The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Fordham chapter.
The most wonderful time of the year is approaching–holiday season! Although this is a time to gather with family and friends in celebration, many people do not discuss the negatives of this season. As the leaves are falling off the trees, the temperature is lowering, and it becomes dark at 4 pm, our bodies and minds also go through some changes. As the year is coming to a close, we as students specifically, need a time to rest. Burnout is a major factor in my life that appears toward the end of fall and onset of winter, and so I am here to help people like me.
- Find a stress-reliever. As humans, we need to take time for ourselves every day, away from the pressures of the outside. My personal stress-reliever is going to the gym, even if it means bundling up to walk across campus in the cold to get there. As exercise has been proven to be a healthy stress-reliever, I am helping my body mentally and physically. But, maybe you don’t like the gym, so teach yourself an instrument, draw, paint, read, anything that allows you to take a step back from your life and do something you really enjoy.
- Journal. I have been journaling since I was a little kid, and around this season is when my journaling really kicks in. When I feel like my emotions and thoughts are scrambled inside of my head, I take out my journal and write. I immediately feel better as I am able to take the mess that is in my head out on a piece of paper.
- Do not isolate yourself. When I feel burnout taking over, I tend to hide in my room all day and night. This only pushes me further into my stress, so the key to this is to get out of your lonely slump. Whether I go to my living room and watch “Dance Moms” with my roommates or walk around campus with my friends, surrounding yourself with others helps take your mind off of the anxieties in your life and also focus on what is important: friendship.
- Put your phone on DND. This has become one of the most helpful aspects of my life recently. Our generation is fixated on our phones, whether that is Instagram, Snapchat, texting, calling, etc. We have forgotten how to live a life without a screen in front of us. As a result, my anxiety has heightened tremendously. In order to combat this, I put my phone on do not disturb in order to escape the technological enemy.
- Time management. Although we all feel burned out after midterms, we need to push ourselves to make it through the final stages of the semester. I used to save several different assignments until the day before they were due, thus heightening my stress and burnout by putting too much on my plate at once. I have learned that spacing out my time and pre-planning when to do assignments relieves stress and enables me to not feel as burned out.
Although these are only 5 small tips, they have changed my life tremendously, and I hope they can help you too!