Photo by nikko macaspac on Unsplash
Burn Out
Many students struggle finding healthy outlets to help with burn out. We are all consuming things whether it’s socially, or media related, and as we go about our day we tend to give our energy to things that we should not. I find myself constantly burnt out, but when I break down my day, It can be easier to see what went wrong. I won’t lie to you, I am still working on this daily as I do still have days when I’m am completely drained and cannot talk to anyone.
https://www.pexels.com/search/stress/ (stock images)
Breaking it down
What exactly causes us to “burn out”. Well it’s not just one thing, you may be doing things all throughout the day that pile up. According to Mental Health America some common signs of burnout are, “constant exhaustion no matter how much you rest, or feeling unmotivated and detached.”. The best way to stop the burnout is to just slow down. Accepting it for what it is, stress. Our bodies are not machines we cannot expect ourselves to be at 100% all the time. Focusing our energy on activities that are achievable, not completely putting our all into everything. Our life is not a test we are allowed to make mistakes and we are allowed to be human.
Strategies
Dividing up your time and planning a day out can be a huge help for people who feel they have a lot on their plate. I have found planning out my days for the week is a huge help. When we plan things we can anticipate and not rely on our memory alone to help us. A simple timer or reminder on a calendar. If you are juggling a lot in your day to day life that is changing constantly then making a plan in the morning of what you are going to do is very helpful. You can make a checklist with timestamps to organize and with ai making a schedule is really fast and easy.
Focus
When we focus our energy and time into activities or people we think time is endless. We end up not being able to do everything or talking to everyone we said we wanted to. A lot of the time I try to do a lot in one day. That can be working, going to the grocery store, taking the dog out etc. Without dividing your energy you start to pour from a glass that is already empty. By planning ahead and knowing how much energy and effort I can give to this activity then I’m better off. For instance Im not going to go for a long run in the morning before school because I have work after school. I know I would be tired all day at work and even more tired when I would have been better off if I just saved that run in the morning a did a nice night walk. Trying to get all of these things done so fast leads to burnout really quick. Save that run for the next day or take it easy and go for another walk instead, if your plate is full then stop adding more to it.
Steven Reeves
Student Writer - Spring 2026
I am not the strongest writer. I am interested in making content through forms of art like video or images. I am at the start of getting my digital media and technology degree. I hope to be able to work on some really cool projects or a movie in the future. I spend most of my time at work or at the gym. I have one orange cat, and he’s insane!
