The end of the semester can be a difficult time, which may increase your chances of feeling burned out. If you’re struggling to finish out the semester or manage daily stressors, here are a few tips to help you identify burnout, mediate its effects and find support.
What is burnout?
Burnout is a general condition that can happen when we feel overly stressed, overwhelmed, overloaded or anxious about our responsibilities.
Symptoms of academic burnout include:
Keep in mind that burnout can show up differently for different people, and you may not experience every symptom listed. However, it’s important to watch for any of these symptoms and take note of which ones may be affecting you. This can make it easier to know when you’re not doing well or need to seek support.
How can you manage burnout?
When we experience burnout, it can be hard to overcome. Here are some ways to proactively manage burnout before it happens and ways to manage it in the moment.
1. Remind yourself of your goals
When we feel burned out, we may lose sight of our goals or question what we’re really working toward. Taking some time to define your values, why you’re in school and how your academics align with your goals can be a helpful way to stay on track.
Here are some questions you can ask yourself to get started:
2. Sort through your priorities
When we have a lot to do, it can be easy to lose sight of our priorities. Instead of giving equal importance to every task or assignment you have, try to think through your priorities and deadlines. For instance, you may evaluate your assignments based on how difficult it is to complete, how it will affect your grades or how energized you feel about a specific topic.
Be realistic about what you can and cannot accomplish. Sometimes, you may have to practice acceptance around the fact that there is only so much time in the day. This means that you may not be able to accomplish everything you’ve set out to do, and that’s okay. Prioritizing your tasks can help you decide what is worth doing and what is worth letting go.
If you’re unsure how to prioritize your tasks or feel overwhelmed, it may be helpful to ask yourself... will my ability to complete this task matter in a week, a month, a year? If the answer is largely no, consider putting it lower on your priority list.
3. Take time to recharge
While it may seem counterintuitive, it can be helpful to take breaks from our responsibilities or coursework. In fact, stepping away can help you retain more information, feel more motivated and give you the energy to finish the tasks you’ve been dreading.
Here are some ways that you can recharge and make time for your own well-being.
Resources
If you’re feeling stressed, anxious, overwhelmed or don’t know what to do, campus resources are here to help.