Wellness Wednesdays with Diana: Your Weekly Dose of Happiness, Nutrition and Fitness Tips
Burn Bright
I’m pretty sure I caught my first glimpse of senioritis as early as sophomore year, trading every pair of pants for leggings, falling asleep in class on the days I made it, and secretly being thrilled every time my plans to go out fell through. I was experiencing burnout.
I define burnout by the frequency of the “what’s-the-point” and “why-do-I-work-so-hard” thoughts that would run through my head all day. It’s the absence of passion. It’s the emptiness. It’s the void that echoes your longing for a reason to wake up each morning.
A number of readers have approached me wondering if I always know what I’m writing about each week. I don’t. I just tune into life; I listen to my friends’ doubts and dilemmas. The words people say and feel inspire me to write about a different aspect of wellness each week. That’s why I’m writing about burnout. With less than three weeks left in the semester and an overwhelming sense of defeat taking over my campus and manifesting itself in the “I can’t even” mumbles of passersby on Locust, I wanted to step in and talk about burnout.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve referenced Martin Seligman’s PERMA model of happiness. I delved into exercises related to positive emotion, meaning, and accomplishment. It’s time to devote some love to the “E.” Social psychologist Christina Maslach and organizational psychologist Michael Leiter define “Engagement” as the antithesis of burnout.
Engagement takes place when you’re using your greatest strengths to perform activities you enjoy and care about. Engagement is high energy, involvement, and efficacy. It leads you to a state known as flow that allows you to lose your sense of self and time, in the best way possible. But is engagement really that accessible? We can all write three good things every night or change a couple of habits here and there, but maintaining that fire is the challenge. It is straying from your passions that leads to burnout. It’s forgetting why you came here that leads you to chant “I can’t even” as you snooze your alarm for the fourth time.
It’s so easy to feel so busy, and yet so alone, at some point in your college career. We’re constantly getting from point A to point B, with ten-minute breaks to ponder why we even bother with the hustle and bustle. Maybe it’s time you actually know why you’re going where you’re going, why you’re trekking to the engineering quad at three in the morning, why you’re getting drenched in the rain on your way to evening practice. If you don’t have an answer as to why you do what you do, then you’re probably not doing what you’re passionate about. Of course there are necessary errands we have to run and unreasonable requirements we have to fulfill, but these shouldn’t take over your life. Do what you have to do, but also do what you want to do.
I’m fortunate I didn’t have to go too far; my passion lies in writing for a purpose. I write in hopes that someone will have a better day or a better life after reading one of my articles. All I had to do was pick up a pen and let my body take over. But not everyone is as lucky. A friend of mine was reflecting on her experience living in Lebanon. “Every explosion” and “act of corruption” that afflicted her people made her work harder than ever with the promise of making a difference in Lebanon fueling her every move. But in the day-to-day rush of handing in assignments and showing up to meetings and braving zero-degree (Celsius forever) weather, the college experience can consume you and your dreams and your passions and your drive. And that is when burnout takes over.
I don’t have all the answers. I wish I could tell you what crevice to look in, what box to open, or what book to read. I wish I could tell you what city to move to and what class to enroll in. What I can tell you is what I found out for myself–the hard way. I was my unhappiest when I was burned out, and I was burned out when I wasn’t writing. And that’s when I started writing this column.
Seniors: look at your choices for next year. Underclassmen: look at the classes you registered for. Did you just sign off on a job you’re not passionate about? Will you be working in a field that will allow you to engage your greatest strengths? Are you living in a city that inspires you to be the best person you can be?
This week’s wellness exercise is as easy as it is challenging. Before you burn out, make sure you’re letting your passions burn bright.
Diana Gonimah is a senior at the University of Pennsylvania from Cairo, Egypt. She is a writer, Features Editor, and Recruiting Chair at the UPenn chapter of Her Campus. She’s passionate about psychology, journalism, creative writing, and helping people in any capacity. Check our website next week for the Thanksgiving edition of Wellness Wednesdays with Diana!