Dear Margot: Burnout

Dear Margot,

“I used to be a straight-A student, but now I can’t even find the energy to finish my homework. I keep telling myself I’ll do better next week, but the cycle keeps repeating. I feel like I’m disappointing everyone, but I just can’t lock in. Any study tips that actually work??”

Hey, reader! It sounds like you’re experiencing burnout, an affliction caused by excessive stress that affects many students in many ways but mainly by diminishing their motivation and work efficiency. The first step is to avoid negatively labeling yourself as “lazy”, as this is simply your body’s response to poorly managed stress. That being said, however, there are ways that you can maximize your work despite being burnt out:

• Prioritize self-care: Burnout is not something you can simply push past; it has to be dealt with. A good way to do that is to take care of yourself. Eating nutritious meals and getting enough sleep are simple but effective ways to improve your mental well-being and will allow you to better manage your burnout.

• Reframe Studying: Thinking about studying and work as simply studying and work will contribute to the decreased motivation associated with burnout. Reframing the way you think about your obligations, maybe thinking of them as a privilege rather than a duty, may help you find a more positive connotation to those things, which can motivate you to get things done.

• Practice stress management techniques: The primary cause of burnout is poor stress management, so good stress management techniques will help you to recuperate. Meditation, mindfulness, and journaling are some good ways to expel your stress and clear your mind.

While burnout is definitely something that’s hard to deal with, it’s not permanent and these strategies will help make things just a little bit easier.

Hope this helps,

Margot

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