What does your day look like? Does it feel like once you’re out of bed you’re just waiting to get back in it? Are you feeling stressed, cranky, or tired more than anything else?

These feelings could be the result of burnout - a mental, physical, and emotional collapse due to stress.

Burnout is incredibly common amongst college students. Think about it, our lives are packed. We have classes, work, internships, volunteering, studying...plus eating, working out, having a social life...and then sleep (hopefully). When was the last time you had time?

Don’t worry, you’re not alone. More and more college students are packing their schedules and facing consequences from it. When we don’t take time for ourselves, we suffer. Our grades, our social lives, our mental and physical health all take hits when we cram so much into 24 hours.

I know it feels like the only way to get your tasks done is to cram your day. I used to think that I thrived under stress. Turns out, I was dying under stress. In my first two semesters of college I destroyed my mental health by packing my schedule as tight as I could.

I would go to class, work, then go out with friends. I would stay up all night doing homework and was getting maybe three or four hours of sleep on any given night. And I was exhausted. I wasn’t making time for myself and it was hurting me. My anxiety and depression rose, I gained weight, and I was just feeling awful all of the time.

Once I realized that overbooking myself was destroying me, I knew that I had to make a change. But no one tells you how to make that change, so I felt lost and alone on a path to a destination that I didn’t know.

So I started where a lot of people do: a journal. I found journaling to be extremely cathartic. I started identifying my emotions and where they were coming from, I kept track of tips and tricks from different articles about stress, and I would just use it as a release after a bad day. Slowly, I started feeling stronger. I realized that my time management skills were the root of my stress and created a goal to strengthen these skills to strengthen myself.

I mapped out a schedule and filled in what was concrete - work schedules, class schedules, events - and took stock of the rest. I found that I had much more time than it felt like, I just wasn’t using it for anything real. I was napping two or three times a day, watching Netflix for hours, going on Walmart runs late at night with my friends, then staying up even later to do my homework.

I realized that if I just changed one habit, my whole day would change. If I stopped going out late with friends, I could use that time to do homework. If I wasn’t up late doing homework, I could go to sleep earlier. If I went to sleep earlier, I wouldn’t be so tired and take as many naps during the day. The Netflix thing I’m admittedly still working on, but do you see what I mean?

My schedule these days is no less packed than it was in the past - I’m taking 18 credits this semester, I work as a Resident Advisor and have at least two nights per week of responsibility with that, I work at least four nights a week, and I have many work and school-related meetings during the week. But I don’t feel stressed.

Now, I set aside time for studying and shopping and going out with friends. Most importantly, I set aside time for myself. To turn off my phone, put my books away, and just exist. I draw, I write, I go outside. I try to be present.

Burnout can take control of your life, but you can take that control back. Take a few moments to just breathe. Close your eyes and breathe. When you come back, finish a task. Plan your time out. Make some tea or coffee. Understand that what you're feeling is not your fault. Small steps like these can help bring you out of the cycle of burnout and into a life you can feel good about.

Being in college is stressful, there’s no question about it. But by understanding that stress and identifying where it’s coming from, your life can start to feel much more open. Know that you are never alone in your feelings and that there are so many resources (campus health and counseling centers, mental health resources, friends, family, etc) to help you get back on track to living your best life.