Say Goodbye to Burnout This Summer
Summer, summer, summer! The clock magically hits three, and you are set free to have the whole summer to enjoy! Now if only that scene in High School Musical was real life. Not everyone has it so easy during the last few weeks of school before the summer break. Some students are dealing with senioritis, along with the pressures of work, extracurricular activities, sports, homework, and so many other related issues on their mind that cause burnout. When you’ve given it everything you’ve got throughout the duration of the semester, trying to finish off those last few weeks is hard. I get it– this is coming from someone who goes through phases of overworking and then not working enough. Let’s talk about three strategies I’ve learned to help keep your morale high as you take on those final projects and exams.
Stay Engaged
First, let’s tackle burnout at its root cause. College students especially know the struggle of not being able to stay engaged, and this is often where burnout will start. In order to increase your ability to stay engaged, make sure you are thinking of your "why factors." Start with determining your reasoning for doing the work. Are you doing it for money? Doing it for a better education? Doing it to achieve your dream career in the future? Let your reason for doing the work drive you to complete it. While you keep your “why factor” in focus,, don't forget to give yourself healthy self-care activities to do. Some of these healthy self-care activities could be as simple as eating a healthy meal, going for a hot girl/boy walk, getting some extra sleep, and sitting in the sun. Doing the small important things for yourself will help you stay more engaged because you are still saving some time for yourself. Taking the time to do these things for yourself will help you keep a positive attitude and increase your focus as the semester comes to an end.
Say “No” When Needed
As college students, we know the struggles of simply saying “no.” We feel the need to say yes to every opportunity because of the fear that will follow if we turn down the offer. Standing up for yourself and politely saying no is not always a bad thing. It will help prevent your mental health from coming to a straight crash. But how does one know when to say no? Check out these 8 questions that you can ask yourself to make the decision easier.Studied by the Harvard Business School, these questions can help break down if something is going to benefit you and if this task is accomplishable in a time frame.
Set Realistic Expectations
Let me guess: if you’re reading this blog, you likely set super high standards for yourself, and get to be super hard on yourself when you don’t reach the standards? Yeah, that sounds about right. Well, this is the number one cause of burnout because no matter how high or low you set your expectations, the key is that you need to set realistic ones. To reach a "dream," you need to be realistic about where you are in life. If you "dream" of an A+ in your class but have a C+ and have one more quiz left…do you think you will get that A+? Maybe, but not likely. Now is getting that up to a B-B+ manageable? Yes. Setting realistic expectations so you don't die by the end of the semester. Reflecting on what is going on in your life currently is a great way to make sure you set the correct expectation. Start with doing daily check-ins with yourself to make sure you aren't pushing yourself over your limit. Wake up each morning and ask yourself what you need to complete the day successfully. One thing that I live by day by day is letting things go. It may not come easy to most people, but once you learn how to let go of things that don't need to be there, you become more explicit about what you can achieve. Waking up daily to ensure you are speaking positively to yourself. You are your most prominent critic. If you wake up talking negatively to yourself, then you will only get negative outcomes. But if you wake up talking positively to yourself, then you will only think positively. Finally, remind yourself of what you have already accomplished. Focusing on how you have already completed so many great accomplishments, then you will build the confidence to continue to keep thriving.
Summer is around the corner, but if you don't continue to push and do your best, then your summer may not look as bright as you want it to. Continuing to finish those last-minute projects and finishing those last-minute tasks will bring you the joy of sunshine! Feel happy knowing you finished with your best foot forward rather than finishing lazily and not the best you can be. Let us celebrate the end of the school year with a positive outlook on summer!
Alexandra Lucaj is a Junior studying Advertising and Public Relations with a minor in General Business. She is the VP of public relations for GVPRSSA. Her other involvements include being an account associate for GrandPR, President for the Albanian-American Student Organization, and a member of WMPRSA’s Programing Committee. She is currently a Community Relations Intern at the West Michigan Whitecaps. After graduation, Alexandra hopes to continue using her PR skills in the professional sports industry.