Something I’ve struggled with for most of my academic career is avoiding burnout and figuring out how to minimize my stress. It’s so easy for me to suppress my exhaustion and just say “I’ll deal with it later.” The hustle culture and emphasis on GPA that is frequently put on college students often means we are often pushing ourselves to an extreme extent. I’ve seen most of my friends’ schedules and every one of us are extremely busy. Between classes, clubs and sports, personal and academic projects, and homework, it is so hard to find the time to relax and decompress. This has led to several periods of intense burnout for me, where I’m forced to confront my high expectations and take a few steps back. It’s times like these where I have to reevaluate my routine and figure out how to fix this burnout.
One way I like to destress is through what I call “my cottagecore projects.” Cottagecore an is extremely popular aesthetic among Generation Z. I would consider baking, cooking, drawing or painting, sewing, and gardening to be peak “cottagecore” activities, and these are all fun ways to destress. I like to incorporate cottagecore projects into my life as a way to avoid burnout. It can be so easy to get lost in the high-stress world of academia with all the deadlines and assignments and readings we all have to do for class. Last semester, my best friend and I had schedules that aligned to allow us to have a craft night every Wednesday. She embroidered and I drew, scrapbooked, or did various art projects. I credit so much of my good mental health last semester to that weekly hangout.
We don’t have that time anymore, so I’ve recently created what I call my “Anti-Burnout Guide.” A few things on that list include going to the park, hiking, visiting my favorite coffee shop that requires me to take the metro, trying out new bakeries, and visiting Kramer’s in Washington, DC (my happy place). All of these activities require a little more effort than usual, meaning I have to purposefully set aside time to do them. I’ve found that activities that are harder to do, like these, give my brain a little challenge that is not academic-related, which is the perfect break from school. Having a solid list like this takes away the problem of having to think of something to do.
If I don’t have time for that, though, even simple ways to decompress help me. For example, eating my favorite foods brings me a lot of joy. I LOVE trader joe’s soup dumplings, and particularly like to eat them after a stressful day. Some other simple things I like to do include going on a short walk outside, taking a study break and dancing to music, or even taking a few deep breaths and appreciating my surroundings and thinking about all the things I’m grateful for.
Without actively setting time aside for fun, non-academic activities or appreciating the small moments, it can be easy to let stress pile up or feel overwhelmed. I’ve found that taking time out of my busy week to hang out with a friend, do a “cottagecore” or craft project, or go on a quick walk outside can do wonders to help minimize my stress and avoid burnout. I highly recommend it!