Hi everyone. Let’s be honest. Life is tough right now. Of course it has moments of goodness, but in general, life feels like one piece of bad news after another. I’m sure I speak for almost every college kid in existence when I say I am burnt out. Hours on zoom, barely leaving my house, and not having a break are just some of the ways that have contributed to me feeling completely exhausted.
Most days, I wake up and do the same exact thing: go to morning class, do homework, eat, afternoon class, eat again, homework, sleep. This cycle repeats itself day after day, and very rarely changes. I am exhausted, unmotivated and apathetic. It has gotten progressively harder to get out of bed expecting anything other than the sequence described above. I sit in my classes, staring at my computer, and trying to find any sense of motivation to do more than the required work. I lack passion and spark for anything I am learning. Lower test scores do not disappoint me as much as they used to, and everything takes longer to do. Never in my life have I felt this way, and therefore it takes an emotional toll as well. It is hard to fight the feelings and effects of burn-out but as students, do we have any other choice?? We have to get the work done regardless.
But experiencing burn-out has allowed me to learn about myself. It has forced me to find any reason to shake up my day: whether that is a workout, a special meal, or an online interaction with friends. It has shown me just how much I have to rely on those closest to me and helped me see who exactly I can rely on. I have gotten to spend more time with my family than I ever expected, which is a wonderful thing.
To anyone reading this who might be feeling exhausted, and burnt out, I just want to say you’re so strong. Keep pushing. You got this. Take an hour to do something for yourself. Take a quick nap. You deserve a break. Thanksgiving is so close, and we all got this :)