I'm not sure if it's the weather, the time of year or the fact that we are finding ourselves in another finals week, but as of late, my personal experience with burnout has been intense. Between balancing another quarter of online finals and preparing for the next few months post-graduation, I've noticed myself falling off track from the things I normally do. I'm finding less excuses to cook healthy meals, I'm staying up until all hours writing papers and I'm consuming coffee like never before. I genuinely look forward to a spring break so that I will be able to gather myself and prepare for spring quarter, but pushing through the rest of this week will be challenging to say the least. Even though finals are only taking place for a few more days, I am going to do my best to try and implement these steps into my daily routine in hopes of staying focused and listening to what my body needs. If you're experiencing burnout from online classes as well, pay attention to your needs and try the tips below.
Get more sleep.
woman laying on bedPhoto by Vladislav Muslakov on UnsplashThere are times where I find myself struggling to get eight hours of sleep on a regular day, but during finals week, it has seemed nearly impossible. I have been staying up late working, and in turn, I am waking up no earlier than noon. In my opinion, waking up very late makes the whole day feel wasted when you have a lot of responsibilities on your plate. For the next few days, I am going to try and go to sleep early - even if I'm not tired. In order to break the cycle and have a productive day, this is something I need to start putting into practice ASAP.
Take breaks - with or without scheduling them.
pastry beside ceramic mugPhoto by Adeolu Eletu on UnsplashAs a college student, I've found that the term "take a break" is not in my vocabulary. I tend to treat assignments and finals as an all or nothing type of ordeal - that is, waiting until I am completely ready to sit down and complete an entire task without stopping. I typically use the excuse that I work best under pressure, and although it may be true, it is simply not possible to get all of this work done at once. If you're a person that likes to follow a schedule for finals, make sure you take time to schedule a break to avoid worsening the burnout you are experiencing. If you're like me and do not follow a strict schedule, listen to your body - it knows when you need to take a break.
Incorporate normalized eating into your routine.
cooked meat with green vegetable on white ceramic platePhoto by Nathan Dumlao on UnsplashThey say health is wealth, and although I find that to be true, I tend to forget about this when undergoing large amounts of stress. When I'm up late working, I find myself getting really hungry at times that I would usually be asleep. This has led to quite a few nights of Baja Blasts and nachos from Taco Bell lately, and as great as I feel when I'm snacking late at night, I wake up feeling more sluggish then ever. This feeling, in addition to waking up later than usual, makes it even harder to take on the day. With that being said, I am going to make it a priority over the next few days to cook healthier, more fulfilling meals so that I don't feel as compelled to eat junk food later on and disrupt my potential for the next day. In addition, I want to focus more on normalized eating and snacking throughout the day to help avoid these cravings. But, once finals are over, you can be sure to find me celebrating with another Baja Blast.
