Feeling Burnt Out

[strawberryshortcake]

It feels like the semester has just started not too long ago, and I have already been feeling burnt out. Sometimes, I feel that I should re-adjust my mindset to feeling more fulfilled with my busy schedule and the many events that are happening around me, but I can’t help but feel burnt out at times and I am afraid that this will affect my grades. What should I do?

[JasonQ]

Hi @strawberryshortcake , thanks for sharing with me how you are feeling. Burnout can affect our mental, physical and emotional state. While stress can motivate or make us feel overwhelmed, burnout is the feeling of lack of motivation, energy, or resources to cope with the pressures. Identifying whether we are feeling stress or burnout is essential.

If you are experiencing stress in life, I will encourage you to take frequent breaks while working on challenging tasks. One good task management technique is the Pomodoro Technique. You can read more about the technique here (1). The Pomodoro Technique helps because it forces us to focus on one task at a time. We often like to engage in multiple tasks when we are studying or working. We could be switching numerous tasks within a short period. However, studies have shown that we become less efficient and more prone to making mistakes when we do multiple tasks simultaneously (2). Therefore the strategy is to focus on one task at a time.

However, if you are experiencing burnout, I will encourage you to engage in these four activities:

1. Connect with other people
2. Evaluate your priorities and Set Boundaries
3. Make time for exercise
4. Eat healthy

These four activities can help us cope with symptoms and regain our energy, focus, and sense of well-being. You can read more about how you can manage the burnout in this article (3).

Lastly, talk to a trusted adult or your school counsellor. Processing with your counsellor can provide you with different perspectives and ways you can cope with the issues better.

1. https://todoist.com/productivity-methods/pomodoro-technique
2. Why Multitasking Doesn’t Work – Cleveland Clinic.
3. Burnout Prevention and Treatment - HelpGuide.org

[Jaws]

Many of us would have faced similar scenarios @strawberryshortcake. You’re not alone.

I talked about the concept of diminishing returns here - perhaps it’s a good way to balance your priorities in life.

How do all of you cope with your academics without sacrificing your social life?

Many good tips given by the community but I’d like to introduce the concept of diminishing value of returns (for studying). At some point in time, you’ll find that an extra hour put into studying will not yield the same results. For eg, your first hour of studying will get you a C grade then your second and third hours of studying will get you a B grade. But to get an A, maybe you need an extra 5 hours of studying. This is where you need to determine which generates most returns and satisfacti…