Burnout!

Burnout. While not a medical condition, as a manifestation of chronic unresolved stress, it can really affect your body.

Bert has been feeling exhausted. He’s constantly irritated and his friends noticed that he has been very cynical recently.

Bert also isn’t functioning well. He’s unable to get himself to do the work he has to do and as a result is missing important deadlines!

But these aren’t the only things Bert is experiencing. He’s also experiencing physical symptoms of his stress. He can’t sleep and he’s always fatigued.

His eating habits are also wonky right now…he either can’t stop eating or doesn’t eat at all.

He constantly has a headache and stomachache, muscle aches, and sometimes feels a little nauseous.

So what’s wrong with Bert? It sounds like Bert might be experiencing burnout!

First, Bert should see a medical professional to ensure that his symptoms are not caused by an underlying medical condition.

When he went to the doctor, they determined that all of his symptoms were driven by stress, confirming that Bert is, in fact, burnt out. He has been overworking himself this past quarter and has nothing left in him. Burnout can be pretty serious and lead to significant physical and mental health issues.

Now that Bert knows that he is burnt out, what should he do?

First, Bert needs to make sure he is making the best lifestyle choices he can to better his health. He needs to ensure he is doing his best to eat well despite his irregular appetite. Sleep also plays a massive role in how Bert feels; he should try to maintain a regular sleep schedule and go to bed at a reasonable and regular hour, even if he is not sleepy. While these are easier said than done, they will be very beneficial in lessening burnout.

Bert also needs to ensure he is dedicating some time to getting social support. Spending time with his friends and talking about his feelings, or even talking to a therapist, can significantly improve Bert’s condition.

Making time to do something he loves each day, even if it is only for 30 minutes, can also play a big role in preventing burnout.

However, A common misconception is that self-care can cure burnout. While this is sometimes true and practicing self-care is the first important step, if the stress is work-related, then changing the way you work is the ultimate way to mitigate your stress.

Gaining some control over how you are working and what you are working on can also be very beneficial. This could mean working on assignments in advance so that you can spread them out over more time. Starting assignments earlier gives you more freedom to choose what you want to work a bit on each day, rather than being forced to sit down and stare at a single assignment for 6 hours straight at the last minute.

If you can unload some things off your plate, that can also be helpful. Especially in college, students often feel they are never doing enough. As a result of this mindset, they can overpack their schedules with extracurriculars and classes that may not be realistically manageable. If you have control over what you can participate in, dropping a few activities, or even just one, can be very helpful in giving you more time to rest and do things you enjoy.

After considering this, Bert has decided that he is going to drop one of his volunteering activities and one of the clubs he is a part of.

Bert has also decided that he is going to dedicate a bit of time each day to painting, as he realized that he needs something outside of schoolwork that helps him destress and unwind.

Bert isn’t going to feel better right away. Burnout can take a big toll on your body and mind, and it takes time before you will feel back to your regularly functioning self. But with time as well as the effort that Bert is putting in to make active changes to his lifestyle and way of working, Bert will eventually feel back to himself again.