Academic burnout is when a student feels overwhelmed, unmotivated, exhausted, etc. from school. It can happen at any time throughout the school year from feeling like they have too much on their plate with little to no time to recharge and relax.
The National College Health Assessment found that 80% of students reported feeling overwhelmed, while 40% said it was difficult to function.
If you think you may be starting to feel academic burnout, here are some tips to help prevent that.
Continuing to overwork yourself will only burn you out more. Even if you feel like you have a lot of work to do, take some time to do what you like to do and come back to your work once you've done that activity. This will help you feel more refreshed and lighten the mood.
Daily regular exercise helps to reduce stress levels and improve your mood. If you are feeling overwhelmed, take 10 minutes to do a quick workout and give your mind a break. There are many workouts on youtube that you can look up for beginners!
Being open and communicating with your teachers about how you are feeling can be very beneficial. Most teachers are understanding and may be able to help you out. Having a good relationship can also make the class feel easier to go to and less like a chore.
To help prevent burnout, don't wait until the last minute to get all your work done. Make sure you are working on any assignments you have in a timely manner so you're not overwhelmed with a ton of assignments all at once.
Set yourself up for success by making sure you're getting 7-9 hours of sleep at night, eating healthy, drinking lots of water, taking breaks in between tasks, setting goals, and believing in yourself!
Here are some tips if you feel that you have already begun to experience burnout.
It is important to acknowledge how you are feeling and not ignore it. Ignoring it will only make you feel worse in the long run.
If you feel burnt out, reach out for help. Whether it's to a friend, a family member, a school counselor, or a therapist, it is important to confide your feelings to someone. They may be able to give you more ideas on how to overcome this feeling and give you support.
Recovering from burnout may take some time. Make any changes you think may help you recover sooner. Take breaks throughout your day to do some breathing exercises, meditate, go for a walk, journal, etc. and add these things to your daily routine and see if these activities help!
Self-care is important during recovery. Taking the time to relax and take care of yourself can boost your mood and make you feel better. Designate a day out of the week that you dedicate to self-care. Clean your space, take a bath, read a book, burn a candle, do some yoga, the options are endless.
Link for more self care ideas: https://wholefully.com/self-care-ideas/
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