We’re already a few weeks into the spring semester, and the winter weather has no plan of letting up anytime soon. Without the ability to get out and recharge socially, these cold months are the peak time for academic burnout. While sometimes burnout has no exact cure, there are a couple ways we can reduce stress, procrastination, and fatigue. Here are five things that help me combat academic burnout.
Plan out your to-dos
Planning out what school-related tasks need to get done in a day and when you’ll complete them will help lighten your mental load. By writing down your mental to-do list, you are able to relieve your mind of keeping track of all your assignments and due dates. You could write these down in a planner, a calendar, or notes app. I find it especially helpful to pick certain times of the day when I’ll work on each task. I’ll work on my essay from four to six o’clock and review my lecture notes until seven. This enables me to stop worrying about the completion of tasks because I now have a designated spot for them in my day. This is also helpful for fighting procrastination. Writing my essay is much more likely to happen if I schedule it starting at four rather than saying it will get done after class.
Practice self-care
Burnout can begin to impact your physical health as well as mental. The winter months are full of constant cold symptoms, so not compromising your immunity further by stress-induced factors is important. Shower, wash your hands often, take vitamins, eat nourishing meals that will provide you energy, get in some light physical activity, stay hydrated, and wear that comfy pajama set that brings you joy. Our physical health should be our first priority during a tough academic season because of how it impacts our energy levels, cognitive function, and happiness. If you do catch a winter illness, do yourself a favor and try to take some time off to recover fully before you get back to that schoolwork.
Switch locations often
If you’re experiencing burnout, maybe it’s time to walk away from your bedroom studying setup. Finding new places to study like a public library, a campus building, or a coffee shop can not only help to separate your personal and academic life, but also increase both motivation and memory. A change of scenery may be all you need to finally solve that difficult chemistry problem you’ve been stuck on. You can always find a space that accommodates your volume and anti-distraction needs.
Give what you can
If fifty-percent of your full effort and focus is all you’re able to give today, then let that be enough. Aiming for a higher level of quality work than you are able to produce at a given moment will only lead to more burnout symptoms. Giving fifty percent today so you can give seventy-five percent tomorrow is the better alternative to trying to find an extra fifty percent today and having nothing left over. This may be a difficult concept for academic perfectionists like myself, but not overworking ourselves will help us recover from burnout faster and healthier.
Practice guilt-free downtime
It is equally as important to be ‘off’ as it is ‘on’. We need rest and recuperation to be able to perform our best. However, it’s hard to not feel guilty during downtime when you feel like you should be studying or writing that paper. Paired with planning when you’ll work on your academics, set aside time each day for you to see that one friend, practice a hobby, take a nap, or scroll on TikTok. Remember that downtime has a purpose. Stressful downtime can increase feelings of burnout because you cannot escape the mental turmoil of never-ending responsibilities. Separating time designated for school and your own interests will help free your mind from exhaustion.
