How I Defeated My Worst Enemy –Burnout– and How You Can Too

Burnout. You know the feeling; you open your assignment only to stare at it, hoping that the words on a page will somehow stick with you or the paper that you need to write will somehow get written. This is because when you try to start your assignment, you can’t. You feel as if you’re drowning and anchored to the ocean floor by the weight of everything that’s going on around you. Whether it’s your schoolwork that seems to be a never-ending pile of doom or your work life where you get home from a busy day only to be met with everything you don’t want to do, I feel that, and I feel for you.

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Completing my freshman year of college during a pandemic was exhausting to say the least. The transition from high school in my hometown to college in a city that’s four hours away caused a bit of culture shock. While the adjustment was tough, what was worse was the burnout that came with it. Because of Covid-19, colleges and universities around the world that decided to stay open took away spring break. Due to this, it felt as if all of my assignments from each class were infinite; I would finish one paper only to start another immediately after. I stopped feeling accomplished for getting things done because there was always a project or a research paper looming over me. Consequently, I was met with burnout.

I knew I felt burned out when I didn’t feel like finishing a chapter of a book for my literature class and instead looked up the summary. That was just the beginning. I began procrastinating on my papers to the point where I had to ask for an extension on one of my easiest assignments. It didn’t help that my friends felt this too, as it led to us feeding off of each other’s energies. After I finished my last final back in April, I knew that I never wanted to experience that level of burnout ever again. So, I did some reflecting, and thought about a few things that helped me and that I plan on using in the near future when that feeling comes back around.

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Journaling helped a lot when I couldn’t focus on completing my assignments. It gave my brain a hard reset and allowed me to think about how I felt in the moment, rather than Odysseus’s motives in The Odyssey or the ethics of bioengineering in the food system. It also helped my mental health, as I took time to put myself first. I would usually journal right before class, as it helped clear my mind and prepare it for 105 minutes of straight lecture. I noticed that once I started doing that, I felt more inclined to pay attention during class and get my assignments done early instead of zoning out and getting everything done last minute.

You should be putting yourself first when it comes to your mental health. When I think about having a work-life balance (in school or with a job), I always try to come up with something to look forward to each week or even day in order to motivate myself. This helps to create a balance between working and having fun. One thing I love to do is movie nights with my friends. Now, if I’m being honest, I’m not the biggest movie watcher, but watching a movie with friends after a long week of school really helped ease everything that was going on in my life. My friends and I made a list of movies we wanted to watch, both serious and stupid, and we’ve been trying to work our way through it. Let’s just say watching the new Sonic the Hedgehog film after a week of trying to decipher a graphic memoir helped break up the time I was spending on school. The best part about movie nights is that you can do them on Zoom, Discord, or Watch Amazon, making it possible to spend quality time with friends digitally.

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While in some cases, burnout can’t be avoided, in others, it can be. You may be wondering how that’s even possible. Learn to say no. This only applies if something is a choice and isn’t mandatory. So, if you don’t have to do something, don’t agree to it. For example, if you’re asked whether you can make a poster for your club’s event, but you have four tests to prepare for and a giant paper to write, let your club know that you can’t do it. The sooner you let them know, the better it will be for everyone. As a people pleaser, I know this is tough and seems easier said than done, but it has helped me a lot in the long run. And remember, in the end, you and your mental health should be the top priority. By simply saying no, you are helping yourself steer clear of otherwise stressful situations.

As I’m preparing to start school again, I realize that I might overwork myself again and hit a wall. But I’m also trying to prevent it before it happens. While you can’t prepare for everything, prioritizing mental health should be a step you take. Whether it is letting your friends know you want to start doing movie nights or setting time each day to journal, no matter what it is, make sure that it is benefiting you. And if you ever feel burnt out, just remember that you’re not alone. You will get through it, and you will prevail!