Experiencing burnout — exhaustion as a result of feeling overworked or stressed, which tends to lead to wanting to give up on school — is very natural and common. Many students experience burnout at least once during their high school career. Although burnout is completely normal and understandable, it can be very harmful to your mental health and can hurt your performance in school. The beginning of the school year can be very overwhelming. The stress that it may provide can seem endless, so finding ways to avoid burnout is crucial to having a successful school year.
One method you can apply to avoid burnout is finding study habits that work best for you. Different methods for studying work better with different topics, so one method that you use with history may not work with science. Similarly, no two people’s brains work in the exact same way, so no one can study, learn, and remember information in the exact same way. Your friend may love one study method, but if you try it, you may find that it is not helpful for you. There are many ways to study. Experimenting with different methods can lead you to find one that is more helpful than any previous ways you have tried before.
A second method to avoid becoming burned out early in the school year is engaging in more student activities. Going to school activities like football games or joining a couple clubs gives you something to look forward to each week. Sometimes a five-day-week filled with school work and tests can be exhausting and draining. Having something fun to be excited about and look forward to in school helps cancel out the stress school can provide. Engaging in school activities also lets you meet new people that you never may have met elsewhere. Through clubs, you are given opportunities to meet students in each grade and have friends all throughout the high school. Clubs and activities also tend to add more fun into school.
Studying and working with friends also helps to relieve school-caused stress and burnout. Studying with friends adds fun to school work, making plain-old studying more enjoyable and less boring. Working with someone also helps keep you on track with your work. While it can be easy to get distracted when working with friends, it can also be helpful as there is someone else to hold you accountable and ensure you complete your work.
You should also find time to prioritize your mental health, relaxation, and rejuvenation. School can be very tiring and draining, so taking time to care for yourself is crucial. Overworking yourself, especially right at the beginning of the school year, will only make reaching the point of burnout more likely. Finding time to relax and rest from school work, and even fun school activities, allows the body and mind to take a break from the stress and anxiety of school.
The final tip to avoid an early burnout is to set and keep goals for yourself. Goals help to focus your attention on what is most important, preventing excessive anxiety or feeling too overwhelmed. If you know exactly what you are reaching for, you do not have to worry about smaller or unimportant details. Setting short-term goals within a long-term goal also makes hard-to-reach goals more realistic and attainable. Short and long term goals are especially important when tracking school work and tests. Being responsible for your work and recognizing due dates helps reduce stress as you will not discover long or difficult assignments only a few hours before they are due.
Using these methods to avoid becoming burned out should not only help you keep a positive mindset throughout the school year, but it should also help you do well in your classes. Keeping a healthy mental state during school is crucial if you want to carry enough motivation to thrive academically. Stay positive and focused as the school year progresses, and challenge yourself to never give in to the burnout that you may feel.
