As finals week arrives, a little monster quietly creeps upon you: that sensation called burnout. Being burnt out is characterized by not having the energy or motivation for anything, including work, family and life in general. Burnout is a common name for what we call adrenal fatigue: a state where your body no longer has the resources to help you adapt to your environment. This means decreased energy, a deficient immune system, dysfunctional sex hormones and a host of other health issues.
Taking stressful courses, having to write three papers within two days, working in group projects, working part time jobs, interning and attempting to have a social life, that ugly little monster known as burnout jumps on you. We live in a busy, instant culture where we can accomplish everything on our phones. We expect the line at Starbucks to be quick -- it’s all about rushing and instant. We never take a moment and pause to reflect on our feelings, our physical well-being, what we want to accomplish or appreciating what we have. We are constantly seeking more, hungered for perfection.
Anxiety, stress, and rush feed the sensation of being burned out. We need to take the time to celebrate the little things, like getting an extra credit point on an assignment, or finding good lighting for a selfie; those can elevate your spirits. Also, in this pause, we need to take care of our physical well-being; a poor diet and too much caffeine can affect your system and drain your energy. Not moving enough or moving too much can stress your body out. Exercise, like your diet, should be balanced not extreme.
Another way to combat burnout is sleep. We often take sleep for granted. Most college students statistically get six hours of sleep (if you’re lucky), College students are notorious for the all-nighters, but those all-nighters can take a toll on our health. Physically we're drained and can’t keep our eyes open. Mentally were in a haze or something like an acid trip (and not the fun kind).
So, in lieu of finals happening on campuses all over the United States, with little moments of self-reflection, you can avoid burnout. Just simple things like sleeping, showering, and eating can elevate your overall well-being. Be proud of the little successes. For example, you got one page done on your 10-page paper, kudos to you! The everyday stresses of life shouldn’t drain you to the point of exhaustion; we need to take account of our feelings more. We have to remind ourselves to take of ourselves. Overall mental and physical wellness should be your first priority, not school (sorry, Mom and Dad).
