As college students, we all know this feeling too well. You have lots of readings, lectures, assignments, and papers to accomplish but you find yourself paralyzed by stress and negativity: the dreaded symptoms of burnout. It can be tough to combat burnout, so here are some tips to help you destress and stay optimistic.
Tip 1: Be realistic about what you set out to accomplish every day
If you set yourself up to be unable to accomplish all your tasks for the day, you will inevitably feel stressed out. Don’t plan to do lots of homework or activities on a day where you are already busy with work and classes. You will inevitably be frustrated that you were unable to finish everything you set out to for the day or you will stay up till 3 am frantically trying to complete that to-do list. Instead, be kind to yourself and set reasonable goals for what you will accomplish in a day. One strategy that I find very helpful is to only do a few assignments on my busy days, and to save the bulk of my work for my day off. Most importantly, do not forget to make time for things other than work and school!
tip 2: Include balance in your daily schedule
If you plan to spend all day doing homework and nothing else, you will likely feel horrible and not accomplish all that you set out to do. Trust me, I’ve been there. I thought that locking myself in a homework dungeon all day would make me more productive when all it accomplished was making me pine for human contact and a glimpse of something other than my desk. Instead of torturing yourself with work all day, make sure you pencil in time for breaks, hobbies, and friends while still accomplishing what you need to. I find that I am often more productive when I know that I will get to enjoy free time drawing, playing video games or hanging out with my friends after I am done with my schoolwork. It is so difficult to make time for the things you love when you are under lots of stress from school work, and it is a balance I am still learning to strike. However, it is so important to learn the skill of time management because making time for the things that make you happy can also help you keep a positive attitude.
tip 3: Combat negativity with a realistic mindset
It is all too easy to fall into the mindset of feeling like you are trapped in a never-ending pile of work. This mindset is toxic and is not helping you be more productive. I find when I am viewing my to-do list in an apocalyptic manner that it makes it harder for me to do my work because I am overwhelmed with anxiety. I have a much easier time being motivated to do my work when I approach it in a confident and level-headed manner. Some techniques I use to ground myself include: acknowledging that being nervous about my work accomplishes nothing, knowing that the best way to finish the work is to do it, and making the work enjoyable by working in a cozy environment. Remember that you are capable and strong, and that a busy day or long to-do list will not defeat you, even if you fall a bit short of your goals sometimes.
tip 4: Give yourself grace if you are not always as productive as you set out to be
For me, a major cause of burnout is feeling overwhelmed and like I have failed by not getting enough work done. A great strategy to help combat this is to ground yourself by remembering your productivity does not indicate your self-worth. While it is important to meet deadlines, it is also okay to give yourself more time to accomplish a task if needed. In order to avoid failing to complete tasks and missing deadlines, be kind to yourself by allotting plenty of time to finish your work before the due date. This will help ease any work-related anxiety as you will have ample time to get the work done, as well as preventing yourself from having to cram a bunch of work into one night to meet due dates.
I hope these tips for fighting burnout are helpful to all you college students out there! I know it can be so tough to tackle a long list of assignments while still protecting your mental health, and it is a skill I am still learning as a junior. The golden rule is to be kind to yourself and schedule plenty of time to get work done so you do not feel overwhelmed.