Stress over an exam or important assignment is normal, but what happens when it gets to be too much? Or the stress you’re facing is constant and overwhelming? Prolonged and excessive feelings of stress, anxiety and exhaustion can often lead to burnout if not managed properly. Burnout is defined as a state of being physically, mentally, and emotionally drained and symptoms can range from mild to severe. There are three main symptoms associated with burnout which include : ● Energy depletion or exhaustion (mentally, emotionally and physically) ● Increased mental distance, negative thoughts or cynicism related towards your job or school ● Lack of motivation and reduced efficacy when completing tasks Pushing yourself too hard, not making time for self care, and not managing stress levels can all contribute and push you towards burnout. However there are many warning signs before you completely burn out, they signal that you need to slow down and take some time for yourself. Some examples of warning signs include : ● Fatigue, low energy ● Insomnia ● Trouble concentrating ● Higher levels of irritability and frustration ● Little to no motivation, even if you are behind on deadlines ● Negative thoughts or mindset If you are experiencing any of these, that means it's time to take a much needed break to prevent them from worsening. It is important to remember that school / work are not everything, and you should not have to sacrifice your mental well being or health for school. You may feel guilty or increasingly stressed about taking time off but once you are headed for burnout there is not much you can do besides reorganize and rest. For me it was hard to take a break and I was constantly thinking about falling farther behind on assignments. Once I realized that I would rather hand in work that was overdue but well done, rather than rushed, incomplete work on time, I decided to take a break and come back in a better head space. Especially for grade 11 and 12’s this year, there is an overwhelming amount of pressure to get good grades and put school first. You may be compelled to keep pushing yourself and think that you’ll feel better once you get this done, but this mindset can be detrimental to your mental health. If you are feeling burnt out you are not alone, and there are many things that you can do to alleviate your symptoms and get back to normal. Recovering from burnout will not happen in a day, you have to be patient with yourself; self care looks different for everyone but doing things that you enjoy doing can really help you get back to normal. Here’s what I did : :
1. Rest and Relaxation In order to start feeling better it is time to take a break and enjoy some self care. There are many ways to relax such as listening to music, reading a book, or watching your favourite movie. These are all excellent ways to relax and take your mind off of stressors. 2. Reorganize and Prioritize After rest it is important to start organizing your schedule in a way that will allow you to get work done without heading for another burnout. To catch up on missed work, you can write out a list of assignments with due dates to figure out what needs to be done first. Making a to-do list helps me remember what needs to be done and can help me stay on track, especially if you have the tendency to procrastinate like I do. 3. Time Management Time management skills are crucial to avoid overworking yourself and to ensure you are getting things done, while still enjoying free time. If you are a big procrastinator like I am, this will only hurt your chances of being productive during the day while still getting enough sleep at night. Keeping a planner or to-do list can help organize your day so you aren’t constantly stressing about what needs to be done. 4. New Habits To avoid another burnout you may have to change some of your day to day habits and focus on incorporating healthy new ones. For example if you are consistently going to bed late and drinking too much caffeine, it may be time to start regulating your schedule by going to bed at a certain time every night and only drinking coffee in the mornings. Not only can new habits prevent burn out, but they can also re-energize your life and help set you up for success. Abbey S.
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