The quarter is almost done, but the struggle never ceases. Here’s how you know you are more than just 'done', but burnt out:
1.You can’t think straight and everything takes 10x more effort than it really should
Successfully doing homework is hard when you can’t seem to understand the information on the page after reading the same sentences over and over again. Comprehension skills diminish and you become way more forgetful than you might normally be. Everything takes way longer than it should be to complete and it starts to use up more time than you have.
2. The earlier you can go to bed, the better
Going to bed at 8pm sounds glorious, yes, please and thank you. Many people in college claim they want to sleep all the time, but when you are burnt out, you literally look forward and/or get excited about going to bed, because that is how exhausting everything is right now. Sleeping is charging the battery that is your body, and when you’re battery is depleted, you feel like you need to be plugged in all the time.
3.You never will have enough energy for everything
I miss going to the gym and working out. Some nights I skip hanging out with friends because I just really rather pass the hell out at. Even the small things like finding something to eat or taking a shower are things you have to push yourself to do.
4. Constant exhaustion and moodiness starts affecting your relationships
I don’t even know how to describe this one because it’s different for everyone. Personally, I just shut everyone out or I just become irrational. I’m no fun to be around and what is supposed to be a fun get-together feels more like a chore because I just don’t have the energy for it, even with really really good friends who always make my day.
5. Your health starts to go down the drain
In the pyramid of health (physical, emotional, mental), when one pillar falls, the others become weaker if not fall too. When you’re burnt out, it’s very likely that all three sections of your health will diminish. It’s common to feel sick, have a constant low-fever, have frequent headaches or become more prone to headaches, lower self-esteem, and overall just not feeling like yourself. Life either starts to seem overall grim or you feel like everything you do isn’t real; everything is like a conveyer belt, it just keeps going.
The scariest thing about burning out, is that if you don’t take care of yourself/your burn out, it can spiral down into depression and things become a lot harder to overcome. Please recognize your burn out, and take care of yourself during break. Take care and good luck.
