Bellarmine Students Battle Academic Burnout
By: Avery Kleier
(Photo taken by Avery Kleier)
For senior Brooke Meyer, college isn’t just a matter of attending class.
“As a full-time student working on my undergrad of my masters, I’m also working a full-time job, so it is very challenging to have a balance of my personal life, work life, and student life. Therefore, it is very easy for me to experience burnout, especially when it comes to deadlines hitting, and other personal events happening in my life,” Meyer said.
Being stressed and overwhelmed is common and normal in college, but when things start to get overwhelming, burnout is quick to come.
What is student burnout?
Unlike regular tiredness from a long day at work and school, burnout is a chronic state that does not go away with a good night's sleep. Instead it builds up over time as a student deals with unmanaged stress and pressure at once.
Sophomore Kaitlyn Tsueda's experience with burnout has an impact on her everyday life. “Feeling burnout leaks into my personal life by making me procrastinate more, especially the little things, and makes me less motivated,” Tsueda said.
According to the APA Dictionary of Psychology, burnout can be defined as, “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes toward oneself and others. It results from performing at a high level until stress and tension, especially from extreme and prolonged physical or mental exertion or an overburdening workload, take their toll.”
According to Dr. Alicia Fortier, associate director of the Swope Counseling Center, said: “Burnout looks different to a lot of different people. It tends to be something where we get really overwhelmed and it can be hard to manage things, and so it feels like even the smallest tasks can be a huge mountain to climb.”
When left unmanaged, burnout can affect students’ bodies, feelings and actions. Fortier said some common signs of burnout include struggling to do daily tasks, getting out of bed, or being unable to respond to emails/ texts.
“Others include getting their work done, making it to class, struggling to shower or get a healthy meal in,” Fortier said.
Other common signs of burnout according to Mental Health America:
Constant fatigue
Frequent headaches
Struggling to focus
Loss of motivation
Increase Irritability
Detachment from school life
Dreading commitments that you once enjoyed
Dealing with Burnout
The good news is student burnout can often be prevented, but taking burnout seriously is crucial and can’t be ignored. The American Psychiatric Association website said, “While there are certainly systemic factors beyond our control, much of what contributes to burnout lies within our ability to influence, even if it's just changing how we perceive our circumstances or respond to them.”
If a student starts to feel burned out it is important to take immediate action to recover your balance. This may mean professional help.
Students can use resources on campus and talk to an adviser, or a counselor on campus. The Counseling Center Services is located in Centro, Treece Hall Suite 225, and offers free short-term mental health services to any current enrolled Bellarmine student.
“We will work with the client first to understand the situation and what is going on, and then figure out a treatment plan. We [The Swope Counseling Center] offer a treatment model here, so we identify some goals, and try to achieve those working in collaboration with the student,” Fortier said.
Second-year criminal justice major Alicia Estrada used campus wellness resources during her first year to manage her burnout. “They helped me a lot with time management and stress management. They helped me create a sort of timeline where I could explain what time slots I could use for wind down as well as school work to keep me focused,” Estrada said.
How to Prevent Student Burnout:
Preventing burnout doesn’t necessarily mean working harder; instead, it has more to do with working more efficiently and intentionally.
Say “No”
Although juggling various obligations may seem like the route to success, spreading yourself too thin is not the way to do it. Students need to learn that it is okay to say “no” to certain things when you know you already have a ton of other commitments to do.
Manage Time
Students who stay organized and on top of their assignments are less likely to experience burnout. Having a calendar, a to-do list, or even a planner keeping track of all of your responsibilities is a great way to stay organized.
Prioritize Health/Self-Care
It’s important to maintain your health, as basic as it sounds. Eating healthy foods, getting exercise, and getting a good night sleep, are all essentials to staying healthy and preventing future burnout.
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