Combat College Burnout

The Academic Skills Center’s Blog is back, and it’s time for some more tips as we enter into the new year. Now that it’s officially the winter term, everything is feeling a little more intense. The weather is getting colder, and unless you’re taking the term off, you’re most likely juggling a bunch of classes while still spending a good chunk of time on sports, clubs, or even a part time job.

College can easily begin to feel very monotonous, and it’s not that hard to feel overwhelmed and even a bit burned out by the whole experience. Not only do we all have an endless amount of things to accomplish each day, but if you’re an upperclassman, you’re also probably starting to think hard about your future and a possible future career path.

In this post, I’m going to lay out three methods that you can incorporate into your college life in order to avoid that dreaded feeling of burn-out.

 

Method #1: Make the Most of Your Study Breaks

We’ve talked a lot about how important it is to stay focused when studying or doing your school work in past blog posts. It is a well-known fact that avoiding unnecessary extra breaks in between study sessions leads to better concentration and memory retention. However, it’s also important to keep in mind the importance of making the most out of the breaks that you do take.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I regularly use the Pomodoro Method when studying. I study in 25 minute increments and then I take a 10-15 minute break. I make sure to not study over that 25 minute increment, because I know that my attention starts to wane after that time. I also make sure to stand up and stretch for a minute or two to wake myself up and get my blood flowing.

In fact, Meg Selig, M.A. Ed, an article writer at Psychology Today and the author of, Changepower! 37 Secrets to Habit Change Success, discusses this theory of “decision fatigue”. She states that, “ the need to make frequent decisions throughout your day can wear down your willpower and reasoning ability”. She notes that a famous study conducted by Shai Danziger, Jonathan Levav, and Liora Avnaim-Pesso concluded that “Israeli judges were more likely to grant parole to prisoners after their two daily breaks than after they had been working for a while.

"As decision fatigue set in, the rate of granting paroles gradually dropped to near 0% because judges resorted to the easiest and safest option—just say no. Decision fatigue can lead to simplistic decision-making and procrastination”. All this to say, breaks are essential to your overall well being and rate of productivity. Don’t just try to plow through your work when you know you’re tired. Take the break that you need, and come back to it afterwards.

 

Method #2: Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is important to college students for many different reasons. Many of us are still growing and sleep is imperative in order for us to stay healthy, happy, and alert. Studies show that most healthy adults need around eight hours of sleep; however, Georgia State University’s Health Clinic reports that most college-aged young adults only get around six.

This health clinic claims that sleep “restores our energy, fights off illness and fatigue by strengthening our immune system, helps us think more clearly and creatively, strengthens memory and produces a more positive mood and better performance throughout the day”.

On the other hand, a lack of sleep can “impact the immune system function, our ability to fight off infections becomes more difficult, and we are more prone to getting upper respiratory infections, such as cold and flu and often feel “run down.” A lack of sleep can also be linked to weight gain and obesity.

 

Method #3: Learn When to Say No

This last method is something that, in my opinion, is not talked about often enough when it comes to college students. It is so important to know your limits when it comes to your time and your energy. You, as a person, can only do so much in any given day. I have made the mistake many times of running to three different club meetings in one day, hanging out with friends the same night, and then staying up until 3:00 am to finish up my school work.

Participating in a routine like this for too long can have a very negative outlook on your physical and emotional well being. We all want to be a well-rounded student, but at the end of the day, it is more important to make sure that your needs  are being met.

Don’t be afraid to drop that extra club that you just can’t seem to make the time for. Don’t be afraid to tell your friends that you can’t hang out with them a certain night because you have a quiz that you need to study for. Nobody is going to put you first except for you, and it is important to keep that in mind.

 

BE GOOD TO YOU!

As college students, we are already prone to be tired and run down by so many different things. Give your body and mind a fighting chance by fueling them with the things that they need.

References:

• Pearson Ed., Combat College Burnout!
• Psychology Today, How Do Work Breaks Help Your Brain? 5 Surprising Answers
• Georgia State University, The Effects of Rest on College Students