Academic burnout is an exhaustion in the daily activities related to study, and it can have severe consequences for your health. It is not something temporary but a long-term and continuous wear and tear. This disorder affects the physical, mental, and emotional parts of the individual. Academic burnout syndrome is associated with how people are emotionally prepared for the activities developed in the educational environment, how they learn to deal with stress, and the number of activities or responsibilities they oversee.

Why does it happen?

Students usually feel tremendous pressure to be the “good student” who excels in all activities and performance. The stress can be so great that some students load themselves with more than they can handle, leading to anxiety, guilt, and emotional burdens. This feeling can worsen when studying remotely since being at home can lead to more distractions or less productivity. This idea of “being able to do everything alone” and “at the same time” results in long-term wear and tear, as more and more of that personal and free space is avoided.

The most common symptoms of this type of burnout are:

• Feeling continuous exhaustion
• Increased tension in the body (can lead to headaches, muscle, or jaw pain)
• Feeling of isolation
• Lack of motivation regarding academic activities
• Stress-related illnesses
• Not wanting to participate in anything related to studies
• Anxiety or depression
• Lack of creativity and desire to carry out projects
• Feeling irritable and attacking others
• Loss of confidence in academic skills
• Feeling bored or discouraged in activities that you used to enjoy.
• Failure to meet deadlines
• Inability to concentrate in classes

Avoiding overwork

There is not a recommended number of activities that you can do before overworking yourself. It is necessary to understand on a personal level what the student is comfortable with and to improve communication channels with family, friends, and teachers who can help.

It is also essential to realize that being involved in more activities does not directly impact the quality of the student’s work. Participating in many courses does not assure doing well in all of them, nor having a more positive perception of myself.

Remember that, even digitally, an academic program involves attending classes, doing homework, having study sessions, designing presentations, researching in the library, reading guides or recommended materials, and taking exams.

Being a student already involves many activities, so you can complement your free time with sports or cultural activities to relieve academic and emotional burdens.

Prevention and “cure”

It is fundamental to pay attention to the signs that appear along the student journey, as some may be wake-up calls from their body or mind due to progressive exhaustion. Some good practices students can do to avoid burnout are:

Learning to say “No”

Students may be constantly encouraged by their peers, teachers, and other institutions to join new groups, do new activities, and even sign up for new courses or workshops. When feeling like you have enough activities and no time to do more, it’s okay to say, “I can’t do it.”

It is understandable that it feels embarrassing because nobody wants to look bad and disappoint others but learning to say “no” is a matter of educating yourself about your priorities and what things are optional. This way, you can also manage your time better. It is also likely that your answer will be: “not now, but maybe later”.

Sleep well

Rest is necessary to regain the strength you need to face each new day. Usually, we mix our resting and studying schedules and spaces when studying from home. Therefore, it is crucial to establish routines and rules that respect your body and mental health.

Check if it is possible to organize your time, improve your weekly schedule and if there is no other option, try not to stay awake so often. Do not make this a continuous practice that can affect your mind and concentration.

Be moderate, know your limits

Moderation when it comes to activities means understanding how much you can do and still enjoy it. We often accept projects that we are not passionate about to feel productive and leave aside the feeling of wasting time. However, we should value resting time and see it as an investment in our relationship with ourselves.

When you feel that you are no longer enjoying an activity or need to reduce the amount of work, it is good to analyze your options and put them on a scale. This will help you improve your ability to prioritize your activities, evaluate your responsibility, and offer positive solutions to all parties.

Find room for everything

Academic and extracurricular activities, social and family life, work, partner, and friends are all parts of your life to which you should dedicate some space and time.

Depending on the situation, it may take some figuring out to find the balance between what you can give to each part of your life without feeling exhausted. Always try to maintain good communication so that each person understands you won’t always be available. You must save space for yourself, rest, play, be distracted, and relax between activities.

When you require support, remember that you can attend an online psychology service. There is absolutely nothing wrong with talking to a mental health expert. On the contrary, it can help you solve many of the problems you are going through that make you feel misunderstood.