It’s burnout season y’all. And let me tell you, I’m feelin’ it already. The pressure of bigger and bigger assignments and exams is ever-present, midterms have come and gone, and not to mention relationship and friendship issues are weighing me down. And add coming down with a nasty cold twice since I’ve been on campus this semester. The result of all this? Burnout. Unfortunately, this is a problem that affects almost all college students. Juggling school, work, and our social lives are almost full-time jobs on their own. Recently, I didn’t even notice I was burnt out until I was in my second wave of the cycle. In this article, my goal is to educate you all on the signs and symptoms of burnout while also providing ways to recharge yourselves. We all deserve to know how to keep ourselves happy and healthy.
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS
It’s important to know the signs and symptoms because the sooner you notice you are becoming burnt out, the faster you can implement some self-care tactics to reverse the effects. Knowing these can help yourself – or others!
Mental exhaustion – The easiest sign to spot in my opinion is mental exhaustion. Examples of this symptom include having extra difficulty concentrating or completing an assignment. Another example could be having brain fog, having trouble thinking clearly, or having trouble keeping your agenda straight.
Irritability – This one is such a huge sign for me. Irritability is most present when you’re in public or around others. If something ticks you off that hasn’t before, you’re most likely feeling burnout.
Extreme fatigue/Insomnia – Unfortunately these both can go hand in hand. Most times when people are feeling the effects of burnout, they have trouble sleeping at night. They can toss and turn all night and only get a couple hours of sleep. And as a result, they can feel extremely fatigued all day long. I know I can definitely relate to this one.
Difficulty controlling mood – Irritability can somewhat go hand in hand with one. I often have trouble controlling my moods to begin with, so sometimes I don’t notice how extreme I can get. Signs of this are sudden outbursts and breakdowns. You may feel a lot of ups and downs with an emphasis on the downs.
RESOLVE AND RECHARGE
Hot Shower – One of my favorite things to do while I’m feeling down is to take a nice, hot shower and just relax. Let the stress roll off your shoulders as you soak in the hot water and steam.
Change in Diet – This may sound weird, but sometimes sticking too strictly to a routine can lead to burnout. Something as simple as either changing when you eat or what you eat can boost your mood.
Do Something Fun – I feel like this one is self-explanatory. If you’re feeling burnt out, you probably haven’t been doing much of anything that you actually find fun. So find a moment to take a break and do something fun!
Unplug From Social Media – This one is really important. I know we’re all attached to our phones most of the time, but you need to take a break every once and while and do something offline. And not just for 5 minutes either, it has to be for an extended period of time to let your brain recharge.
Stretching – Personally, I don’t like to exercise, so I find something as simple as stretching a nice alternative that still gets the job done. It’s super easy to add a quick stretching routine into your morning or evening.
Catch Up on Sleep – Sleep is super important! If you’re feeling burnt out, take some time to squeeze in some naps or go to bed early a couple nights out of the week. Personally, I love sleeping in on Saturdays.
Separate Yourself From Negativity – I understand this one all too well. When you feel burnt out, you need to take a step back and evaluate the environment around you. If there is a source of negativity in your life, you have to remove yourself from that if you can. Even if it’s only for a short amount of time.
Meditate – Now, don’t write this one off so fast. Meditation can actually be super useful in managing stress. There are a lot of meditation apps out there that can help you guide your sessions as well as track them! Just like stretching, meditation only has to take up to 5 minutes of your morning or evening.
CONCLUSION
There you have it! I hope this information helps you as you navigate this semester. Our lives as college students are hard, so it’s important to take care of ourselves as we navigate these stressful times. You got this!