Burnout. 

I’ve touched on burnout occasionally in previous articles, but never written in-depth about the topic. 

I feel like, especially in academic settings, we’ve all heard that word tossed around. But being burnt out isn’t just feeling tired or stressed. It’s a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion that builds up over time, especially after long periods of nonstop stress.

Most times, burn out tends to sneak up on you making it hard to tell what burnout actually looks like, its symptoms, and most importantly, how to manage it. 

Here’s what burnout can look like:

Emotionally: 

• Helplessness 
• Little motivation 
• Constant anxiety

Physically: 

• Fatigue (no matter how much sleep you get) 
• Headaches 
• Frequent illness 

Mentally:   

• Irritability (especially over little things)
• Feeling numb or indifferent to most things
• Not enjoying things you used to like

Having a few of these symptoms does not automatically guarantee you are experiencing burn out. However, having many of these all at once might mean it’s time to pause and reflect. 

If you believe you are experiencing burnout, take a moment to reflect: how long have you been stressed? What are you struggling with? How does your current emotional, physical, and mental state compare to your previous one? 

Speaking from experience, burnout appears when I was juggling too much: school, extracurriculars, friendships, etc. I know I am burnt out when I’ve been stressed for a long period of time and eventually, my emotional, physical, and mental state was significantly worse than ever before. 

There’s no perfect fix, and burnout doesn’t disappear overnight. But here are a few things that help me feel better and get back on track:

• Practice self-care 
  • Taking long walks 
  • Listening to calming music 
  • Reading 
  • Yoga 
  • Exercising and eating healthily 
• Setting boundaries 
  • Learning to say “no” when presented with an opportunity that is too overwhelming for my current schedule 
• Seeking support 
  • Reaching out to friends and family making sure to spend time with them and tell them about what I’m going through 

Burnout is something that everyone goes through at some point in their life. Whether it’s because of school, a job, maintaining a social life, or anything in between, just remember, burn out is your body and mind asking for a break so give yourself that.