Managing Burnout: Perspectives from the Field.
In the weeds? You may be experiencing stress and burnout right now. The semester is moving towards its climax with tests and assignments piling up, social lives are being orchestrated around pandemic restrictions, and general anxiety about the state of the world is the norm. So, what can you do to manage this stress and limit burnout? The following article is a list of suggestions from students and education professionals. These center on specific actions for self-care, time-management, and managing expectations. Read through and see what speaks to you. Pick just one thing to do today to help manage burnout. Add your own tip as a comment on this article!
An introduction to Burnout:
The current context: Given what we know about the research on burnout, from Christina Maslach among others, we can predict the conditions under which students are likely to experience the physical depletion, decreased effectiveness, and cynicism which characterize it. Several key sources of burnout are converging during the pandemic. Uncertainty and a general lack of control combined with a reduced sense of community and positive social connections exacerbated by a feeling that this situation is unfair/undeserved can lead to demoralization and sap energy and motivation. The resultant decreased engagement in our activities means we get less out of them: we don’t learn as much, we don’t perform as well, and thus we derive less personal satisfaction. Because a sense of accomplishment, anticipated rewards, and enjoyment provides the ‘fuel’ for our future efforts, not experiencing them can perpetuate a cycle that deepens burnout. — Nic Voge, Princeton University
A Student Perspective: Burnout is usually here before I know it. When thinking takes more energy and laying my fingers on the keyboard takes a few more long, deep breaths, I know it is THAT time of the semester again.
I observe that when my friends talk about burnout, they frequently bring up another keyword — stress. We have come to agree that if someone is put under excessive stress consistently, they will be burnt out eventually. But I wish the matter-of-fact description would include a follow-up clause that elaborates on the “now what” part of the matter. When burnout is portrayed as the result of overexposure to stress, one’s natural response is to reduce sources of stress or withdraw from the stressful situation. As the semester progresses, however, it is more likely that students find themselves surrounded by more potential “stress factors” as various deadlines approach, so we are now back to square one. It is also important to remember that it is natural and okay to feel burnt out. After all, even the sharpest tool gets blunt after creating many excellent crafts! A good polish with the right sharpening stone will bring the shine back. -Edelyn H. Lau**
Tips to manage burn-out:
“Though students have little control over external circumstances, they do have a say in how they respond to the challenges. I find it helpful to reconceptualize any burnout-like sensation as a biological recess bell that reminds me to figuratively or literally refresh myself in order to be up to the challenge. For me, a recess would consist of positive self-talk (“You got this!”) in the morning, soothing coffee shop music when I read, more water breaks throughout the day, and regular conversations with supportive people for a healthy dose of social interaction. The key is to direct more attention to actions within my control.” -Edelyn H. Lau**
“At first, classes are super exciting. I enjoy discussing the new material and sharing my novel insights with classmates and professors. After two months or so, there is much more work, and responsibilities pile up quickly. Classes suddenly seem repetitive; I get easily tempted to skip and procrastinate. My way of dealing with burnout is to get outside and spend time biking in nature at least once a day. Fresh air, some sunlight, and looking at hustling people give me the energy to continue working when I get back home.” -Patrycja Wierzchalek*
“If you, like me, feel that you’re always busy and working, and yet your obligations keep piling up, then you know how stressful that is and how hard it is to break the vicious cycle. Something I found works for me is taking some time to stop, step back, and plan. I write down all the things I have to do, highlight the most important ones, how much I estimate I will spend to complete each task, and the deadlines (or when I’d like to get it done if it is a personal goal). After this, I add all of it to my planner (usually Google Calendar). From this point on, I just have to focus on the task ahead of me, as I have a clear plan ahead of me to tackle my obligations. Essential tip: don’t forget to include in your to-do list (with high priority!) some time to rest, interact with friends and family, and practice self-care (however this looks like to you), otherwise you won’t have the energy to follow through with your plan! Lastly, remember you are not alone, and it is okay not to feel 100% all the time. Take it slow, clear your head, and create a plan. I am sure you can make it!” -Camila Loureiro Netto*
