As we approach the end of the year, our minds and hearts have transitioned into the summer, but our feet seem to be stuck within the school grounds and exam rooms. After a long year of studying, aspiring to get good grades, and asking questions, some of you might be tired of it all. Perhaps, tired of trying and failing, tired of that one teacher that does not support you academically and leaves the weight of learning all on your shoulders, or perhaps you just need to breathe. It is easier said than done to just “take a break”, and I know the path you are on may seem arduous. Academic burnout is the feeling of endless academic weight that you can not withstand , while generally losing interest in continuing studies. It also comes in the form of lacking enthusiasm about school, a decline in grades (despite your usual success). There is always something you can do to refuel your studying muscles and get back on your feet, regardless of how hard it may be. In this article, there is a plethora of advice on how to deal with academic burnout, so here are a few things you can do.
1. Acknowledge That You Are Experiencing It
A lot of the time, it is easy to blame yourself for the decline in your grades or loss of interest in doing work, but the first step towards addressing your struggle is acknowledging it. This is when you can actually begin to look for solutions to what you are dealing with.
2. Prioritize Physical Activity
For a lot of high schoolers, especially in older grades, the safe haven from stress about exams or school is their phones. Social media may provide you with temporary relief and make your problems disappear, but in the long run, they drain you emotionally by giving you an illusion of relaxation. You need to get outside. For those of you that are always at home studying, this will not help with your academic burnout. Physical activity comes in conjunction with your studies because you need balance in your schedule. By taking time away from your studies y and going outside, you are giving yourself room to express your emotions; by taking time to prioritize physical activity, whether that be running or playing soccer, you can benefit greatly.
3. Make a Checklist
Nothing is worse than having academic burnout. By creating a checklist of the work you have to do and crossing off tasks as you go (using Momentum Google extension can be a start), you’re able to take a step towards allowing yourself to have a break; what better way to celebrate the fulfillment of having gotten your work done than to treat yourself with your favorite things to do as you take a break.
4. Formulate a Success List
Academic burnout leads to losing track of your abilities and having a negative outlook on everything you do. As your grades start to decline, you may feel helpless and start to look only at the failures you have experienced. By creating a list of things you have been successful at doing, you can give yourself hope to get back on your feet–because you can, in fact, do it. If the decline in grades you have been noticing is not a usual thing, it’s because it’s not. You are not to blame for what you are going through, and it is only a matter of time before this too, passes.
5. Don’t Push Yourself
If there is a certain assignment that you have to do, but you are tired and sleepy, DO NOT force yourself to do it! This will detract from the quality of your work, and it will also drain you more if you do not allow yourself to have some sort of flexibility. Even if the reason for this is procrastination, understand why you have been procrastinating. You are not dealing with a basic problem, but rather an important mental health-related one. Your procrastination is due to your fatigue and loss of enthusiasm, so treat yourself before you continue your work. If needed, ask for an extension and hopefully, your teacher will understand.
6. Face the Source of Your Stress
Whether this is a specific teacher, subject, or test, coming to terms with it and facing it as means of properly addressing it can be nerve racking. This may instigate further procrastination: “I’ll talk to my teacher later, I’ll study later, I’ll figure it out later, etc.” Whether you like it or not, procrastination leads to the accumulation of stress, and also prevents you from finding a viable solution to your struggles. In a month or two when you look back, think about how you would rather be proud of your bravery and drive instead of disappointment and unmotivation. If there is a teacher that is stressing you out, nicely tell them about what you are going through. Ask them for advice and show them that their class is of value to you; they want to help you to succeed because it is also important for them to have trained successful students. If you are struggling with a particular test or subject, go back to the content, identify your weaknesses, and go to your teacher for extra help and practice. Ultimately, you are the only person that can help you, so you have to get into the mess of trying, falling, and getting back up on your feet.
7. Talk to Someone About it
Don’t, and I stress, don’t put all the weight of dealing with your burnout all on your shoulders. Teachers and counselors are there for you and all you need to do is take a step towards speaking with them. If you truly believe that you have lost the ability to bounce back from an academic challenge, it is recommended that you talk to a professional, such as a psychologist.
But the big question still remains, “Do any of the above actually work in the long run?” Or perhaps, “Is there ever a way out of this swamp?” To be frank, the feeling that your teachers are test robots who never acknowledge your mental health may persist. My optimistic mindset would tell you that you have to wait for life to play out. However, my usual pessimistic mindset would say that although the struggle may end, it will leave its mark on you. Perhaps the one thing you can do is keep in mind the old saying that “nothing lasts forever.”
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