As university students, we often assume that our lack of motivation to do
everyday tasks means we’re just being lazy or tired. But for many of us, it actually
comes from being emotionally drained. Juggling classes, work, relationships, and
personal expectations can take a real toll on our mental and emotional energy.
Over time, this constant pressure leaves us feeling worn out, unmotivated, and
disconnected, even when we’re trying our best to keep up. University culture
pushes students to think constantly about the future and life after university, there
is a certain type of pressure to be productive 24/7 and believe that our future is
entirely dependent on our ability to involve ourselves and participate in activities.
This fact is magnified by the seemingly ‘perfect’ lives of our fellow peers and
course mates. However, for many of us the reality is that we are all struggling in
some way, it’s not meant to be easy, and some of the most successful people will
tell you that the key to success Is balance, not just how much you can cram into a
day.
Emotional drain can often feel like our energy, motivation and ability to cope have
been “used up”, often due to prolonged stress, pressure or other emotional
demands. There are many different ways to spot when we are emotionally
drained, some of them including: dreading socialising with friends or feeling
responsible for everyone else’s happiness, replaying conversations in your head
and worrying you said something wrong. All of these can be displayed with
emotional drainage, and this can all have a negative toll on your emotions and
even academic performance, that’s why its especially important to know how to
deal with it now and take the steps to feeling less overwhelmed and being able to
balance all aspects of your life. A way to avoid/overcome burnout is journaling or
venting, venting involves talking about how you are feeling to anyone that you
trust, and journalling, which helps to release built up emotions, it can help you to
process your feelings and maybe to notice certain patterns of things that make
you happy or trigger the burnout. Another coping mechanism is allowing yourself
to be bored, as a generation we are constantly busy and online, we need to learn
to let ourselves slow down and learn to be alone with ourselves or find a peaceful
hobby that brings us peace and a way to slow down, for me that’s reading but it
could be anything that brings you peace without the guilt.
As a university student myself, I am no stranger to the feeling of dread seeing a
9am I have to attend the next morning, or an essay due that I just don’t have the
energy to start. But what has helped me get through those moments was
acknowledging that I was emotionally drained and giving myself the time and the
grace to relax and recharge before tackling something I knew I couldn’t start,
that’s always better than sitting down at my desk, mindlessly scrolling through the
material I need to get through and finding myself, after 3 hours having completed
nothing. It’s all about recognition