I know you feel like you’re drowning in work right now, more so than usual. It’s overwhelming and exhausting, and you can feel yourself losing steam by the minute. The finish line before summer is in sight, but somehow, the thought of swimming those final meters is unthinkable, impossible.
It sounds dramatic, but it’s really not. You haven’t stopped giving your all for months. It’s natural to feel burnt out this time of year. The problem is you can’t quit yet. There’s one more month plus some finals between you and summer break. You have to face the music before you can hit the beach. Here’s how I get through it. Hopefully, it helps you, too.
Sometimes, done >>> Perfect
Hey, fellow perfectionist; I bet that hurts to see, but it’s true. One of my professors reminded me of this just last week. Occasionally, it’s better to simply finish something rather than kill yourself attempting to make it perfect. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is just turn the thing in and move on. Even if it’s not your most amazing piece of work, the freedom to move on and prioritize other assignments will benefit you more in the long run. Sacrifice what can be safely butchered in favor of more pressing things. It helps you get through, and frankly, you at half-capacity is still probably more impressive than some people at 100%.
Don’t lose your physical health
I often find that when I feel pressed for time, the first thing to go is prioritizing my physical health. I lose sleep, skip the gym, and find myself holed up inside more than I’d prefer. The kicker is that these habits help regulate my mood and productivity, and without them, I end up more stressed and irritable than before. Do your best to keep up your physical fitness (whatever that looks like for you), even during this busy time period. I promise it will only boost your productivity and motivation. At the very least, it can provide a study break that’s not just rotting on your phone.
Beware the rot
I’m so beyond guilty of this. My screen time is unmentionable. I get bored or tired and the first thing I reach for to give my mind a break is my phone. Suddenly, minutes or hours have passed and I’m lethargic, sluggish, and have no desire to return to whatever project I set aside before I started rotting. It’s such a challenging habit to break, but try to be as intentional as possible about it. Pick up a book instead. Throw a movie or music on as a form of distraction in place of social media. Go for a walk, talk to your roommate, or get in your car and drive to buy a sweet treat. ANYTHING. I’m not saying to never indulge in mindless scrolling, but the more you can cut it off the better.
Find the little joys
Amidst all the chaos of this last month and a half, be mindful of the pockets of happiness you find yourself in. These moments can include sharing a laugh with your roommate over breakfast, completing your sorority formal photoshoot, eating waffles for dinner with your friend, getting your nails done, and relaxing in the commons while watching the sunset. You’ll have just as many mini moments of joy in between your fluctuating workload. By shifting your perspective and soaking in the positive, you can better balance your day-to-day.
Remember, it always works out
I’ve written iterations of this sentiment before, but it’s often helpful to remind myself that I’ve been in this situation before and emerged on the other side alive and well, if not triumphant. Even if this is your first spring final season of college, I’m sure you can recall a time in your life when you couldn’t imagine seeing the light at the end of the tunnel but ended up alright when all was said and done. You can do this. You’ve done harder things, and you’ll go on to face bigger hurdles, too. This is just one uphill stretch in the marathon of college. Like any course, things will flatten out, and you may even be rewarded with a downhill to boost your momentum.
Best of luck as you slowly chip away at your final pile of work for the semester! I believe in you!
HCXO,
Colleen