“Short (10–30min), regular (every few hours) breaks to do something requiring less focus than schoolwork is important for me. They can take the form of something like reading a book, taking a walk, or exercising, and they often help to minimize the sense of continuous, non-stop work that can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and burned out.” -Stephen Polcyn**
“Growing up in a smaller town where the open fields and forests were never more than 10 minutes’ walk away, parks and bodies of water are my place to breathe in a large city that can be a bit too much at times. If you can find one without too much noise, sit for a while and listen to the leaves in the wind, or if not, put on some relaxing music at a quiet volume. Another way for me to get out of the Minerva bubble is making movie-nights with friends from back home. Talk a bit about life, complain about stuff with each other, laugh at stupid stuff, and forget about them (even if you won’t admit it) high expectations that you are likely putting on yourself.” -Frederik Hardervig*
“To me, the problem usually is that there are so many things to do I can’t do any of them. It’s hard to concentrate on only one thing, and every decision to prioritize sounds like a bad one. The answer in situations like this tends to come down to organization and decision. Organizing, writing things down, and creating habits allow me to abstract some of this complexity, so I don’t have to keep everything in my mind. It also reduces the number of decisions I have to make and creates “safe spaces” to work because I can trust things will eventually get done.” -Thiago Silva*
“I think about preventing burnout quite a bit — a necessity when debilitating headaches typically accompany my burnout. The mid-to-late semester crunch makes it difficult, especially when taking a day off makes me farther behind and more likely to burn out later. Even so, preventing burnout is still my top priority. Here is my general strategy:
1. I spend 30–45 minutes exercising and at least 30 minutes relaxing daily, which, for me, is usually a mid-day dance session followed by a bath. These two activities act as a physical reset. Everyone’s resets are different. You have to find out what works for you, but once you know them, prioritize them!
2. I set myself up for success on assignments by spending about an hour after an assignment is released to understand it, estimate the workload, set up any documents needed to complete it, and schedule out work sessions and interim-deadlines. I try to finish assignments two days before they are due. Spacing out assignment work helps prevent the burnout-causing cram sessions.
3. I treat burnout like the flu. If I wouldn’t do something if I had the flu, I won’t do it when I’m feeling completely burnt out. I know that if I try to push through, the burnout will last much longer than if I listen to my body and rest.” -Hailey Rene Hinson*
“I usually find myself stuck in a vicious circle: the more work I think I have to do (perfectly), the more stressed out I am. The more stressed out I am, the less work I actually accomplish, which leads to more stress. I still have burn-outs regularly, and that’s okay. Two things that have helped me a lot are: 1, Choose to prioritize either quantity or quality — if you want to do everything at once, lower the expectations for the quality of your work or pick and focus on the assignments or work that is more important; 2, This is a time when self-care is needed the most, dedicate time in a day to active self-care, do what helps you relax and recharge, eat healthily and sleep enough hours. This period will pass, you will come out as a more grown person, and done is better than perfect.” -Trang Nguyen*
“If the sudden onslaught of assignments wants to hit me with stress, I’ll hit back harder with mindfulness. No matter what’s going on in your life right now, I recommend waking up 20 minutes earlier than usual tomorrow and doing a guided meditation. When we get stressed, all our good habits go out the window and we lose perspective on what really matters. For me, meditation is the clarity I need to reevaluate my schedule, check-in with my mental health, and remind myself that there’s more to life than assignments, even if it doesn’t always feel like it. Get mindful. Maybe tidy your space (I think we all know that the mid-semester bedroom situation is never the cleanest!) and approach your work with fresh energy. Instead of reactively waiting for burnout, be proactive, and check-in with yourself now. Investing in your health and mental health is always productive.” -Jade Bowler*
Next Steps:
If you made it this far, take a moment to reflect on what you’ve read in the context of your own experience. What is one thing you can do today to mitigate burnout and reduce stress? When you are out of the weeds, come back to this topic, and perhaps this article, and make a plan that considers stress management as an essential study habit. Finally, leave a comment if you have a tip for managing burnout that could help someone else!
Contributing students from: *Minerva Schools at KGI and **Princeton University
