February 9, 2024
Avoiding Burnout
As a college student, experiencing a burnout almost seems inevitable, but I slowly learned they are totally avoidable. Personally, I started to burn out my first semester of my sophomore year of college. This burnout affected all aspects of my life, mentally, physically, and emotionally. So I reached out and asked for help, and I was recommended to do the things I will talk about below. These helped me turn myself around and achieve highest honors for the semester. Don’t let yourself get discouraged if something goes wrong.
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- Adequate sleep: Enough sleep is essential. Without proper sleep, the human body cannot properly function. With your body not functioning properly, it is more likely to lead to mood problems, poor academic performance, and added stress on your already full plate. The average person needs at least 7 hours of sleep for the body to be at peak function, so be one of those people that gets 7 hours of sleep.
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- Scheduling balance: A schedule that works for you without putting a lot of stress on yourself is key. Now being able to balance that schedule with work and life is hard but doable. Work can look like an actual job or school, and life can look like family and social life. Don’t put too many things on your schedule, because this will lead you to stretching yourself thin and not having the balance. Your time is for you! So when making your schedule, make sure you’re thinking about yourself first, and thinking about your time and energy levels daily. You are not letting anyone down by putting yourself first; if you do this, it’ll be very rewarding in the long run. A good way to start this would be to get a planner or have a print or digital calendar. This way, everything that is on your schedule is in the same place, which makes things less stressful and confusing.
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- Regular exercise: Exercising regularly releases endorphins. and endorphins help with reliving pain, reducing stress, and helping to improve your sense of well-being overall. When you feel good, you perform well; when you perform well, you feel like you’re on top of the world with whatever the day throws your way. An easy exercise that you could do is simply just taking a walk! It does not have to be a long walk, just something to get you up and moving.
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- Good nutrition: Eating properly is closely aligned with getting decent sleep. This will provide you with the energy you need to function throughout the day. A balanced diet also gives you the nutrients you need for growth, repair, and staying healthy. If your body is happy and healthy, it benefits you in all aspects of your day. This one may seem a bit hard, but just a simple added veggie to one of your meals or as a snack is a step in the right direction!
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- A support network: Having a support network can look different for everyone. Any important/trustworthy person in your life is your support system. I know its hard to reach out and ask for help, but trust me when I say it is worth it. A support system is there for YOU! They are there to help you when you fall; they won’t let you stay down. They’re your encouragement when you don’t want to keep pushing. Mainly, they have your best interest at heart, so don’t be afraid to use your support system.
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- Stress busters: Stress management is one of the most important things that helps prevent burnouts. Stress comes from all aspects of your life. Stress has health effects, mood/emotional effects, quality-of-work effects, and so on. Doing any of the things that were listed previously will help with stress also. A big one that I’ve seen trending lately is meditation; it calms your mind and body. If stress isn’t properly managed or even maintained, it will cause a severe burnout. Besides meditation, stress management could even be something like just taking a break from whatever is causing you stress. For instance, taking a walk, taking a nap, or just doing an activity you love to take your mind off things.
Everything discussed here prevents burnouts in different ways. Burnouts tend to come when one is very stressed and feeling like the negative weight of the world is on your shoulders. Burnouts do tend to cause people to make rash decisions that could potentially be career-ending, but these are completely avoidable. Essentially, you need to do what is best for you and only you, not worry about what other people think or want you to do. Life is tough, and some things make it tougher, but if you practice the methods above, things can be less difficult. If you do happen to start burning out, do not give up. It’s going to be hard to push through it, but you will thank yourself in the long run if you do. Just know that you are never alone.
5 Products for Self-Care
What are some products good to use for self-care? Below are some options to try.
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- Essential oils: Essential oils are awesome, and they can be used for many things. There are many different kinds available for things like boosting energy, relaxation, dry skin, sensitive skin, and more. Try lavender oil to relax and citrus oils to spark energy. [Editor’s note: Look for 100% natural essential oils to avoid chemicals. And consult a reputable source like AromaWeb for safety information before using any oil. Some are contraindicated for pregnant women and pets, for example.]
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- Holy Basil Tea: You’ve probably heard that green tea is good for you, but you may not know that Holy Basil tea also has health perks. Some benefits from drinking Holy Basil tea include reducing oxidative stress, supporting liver health, protecting against skin aging, reducing high blood sugar, supporting cardiovascular health, boosting mental health, reducing inflammation and swelling, and combatting infection. Read more at MedicalNewsToday.
- Comfy slippers: Nothing says self care like a pair of really comfy slippers. Slippers like Uggs are very comfy and very popular.
- Dry Brush: Dry brushing has several benefits for your skin and overall health. It’s especially great for those with dry skin. This is how Dry Brushing works: It exfoliates the skin via physical exfoliation, just like body scrub products do. The bristles of the brush manually sweep away dull, rough, flaky skin cells. After a dry-brushing session, your skin will feel softer and smoother, and the brisk brushing stimulates circulation. To learn more, see this article.[Photo: Dry brushing with the Cactus Long-Handled Brush from The Body Shop. Image courtesy of The Body Shop.]
- “Stress Less” Cards: This deck of cards is filled with useful exercises to help you de–stress and reduce anxiety.
