Well, everyone, we’ve made it (halfway). But now that mid-semester is nearly here, so is the burnout. Burnout tends to get the best of us, and most of the time, we don’t even notice burnout till it’s really affecting us. You’re not alone in this though, at one time or another, we’ve all experienced burnout to some degree.
Burnout can be caused by a variety of reasons. From some, it’s large amounts of school work, poor diet, a lack of exercise, a lack of sleep, poor time management, unrealistic goals or problems outside of school. If these stressors aren’t dealt with, it can lead to emotional and physical exhaustion.
You’ll probably begin to feel overwhelmed and unenergetic which will affect your productivity. This later-stage of burnout isn’t good for anyone.
Recognize Burnout
- Long-term fatigue
- Mental exhaustion
- Loss of the ability to study further
- A potential decline in academic performance
- Lack of interest in topics/activities that once were engaging
Avoid Burnout Before It Starts
- Time management and organization are key: You’re less likely to fall victim to burnout if you have a schedule and keep up with it. Keeping a schedule allows you to keep track of priorities, deadlines, and gives you time to prepare for larger assignments.
- Make a to-do list: Have a doable and attainable to-do list for each day. This will help you complete a small amount of work each day.
- Don’t overload your day with too many goals: This is very important. When you overload yourself with too many goals, it’s easy to shut down and procrastinate (and we all know how procrastinating works out).
- Know your limits: This goes hand-in-hand with the point above. You know yourself best. Knowing how many things you can complete throughout the day is essential for success.
- Take a mental health day: We all need this! You can’t be in go-mode 24/7. Dedicate one day a week to yourself–indulge and relax.
Written by GUADS staff member Toni with contributions from www.fnu.edu and www.einstein.edu
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