Burnout is such a scary word, though seemingly something that will never happen to you. However, burnout is something that a lot of college students face, and it can make your college experience clouded with stress and sluggishness.
Sometimes life gets hard, and we can lose focus of what is really important by being stuck in a cycle of “I have to do this now,” “everybody struggle,” or even “I just have to get past this, and then it might get better…” This might be true sometimes but learning to recognize the signs of being close to burnout can be beneficial as it can help you not get to the point of being constantly stressed out and not enjoying anything about your college experience.
When I was close to finishing my bachelor’s degree, for instance, I was not excited by what I studied anymore and had to force myself to do any work in that field. When my final exams came, I managed to learn for them though I did not care about my performance. I felt stressed because I was supposed to “care” when I truly just wanted to get over with studying. I was burnout but did not know. I just thought that that was how the university experience was supposed to be. After that, I continued to do my master’s with little to no motivation. I moved to a foreign country alone to study when I did not want to, and all I could think about was just needing a break.
On the positive side, I finished my studies and managed to enjoy quite a bit of it! I tried a lot of different strategies that helped me get out of my college burnout, but these are the ones that made the most significant difference to me:
1 – Do something you love
Sometimes, it can feel like the only thing you do is study and work, so keeping in touch with the things you love is extremely important. While you might love your studies, it is not the same as going to the park and enjoying a good book. Just find something that makes you happy and add it to your routine! It might be as simple as having a cup of tea and watching your favorite show, or going to a kickboxing class!
2 – Plan ahead and prioritize
Being a good planner can make all the difference. It makes your life easier and it can drastically reduce stress. You can make a rough plan for the whole week and then make an individual, more detailed plan for each day. Or just make a to-do list with everything that needs to be done that week.
While you plan yourself, learn how to prioritize your tasks and duties to make sure you solve the most important things first, and you will not risk missing anything.
3 – Take a rest without feeling guilty
When planning, take into account that 👏🏻you👏🏻need👏🏻rest👏🏻 too. Resting could be taking a walk, or just doing nothing for a day! Taking a break looks different to everyone and you should not feel guilty about wanting to take one. The truth is, we all need to rest; it makes us physically and mentally healthier, which is vital for our success!
4 – Spend time with people you love and communicate your struggles
Do not close yourself off from your loved ones! Reach out to them, and make that phone call. Talk about anything and everything! Spend quality time with the people you want to have in your life; it makes wonders!
5 – Listen to your body
If you feel like you doing or not doing something, just act upon it! Trust the signs of your body!
Always keep in your mind that, before the brain thinks, the body feels!
While many people also feel the same way, you will get past it! Burnout is not the end of pursuing your dreams, but rather just an opportunity to grow closer to them!
Try out some of these tips and share your own with the DreamanDo community here, on our Instagram, TikTok, or LinkedIn! Do not hesitate to reach out to our team of experts if you need some encouragement or help to pursue your dreams!
Written by Dominika Balounová. Edited by Matheus V. Carvalho