College can be very stressful financially, socially, mentally, physically and in so many other ways. On top of learning how to keep up with all the changes, students have to balance intense school work. Many students struggling with this balance find themselves feeling burnout.
Burnout, a state of emotional, mental and physical exhaustion, is caused by excessive and prolonged stress.
Trying to avoid burnout can be more challenging than some expect it to be. Sophomore Nelab Shirzai spoke about her struggles with trying to prevent burnout.
“I try reminding myself that I want to go to school and that I’m going to school for myself to kind of ease that feeling off,” Shirzai said. “I try to do things in between school and work to kind of distract myself. And if I’m being honest, it doesn’t always help.”
With the previous semester being fully online for many Georgia State students, some reported the differences in their burnout compared to in-person classes. Freshman Maddy Olson talked about her difficulties during the fall 2020 semester.
“My burnout last semester was definitely worse than previous years just because there was nothing forcing me to go to class or do my assignments,” Olson said. “It was all up to me, so I definitely felt the consequences of burnout a lot more, but I came back from it during finals.”
While focusing on the end goal is a great start to avoid college burnout, the methods need to be more intentional if one is serious about preventing it.
There are several tips on how to get out of the burnout pattern. One way to help ease it can be confiding in someone. New studies show that people who confide in others about their feelings instead of suffering in silence are less vulnerable to sickness. Freshman Razan Khadir talked about how helpful it is to de-stress with some of her friends.
“Personally, I like to do a little self-care night with some friends, and it really helps,” Khadir said. “We put on some face masks, throwback music and eat some junk food.”
Along with confiding in trusted individuals, other vital steps are to set boundaries and try to take back control. Remember to put oneself first when making commitments. Saying yes to everything is impossible for a healthy life balance. One should focus specifically on what is most important for the future and what brings happiness in life.
Another way to control burnout is to pay attention to personal needs, delegate tasks, leave school work to do for a specific amount of time or get a planner. The success of these methods relies on preparing for the burnout feelings and understanding how to battle them.
Battling burnout does not have to be as hard as it seems if one tries to fight it from the first signs. As classes continue online, getting ahead of the curve and resisting the burn is a great idea.
