Have you ever felt overwhelmed or unmotivated in college?
I’m sure most of us have.
The immense stress many college students, including me, feel is academic burnout, which according to the University of the People, means “a negative emotional, physical and mental reaction to prolonged study that results in exhaustion, frustration, lack of motivation and reduced ability in school.”
How do you know if you are burnt out?
Here are some signs according to UOPeople:
- Mental and physical exhaustion
- Skipping classes or assignments
- Increased irritability
- Decreased participation in class discussions and/or projects
- Missing academic deadlines
- Increased pain in your body
- Frequent illnesses due to stress
- Feeling anxious and depressed
How do you overcome or prevent it?
It’s surely not easy, but we can take baby steps and make gradual changes (or keep these tips in mind to prevent burnout entirely). This way, you’re slowly getting back into your groove (or keeping these in the back of your mind).
UOPeople suggests the following tips:
- Spend time outside with nature—it reduces stress levels
- Get moving—exercise releases endorphins that improve mood
- Improve your time management skills
- Avoid procrastinating
- Make your own goals, so that you feel rewarded when you complete them
- Talk to your professors and classmates
In my opinion, the two most important tips are to improve time management skills and to avoid procrastination. If I fall behind, I get overwhelmed trying to catch up, and the work piling up creates a mess I’d rather not be in. To prevent burnout, here’s what I do:
- To improve time management skills, I’d prioritize what’s important. If an assignment is due at midnight, that’s the one I’d do first. That’s a no-brainer. If I have an essay to write, I’ll begin writing it days in advance depending on the length requirement and the subject matter. Got several chapters of a novel to read? I’ll break the assigned reading into smaller parts just so I don’t need to read it all in one sitting. I’ve found that if I read a large portion at once, I absorb less information than if I take my time and still finish it by the deadline. Therefore, it’d be wiser of me to break the reading into chunks.
- All of us know the more we procrastinate, the more work piles up, the more stressed out we feel. Therefore, we need to avoid procrastination as much as we can. To avoid procrastinating, I’d set my phone down, listen to some studying music such as Lo-fi or even jazz, turn to each class’s syllabus or calendar, focus on the things I need to do, and mark off the things I’ve already completed for the day or week. Turning on music and setting it to a low volume is perfect for me; I generally can’t do homework in silence. This helps me concentrate and motivates me to do my work, so it could help you too.
If you want, you can take a look at this video:
Frank, Thomas. “How to Deal with Student Burnout – College Info Geek.” YouTube, uploaded by Thomas Frank, 11 June 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=qd_mRapoPtg.
Need resources to cope with academic burnout?
SCSU Counseling and Psychological Services
- Located in Eastman Hall 305
- Appointments are available in-person or via Zoom
- Monday through Friday 8 AM-4:30 PM
- Phone number: 320-308-3171
- Includes links to various mental health organizations
- Provides resources for mental health, academic, and personal concerns
- Text HOME to 741741 to connect to a crisis counselor
- Available 24/7 to help with mental health
- Free service to use
Now that you recognize the signs of academic burnout, you can take steps to help yourself if you experience it. If you take care of yourself, mentally and physically, you’ll get through college a lot easier and have a more positive outlook on it. It’s important not to push yourself too hard. I know that college is stressful, but it shouldn’t take a drastic toll on your well-being. If burnout occurs, please be kind to yourself.