Hey, everyone! While stress is something we’ve all probably experienced due to studying or school to some extent, when a person is exposed to chronic stress for a long period of time, it can lead to a burnout. As a result, you might be constantly exhausted, frustrated, lose motivation and interest in things you were once passionate about,experience a decrease in performance, and may even experience more serious physical symptoms, among other things. Going through this while still in school makes recovery extremely difficult, so here are a few tips I’ve used to help overcome my own burnout enough so that I could complete high school and be on the mend.
Identify the cause of your stress
This can be easier said than done and can require a great deal of introspection, but taking the time to identify the source of your stress will greatly help you target it in a way to reduce its impact. Start looking at it from a broad sense. Is school the cause, or is it other external factors i.e. at home, relationships, etc.? Try to narrow down this broad stressor to identify what more specifically triggers your stress. It may be one single trigger that has been constant for a significant amount of time, or possibly a constant stream of smaller stresses culminating into one.
Tell someone
Once you know what exactly it is that has caused your stress and led to a burnout, it’s important that you establish a network of support to lean on. The simple act of talking about what is stressing you can help immensely. Plucking up the courage to talk to someone can be very difficult but definitely pays off in the long run. Whether it be a friend, a family member, or whoever you’re most comfortable talking to, they can offer you strategies to cope, a person to vent to, and more.
Talk to your teachers
When you’re burnt out it can be extremely difficult to wade your way through your commitments and obligations and make any progress. If you talk to your teacher about your situation, they’ll likely be very understanding. Discuss possible extensions or how you can make up for what you’ve missed if you’ve been absent. Ask them what you need to do for your class. What is important and what isn’t? Knowing this will allow you to better manage your time later.
Make a list of what needs to be done and prioritise it
Having identified from your teachers what you need to do, compiling a list gives you a visual indication of what needs to be completed. Prioritising each item in the list from most to least important will allow you to work through what is most important and will hopefully reduce your stress having completed it.
Slowly work through the list
The complete lack of motivation to work that might accompany your burnout will likely make you want to set aside your tasks for a later date when you’re not so stressed and procrastinate, but it’s important that you start to chip away at the workload as soon as you’re able. Don’t do it all at once! Set yourself small and realistic goals each day to achieve. You could use the pomodoro technique to work through your tasks. Ask for support from those around you to help you.
Set aside time each day to completely disconnect from work
As a way to try and reduce your stress, make sure you set aside time each day for something relaxing or that you’re passionate about. Try to use this time to separate yourself from your stressors. There are a ton of de-stressing posts on tumblr you could look into! Here are a few;
Self care masterpost (for students)
Make sure you’re keeping healthy
Don’t neglect eating, sleeping, socialising, or exercising!! This will only make you more stressed.
Don’t take on any unnecessary additional commitments
In order to manage your stress and overcome burnout, adding additional commitments may only add to your stress and make recovery more difficult. Don’t be afraid of saying ’no’.
Reassess your goals
Are they unrealistic? If yes, you may need to adjust them or set yourself many small goals to achieve the ultimate one. Rely on your group of support to help you work towards it.
Don’t make any drastic changes suddenly
Make sure you fully think through any significant changes you might be considering and its implications.
Consult a medical professional if necessary
I hope this can help some of you reduce your stress and overcome burnouts if you experience them. These steps helped greatly helped me make my way through finishing high school, having seriously considered dropping out because of the stress I experienced, as well as the physical strain I felt. While I can’t say I’ve fully recovered, I have managed to graduate high school feeling confident about my grades and am slowly regaining the passion I once had for dance. My inbox is always open if you’d like to talk!
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