As the end of the school year approaches, it’s common for students to experience academic burnout. After months of hard work and summer break approaching, students often experience a lack of motivation and interest in completing coursework and meeting deadlines. Burnout can be experienced as emotional and physical exhaustion, stress, or frustration caused by excessive studying or an overload of academic work. To limit these symptoms and prevent academic burnout, students should be aware of these three practices:
- Set Goals and Deadlines
Setting goals, whether they are short-term or long-term, is a great way to hold yourself accountable. Don’t overwhelm yourself with goals that seem like a mountain climb, instead make them realistic and attainable. Think of yourself as a marathon runner rather than a sprinter and this will allow you to gain a sense of direction and focus towards achieving what you want.
Setting deadlines for yourself can provide assistance and motivation to reach the goal. It can help make difficult tasks or assignments more manageable by preventing procrastination. With an end goal in mind, students can obtain the motivation and focus necessary to avoiding academic burnout.
Even something as simple as making a short list of things you want to accomplish before you start your day can help you maximize efficiency and give you something to be proud of after a long day.
Check out these resources that can guide you to stay organized and accountable:
2. Take Care of Yourself
Taking care of yourself mentally and physically is key to preventing the symptoms that come with academic burnout. Getting a sufficient amount of sleep each night is often neglected but is important to prioritize when maintaining a happy and healthy life. Instead of cramming in the last bit of your day at night, shut off your phone, read a book, and get a good night’s rest so you can be ready to put your best foot forward the following day.
Getting fresh air and/or exercise can help clear one’s mind and act as a stress reliever. Especially in the virtual world that students experience, some days the four walls of your room are the only thing you see. So this is your reminder to get out and go for that walk you always say you’re going to go on. Ride a bike to a friend’s house, or simply sit outside for ten minutes if that’s all-time will allow.
- Friendly Tip: PeaceHealth Rides offers University of Oregon students free 15 minutes of riding if they register with their uoregon account. Make sure to take advantage!
3. Phone a Friend
This might just be the most important tip of all. Being able to connect with your family, friends, and peers who know you is one of the more refreshing ways to rebalance yourself when experiencing burnout. Resetting and talking with those who are in your corner is a game-changer. Take the time to catch up with your loved ones, have some time to vent, and get some advice from peers experiencing the same stressors as you.
Remember that you are not alone and that your body and mind deserve a little hiatus even when it feels like you have to be rushing to the next task or item on your to-do list. Remind yourself that in order to put your best foot forward, you have to be balanced within your personal life as well. This means committing yourself to get good sleep, feeding your body with nutrients and endorphins through exercise, and sticking to a mantra that goes along the lines of, “You got this.”
“Tough times never last. Tough people do.” —Robert Schuller