What I Do When I Start to Feel Burnt Out
At the start of the month, New Year’s resolutions having been set, you probably felt like you were ready to take on winter semester. Now four weeks into the semester, before trying to put too much on your plate, it is important to realize when your stress level gets out of hand. So what do you do when your stress level is at an all-time high and you’re on the verge of burning out?
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care is not just important, it’s crucial to maintaining a healthy lifestyle physically and mentally. If that means taking a break from classes and having a mental health day doing what makes you happy, then so be it. Self-care prevents burnout, and let’s be honest, staring at a computer screen for hours at a time is not efficient when studying anyway. So take breaks, take time to do what you enjoy, and make sure you are treating your body right.
Have a Support System
It’s almost impossible to win the fight against finals without family and friends. So don’t push the people who love you most away during this time; stay in contact with them for emotional support. Take the time to chat with your loved ones about anything other than how stressed you are about school. This should help you bring back the positive vibes and let you forget for a moment all that is on your plate.
Relax
Trying different relaxation techniques will help you reduce all the stress that is in your life, especially during this time. Activities such as yoga or meditating are simple ways to give yourself time to be calm. Relaxing can be difficult at first, but it is a skill that can be learned and improved on with practice. So don’t give up! You owe yourself the chance to relax and be calm.
Manage your Time
If you take the time to plan out your days leading up to finals week, you can not only stay organized, but also less stressed. Having everything written down or using sticky notes as reminders is an ease of the brain to not have to remember every little thing that needs to be done. Also, it is a bit calming to know you can rely on your planner or sticky notes and have the satisfying feeling of checking them off as you go. Be sure to plan time to get enough sleep! Do not schedule more than you can handle each day; know what is doable and be content with that.
Physical Activity
Don’t sit at the library all day reading textbooks, writing notes, and then going back to more reading. Take frequent breaks and make sure some of those breaks include some sort of physical activity! Whether it’s going for a quick run, shooting some hoops, dancing, etc., this will help you get your blood moving, which helps you focus.
You’re not alone in feeling like it’s the worst time of the year; take one day at a time and use these tips! Good luck Lakers!
About Kelly
Kelly Carmien is a senior majoring in Advertising/Public Relations with minors in Business and Marketing. Originally from the east side of the state in Bay City, she has fallen in love with the Grand Rapids community. She serves as an Account Executive at GrandPR as her second year. After graduation she hopes to move to a bigger city and pursue a career in PR/Marketing for a fashion company. In her free time, Kelly enjoys rollerblading, watching Netflix, listening to 80’s music, playing with cats, and spending time with family and friends.