We all know that feeling, right? It’s the middle of the semester and you just wanna lay in your bed because everything is too much to deal with. All of these midterms, your professors needing assignments done by a certain time, and exams on top of that? It overloads all of us, and we end up feeling a sensation called burnout. Burnout is when you feel as if you have no motivation, and no energy to get yourself up to go through your schedule and daily life activities. There are a few ways that I found to help combat that feeling and keep you on your feet throughout the whole semester so you can end up with the best results and grades as possible.
- Self-Care Days
I could go on and on about this topic. I love having self-care days, I usually do them on Sundays and I make it a point to put myself first at least one day during the week. On these days I do a variety of activities that make me feel like I’m putting myself first again. I always make it a point to take care of my body by doing face masks and hair masks because it makes me feel a little extra special on those days, plus it’s good to know that you’re taking care of your body to prevent aging later on in life. I also like to get all of my schoolwork done before Sunday so I can have the full day to do whatever I have planned for myself. Sometimes Sundays even include taking myself out for lunch or buying myself flowers if I had an extra rough week. One of my favorite things to do on these days is organize and clean my room so I have a clean space for the week that’s ahead of me. I also like to journal in my weekly journal at that time as well.
- Use a Planner
Something that pushes me over the edge a lot of times and causes burnout in my life is not having things organized such as assignments and events. My favorite thing in this world are my planners, I have one up on my wall in my room that shows a monthly overview, and then I have my personal planner from Amazon that shows out a day-by-day spread (it’s the Anecdote planner,)! As soon as I figure out what I’m doing and have my assignments written down in advance, I automatically feel less stressed in the first place because I know what’s ahead of me and I know how to play on my time during the week to be as efficient as possible while taking moments out of each day for myself. It’s important to be able to schedule at least a few minutes to be able to be on your phone, or reading your favorite book, or even watching Netflix just to be able to rewind and give yourself a break. After all, figuring out how to become an adult is a lot of hard work, especially while doing school on top of it, so give yourself some grace!
- Take a Walk/Work Out
It’s proven that working out increases endorphins within your mind. A lot of people have now started to work out on a regular basis to combat stress and prevent burnout. I feel like prevention is key when it comes to burnout, and implementing all of these steps even if it’s just one-by-one will help you in the long run and will promote a more healthy and positive lifestyle. One of my favorite things to do when I’m feeling frustrated, stressed, and overall burnt out is go for a walk outside. The fresh air always seems to help me clear my mind. I usually keep my phone in my pocket and just enjoy nature. Even if you’re on campus you could go take a walk around the lake, but as a commuter I always find places around my hometown for a scenic walk. It’s so easily accessible, and it’s one of the best ways to work out when you might not have a gym around you. Plus, working out is not for all people and some people find comfort in just taking a walk because they still get active, but not necessarily with that high intensity.
You can do it! If there’s a will, there’s a way.
College classes are truly a big deal and a lot of work, so it’s completely understandable if you feel stressed out and burnt out! Hopefully my strategies to combat burnout will help you guys out, because no one deserves to feel like that, especially over things like papers. It’s so productive to take care of yourself, because mental health and preventing stress/ burnout is crucial in maintaining your overall health. Never feel bad for putting yourself first, especially when you feel yourself struggling.