even when you don't feel stressed or tired

4. Scheduling time to be social and engage in activities you love

This November, Join Our Mental Wellness Series!

In an effort to combat student burnout and increase mental health awareness, Horizon Tutoring will be hosting a virtual mental wellness series, Beat Burnout Before the Holidays!

This series will begin November 10, 2021. Follow along on Instagram and Tiktok for your daily mental reset video!

[By: Courtney Knoblauch]