What is academic burnout?

Academic burnout can be defined as a negative emotional, physical and mental reaction to prolonged study that results in exhaustation, frustration, lack of motivation and reduced ability in school. It is the culmination of many weeks or months studying the same material or working on the same project, or from continuous years of schooling. It is a chronic condition from long-term study or school work.

Symptoms of academic burnout include:

• Feeling exhausted no matter how much sleep you get, resulting in fatigue and insomnia

• Lacking motivation

• Lashing out at others and increased irritability due to frustration

• Lacking inspiration and creativity

• Loss of confidence in academic abilities

• Incapability to meet important deadlines

• Increased pain and tension in your body, such as headaches or sore muscle aches

Symptoms of academic burnout include:

• Higher frequency of illness due to stress and exhaustion

• Increase in bad habits such as overeating, staying up too late, or any habit you tend to acquire when you are stressed or not taking care of yourself

• Inability to concentrate on school work or lectures

• Feeling bored or uninterested in aspects of school or areas of leisure that you used to enjoy

• Feelings of anxiety and depression

There are ways to change your habits and lifestyle to prevent burnout in school:

• Make time for enjoyable activities

• Get plenty of physical exercise

• Get outside

• Make time for social activities

• Develop good relationships with professors

• Set reasonable goals

• Avoid procrastination

• Get better at time management

• Take a step back

• Work-life balance

Here are ways to overcome your academic burnout:

• Seek help from a professional

• Recognise the symptoms of student burnout and don't ignore your mind and body - if you know you have the symptoms, it's time to make changes

• Don't ignore your burnout as it will only get worse if you just keep pushing yourself

• Manage your stress levels

• Make important changes such as rearranging your schedule for a better work-life balance

Here are ways to avoid burnout for students:

• Create reasonable goals

• Stick to deadlines, avoid procrastination

• Sleep 7 to 9 hours per night

• Eat healthy and drink water

• Make friends with school colleagues so that school is also fun

• Take plenty of breaks throughout the day

• Set aside time for enjoyable activities throughout the week

• Take a vacation or staycation every once in a while

• Take walks and get outside when you can

Academic burnout is a real condition that is possible to self-treat by taking the right measures. Try to take a step back and look at everything in your life and your academic work that might be contributing to your burnout and make the necessary changes. Don't feel shy to seek help from your friends, teachers, family and peers, and always seek professional help if yo feel you can't kick the burnout on your own.