Coping with burnout is one of the trials of life that a startling number must experience while accomplishing their goals. In itself, burnout is a sign in people who push themselves past their limits due to a belief that just because they put something on their to-do list that they will be able to get it all done. It's a sign of being human, and with finals week right around the corner, here are 13 ways to get anyone back at the top of their game.
1. Accept That You Will Feel It
First and foremost, understand that burnout is a sign that you're aware of your situation and of all of the tasks that need to get accomplished. It's a sign that you care, and a sign that you need to take active measures to get out of it!
2. Identify the Signs
Constant fatigue, anxiety, insomnia, even chest pain and body aches can be signs of burnout. Also, a heightened sense of cynicism, feeling like nothing is going to get done no matter how hard you try, are all signs of severe burnout.
3. Find What Motivates You
Anything that gets you out of bed can be all you need to see you through the day. If it's keeping a live stream of a Greek Island up in a tab beside you or knowing you'll have a weekend free, use it for all it's worth.
4. Set a Routine
Work best at night? Do it at night. Work best in the afternoon? Do it in the afternoon. Set time aside when you know you'll work and you know to expect to work. Much like going to bed at the same time every night will help you sleep better.
5. Eat Well
Nothing is going to work out in your favor or be at its highest quality of work if you're eating Doritos and chugging Monster for three days.
6. Work Out
Additionally, you want to stay active rather than at a desk or on a computer all day. Finals week in Spring usually means the weather is getting warmer, so dare to take a fifteen minute walk outside if nothing else. Otherwise, hit up a treadmill and try to sweat out some stress.
7. Plan Plan Plan
Half of your stress may melt away once you have a plan of action to follow. Get a fat white board and write out all of the assignments with their due dates right beside them and discern what needs to be finished first.
8. Pay Attention to What Your Body Needs
It needs to be spelled out as clearly as possible: your body will let you know when it has hit its limits by causing you pains and aches. Don't "push past" these cases because they aren't another obstacle in your way, it's your own body telling you to change something.
9. Sleep Occasionally
Take it easy and get at least six hours of sleep a night, or every once in a while. I don't need to go into all of the health issues, but they all correlate with lack of sleep plus stress yielding a deadly cocktail of sadness for your body.
10. Connect With Your Friends
Don't isolate yourself if your friends are a door down the hall, or your family a phone call away. Having other people with you for even a small part of the day can show us how we're all struggling together.
11. Work in Short Bursts
You don't have to expect to get all your work done in a four hour time block. Take fifteen minutes off your phone to write your paper or log into your assignment, and just "happen" to stick around for longer when you make progress.
12. Do Manageable Work First
What may help motivate you is doing the easiest stuff right away, this can help build your confidence and feel like you're getting a lot done. Before you go to bed, recap what you got done and what's still left.
13. Keep Doing What You Love
Especially if that includes watching The Office to burn off what remains of your stress. Life doesn't have to stop just because it gets difficult.
