Avoid The College Crash & Burn
Written by Hannah Falcon & Samhita Anapu, Photography by Ally Lain, Design by Madelyn Okruhlik, Media by Alexis Bracht
Homework, internships, part-time jobs, family obligations, social organizations—college students often feel the need to do it all. However, trying to balance many things at once often leads to overexertion or burnout.
The first step to getting over burnout is realizing that you are burnt out. Kanesha Moore, a Counseling and Psychology Services intern at Texas A&M University, states that you’ll see several physical and mental signs when you’re experiencing burnout. Physically, you might experience some breakouts, changes in your sleep patterns, or a difference in your appetite. Mentally, you’ll notice a change in mood. You may start isolating yourself from friends and family or find yourself feeling agitated/irritable. A big sign of burnout, Moore explains, is when you no longer care about your work.
“You’re at work and not getting it done, but you don’t care that you’re not getting it done,” Moore comments. “You’re just completely tired, completely exhausted.”
When you’ve recognized burnout, there are a few steps Moore suggests you take in order to get through the feeling and return back to normal.
“Once you reach a place of burnout, you have to just stop work and engage in some self-care,” explains Moore.
The demand for high and sometimes unachievable levels of productivity leads to unprecedented levels of weariness in college students. Often disguised behind a “girl boss,” “hustle” culture, or “on the grind” rhetoric, many young people find themselves taking on more than they can handle.
You might feel very close to the cause of your burnout, whether it’s school, work, or personal life. Moore suggests taking a step back from whatever is stressing you so that you can see the big picture. If you’re experiencing this sort of fatigue, Moore also recommends taking a day to take care of yourself. Self-care is whatever you define it as; it could be taking a walk, spending time with friends, taking a bath, or binge-watching your favorite show.
“Once you reach a place of burnout, you have to just stop work and engage in some self-care”
Sometimes, if burnout is ignored, it can lead to some more serious problems. If you realize this is what is happening, you may need to seek help from a mental health professional. If ignored, burnout may lead to complete shutdown, panic attacks, or depressive episodes.
“You really want to watch for that, because ignoring burnout and pushing through it can lead to some more complicated or more severe mental health symptoms,” Moore said.
Moore also suggests managing your time wisely. Time management is more than just getting your work done quickly; it’s also making time to do the things you love.
“If you realize that 80% of your day is given to work and school and then the other 20% you’re trying to work out—not for fun—then you’re not leaving enough time for things that make you feel grounded and whole,” Moore notes.
Eu Jin Kim, an allied health major at Texas A&M University, suggested setting aside time to focus on anything but the demands of college. This can alleviate stress and leave you with something to look forward to after a long day. “One way I combat burnout is allocating time before bed to unwind and giving myself 20-30 minutes to watch YouTube, scroll through Instagram, or watch Netflix,” Kim shares.
With the rise of technology, apps for exercising or studying can be downloaded within seconds. The app, Forest, helped Shivani Selladurai, a Texas A&M student pursuing a business degree with an English minor.
Check out the Forest app here
“Taking 18 hours this semester is exhausting,” Selladurai said. “With the Forest app, I can get my work done without being distracted by my phone and I get to plant a few trees along the way. Everyone wins!”
Mobile apps are a great way to reduce burnout because they can help improve your discipline when it comes to studying. Sometimes, it’s not about wanting to do a task but needing to do it for later prosperity. Connecting your tasks to future goals can positively shape your mindset from dread to passion.
With a little time management, it’s possible for college students to do it all. Sneha Manoharan, a Texas A&M student studying biomedical sciences and public health, also co-founded a pre-med organization on campus, interns in a research lab, and works at a nearby children’s center outside of class time. The key to her success, she states, is “...try[ing] to understand how [her] time is actually being spent each day,” Manoharan says.
“If I find myself spending too much time focusing on work, I prioritize exactly what I want done at work so I can focus my extra time elsewhere.”
While every day is different in terms of productivity, it’s important to recognize that one day of not being productive amounts to nothing in the grand scheme of things. In fact, sometimes taking the day off is the most productive thing you can do. Listen to your body and mind; you can always alter your goals as you go.
Given the state of the world today, it can be easy to think that if you’re not working at 1000% every day, your goals are unachievable. However, it’s important to remember that bad days do not define you. As long as you are working at a pace that benefits you, your aspirations, and your mental health, you’re doing more than enough, and you will succeed.