Student Blog: Beating Burnout

I sit down to write, my favorite musical theater playlist playing softly in the background. I'm curled up with my HAMILTON blanket, surrounded by a half-eaten bag of chocolates. And I stare at the computer screen, watching the cursor blink.

Blink. Blink. Blink.

The next thing I know, it's an hour later and all I've accomplished is TikTok asking me if I want to snooze because I've been online for 30 minutes.

According to the World Health Organization, burnout is defined as "feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion". I don't know if I love this definition, because sometimes I just need a few minutes to myself to replenish that depleted energy. Burnout is a really hard thing to define, because it's different for every person. Each reader will experience burnout in their own way. I can't really give a general definition that encompasses every single person.

But what I can do is talk about how to combat burnout.

The best defense is a good offense. Instead of overworking myself to the point where I am burned out, I take steps throughout my day to ensure that I have time to myself, to give myself time to relax and recharge. I've structured my schedule for both this semester and next semester to give myself a two hour lunch break - one hour for lunch, and one hour to myself. That way, after a long morning of classes, I can go back to my room and do something quiet, such as reading or working on my Etsy shop, before I have to go out and interact with the world.

Instead of overwhelming myself with a million tasks to complete, I make daily to-do lists. I find them enjoyable because I never make the same style list twice - sometimes I color code them, sometimes I doodle in the margins, sometimes I order them in categories, etc. I get to sit down and consider everything I have to do that day, ordering it in a way that seems manageable. Not only do I keep track of social events, ie meals with friends and club events, I list out my homework and all the 'fun' things I want to do that day. Whether that's reading my latest book (THE ONES WE FIGHT FOR by Katie Golightly), designing a sticker, or even taking a few extra minutes to decorate a class presentation, I think it's important to add some fun tasks to schedules. That way, while there will be more tasks to check off, I'm more excited to start making my way through the list because I know that I'll actually enjoy some of them.

But just like burnout, this is different for everyone. A lot of people like to take bubble baths to relax - unfortunately, as a college student dorming, that's not really an option for me. So I see what options I have, choose a few things I enjoy, and make sure to take time to do them. If you're struggling to find a way to relax, check out these suggestions:

1. Curl up with a good book (I hear THE GOSSIP GAMES is very good)
2. Try an adult coloring book! They're a lot of fun, especially theater ones (check out TheColoringProject).
3. Eat chocolate (or other favorite dessert) and listen to music.
4. Get your nails done - a friend suggested this one to me a few weeks ago, and it was really nice to get off campus and go get manicures with friends. It's a fun, relaxing activity, and it can be done either with friends or by yourself.
5. Watch one of the amazing musical theater proshots available! My personal favorites are HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL and LEGALLY BLONDE.

I hope these help, and if not, I'd love to hear about what works for you. You can find me online at @authoralliesarah on Instagram. Please reach out and say hello!