Winter Arc and Other Terms that Promote Burnout Culture

Burnout is real and social media might be making it worse.

A few weeks ago, I was at my internship at the Missouri State Capitol, preparing to sit in on a House Elementary and Secondary Education committee hearing, when I ran into one of my favorite teachers from high school. 

She was there to testify on a bill, and before we went into the hearing, she told me something that stuck with me:

“Don’t let work become your whole life.”

It’s something I’ve seen happen to a lot of people, regardless of their profession. I’ve felt it as a student, when I let school or my seasonal job consume me. And here’s the kicker: the busier I am, the better I feel about myself.

Somewhere between high school and college, being busy started to feel like an achievement and stress became something to sit in. Adding things to my schedule and subsequently my resume became the goal. 

When I get busy, though, something has to give. Generally, that something is self-care. I stop reading, writing and sewing: all things that help me unwind and unleash my creative side. Instead, I work out more because there are tangible results. This is the difference between restorative productivity and result-driven productivity. While both have a place in our lives, they need to be balanced. 

Lately, I’ve noticed how much of this mindset shows up online. To me, it feels like a perpetuation of burnout culture under the guise of the next big thing, like a “winter arc.” 

These self-improvement trends, the do more, be better, work harder message can be really great, but it’s also important to save the space we have for the occasional nap, or give yourself time to sit down and sew and watch your comfort show. 

Frankly, one thing I’m learning as I approach the end of college is that the goal is not to fill every second of my planner with tasks that are tangibly productive or with resume builders. It should be to get my work done and then soak in this wonderful phase of life I’m in. 

So, while I love the idea of having a “winter arc” and I try to work out as often as possible, sometimes it’s OK to take a rest day or go get my nails done. 

Work and school and such are aspects of your life, don’t let it consume you.

• college
• mental health
• winter arc