Students & Burnout: How To Avoid Burnout This Semester

Overview

Burnout is not a new concept; workers are not the only ones who experience it. Burnout is a mental, physical, and/or emotional state of exhaustion. Herbert Fredenberg, an American psychologist, used the term ‘burnout’ to describe people whose psychology of a healthy person changes due to a stressful environment. In the Journal of Qualitative Research Reports in Communication, a doctor conducted a survey on college students surrounding burnout. Of the 354 students, around 67% of students had addressed struggling with burnout. About 49% of the students stated it was due to assignment overload, and 24% said outside influence. Burnout has been conceptualized as a psychological syndrome; in most cases, an individual experiencing burnout reaches a state of exhaustion, either physically and/or mentally. It is common for burnout to occur in the workplace or school due to the stressful environment that has not been successfully managed. 

How do you Avoid Burnout in College?

Burnout is a large disturbance that can influence how college students succeed in their academic careers. The influence can lead to effects on their academic achievements and even overall health. Burnout within the college is a concerning issue because of how demanding college can be. Whether that be just workload, grades, and even being involved on campus, it takes a lot of emotional and physical strength that can become exhausting. However, the question still stands, how do you avoid burnout in college?  

What can lead to Burnout?

In “BURNOUT: WHAT IS IT? WHY DOES IT OCCUR? WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS? AND, WHAT TO DO IF IT OCCURS?” An article posted by Careerist expresses the possibilities of burnout and why it is important to try and focus on fixing it. Careerist states that there needs to be more awareness regarding those who struggle with burnout. But how do we fix burnout? The article addresses ways to alleviate symptoms of burnout by recommending talking to people, finding a new hobby, or even seeking professional help. However, what one should know about burnout is how it can occur.

Too Much Work: In some cases, an individual can get overwhelmed by the amount of work they have which causes them stress. For example, a lot of nurses experience burnout due to a lack of staff which makes them work long hours. Nurses have a lot of responsibilities within a stressful environment.

Work-Life Balance Is Off: Having a decent work-life balance is important for keeping equilibrium within your life. When one or the other begins to monopolize the other, it can lead to feeling overwhelmed and can deplete your energy. The exhaustion speeding up could lead one to become disinterested in the tasks of work and in their own life. 

Repeat and Rewind! Much like we all have experienced with COVID-19, burnout can be caused by a lack of interest in daily tasks for a long period of time. The same routine of waking up, going to class, doing school work, and going to bed, can lead to burnout. Although this can work for a few people, in some cases, it can lead an individual to not have a ‘drive’ or motivation to continue working. The lack of motivation can lead to detachment at work and eventually burnout. 

It Must Be Perfect! In some cases, there are individuals who are classified as perfectionists. A perfectionist is an individual who strives for the best or “perfect” and puts enough pressure on them to stress themselves out. The pressure a perfectionist puts on themselves can be due to concerns about others’ opinions and leads to frustration if things aren’t over their personal standards. Their high standards and the pressure they put on themselves can lead them to overwhelmed exhaustion.

Resources to Avoid Burnout

There are many resources for those who are struggling with burnout, online or in person. On campus, there are counseling & psychological services (CAPS), which offer brief but helpful counseling services. On the Frostburg State University website, they have more information about the services they provide and hotlines available to help if they can’t.
Frostburg CAPS

However, off-campus they have a lot of services provided as well. For example, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline, Crisis Text Line, the TREVOR Project, and many more. The Frostburg CAPS website provides those hotlines and other outside resources for those who need more assistance.

References:

Fraga, J. (2019, May 18). How to identify and prevent burnout. Healthline. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/tips-for-identifying-and-preventing-burnout#prevention  

Kaschka, W. P., Korczak, D., & Broich, K. (2011, November 18). Burnout: A fashionable diagnosis. Deutsches Arzteblatt international. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3230825/ 

Articles, V. all. (2020, September 23). Burnout: What is it? why does it occur? what are the symptoms? and, what to do if it occurs? Careerist Blog. Retrieved October 15, 2022, from https://www.careerist.com/insights/burnout-what-is-it-why-does-it-occur-what-are-the-symptoms-and-what-to-do-if-it-occurs