It has been a crazy adventure since COVID-19 ruined what felt like a somewhat normal year. Since school has been in person, not many people are talking about feeling burnt out. These feelings can happen at any time during any sort of occasion.
Burnout is common around midterms and we start to feel a lack of motivation to get anything done. For me, it feels like I’m sluggish and tired but there’s still stuff that needs to get done. Somehow, we all find ways around it when it comes to work even if we may not want to do anything at all. No matter what happens, everything feels ten times more overwhelming when we feel down.
There are many ways to prevent burnout and to cope with it. It all depends on how we choose to approach it and why it may be happening. Academic burnout can cause a lot of different symptoms such as not feeling motivated, more exhaustion, and less creativity when it comes to school. Burnout doesn’t just have to be in the academic field, it can also happen in other environments as well, such as the workplace.
Sometimes, it can be hard to decipher burnout from regular days of being tired or even feeling uninspired. If you are like me and suffer from horrible migraines and have some trouble sleeping some days, it feels like any other regular day of the week. However, these can also be symptoms of academic burnout as well. Burnout is so much more than that and it has to be recognized. The first step in curing burnout is to focus on yourself.
Sometimes taking a simple or short break can help with burnout because it allows you to step away from work for a moment and view your environment. Taking time for yourself is a crucial step that should be taken to clear the mind. It doesn’t have to be a long break if you have a lot of work to do but it gives you a moment to look at what is the most important thing to do at the moment. I promise that giving yourself a break will make things go by quickly and you can bring it back together.
Taking a break could mean a multitude of different things such as listening to music or journaling. Taking small steps can aid in your journey of coping with the symptoms of burnout wherever you are. Self-care can also include going for a walk or drinking more water. Coping with burnout does not have to be difficult or intense but this will take you a long way. Maybe try taking up meditation or yoga to help. I like to take a moment to breathe or check social media because many others are feeling the same way.
Some might suggest avoiding social media but I think it can be useful in stepping away from homework as a small distraction. However, if you are going to choose the social media route, I would try doing it for no more than half an hour or you may not get anything else done. If you simply want to avoid this route, I would try turning your phone completely off and then using it when you are completely done.
Here are some links to resources about coping with burnout to help you on your journey as well: