Inevitably this time of year many students and their parents/guardians may suffer burnout. How do you know that you are close to burnout or that the people around you are close to burnout? What does your energy and efficiency look like at the moment? Do you need to slow down and take stock? Are you experiencing any of the following?
1. Low energy.
2. Low levels of motivation.
3. Making frequent simple mistakes.
4. Feeling deeper fatigue.
5. Are you experiencing headaches or muscle tension?
6. Are there increased feelings of frustration or irritability?
7. Higher levels of stress and anxiety.
8. Feelings of suspiciousness or cynicism.
9. Trouble sleeping.
10. Feelings of being trapped.
11. Loss of interest in things that once brought you joy.
(Reference: The Science of Burnout by Adrian Heinze )
If you said yes to any of the above questions, you need to look at the ways in which you go about your daily life. When you are always giving, always studying, always pushing, you are emptying the cup. How will you to refill your cup? If you are worrying about your upcoming exams how can you change this? What can you do to allow your mind and body to reset, because it is extremely important that you do. What are your greatest needs right now?
Are you following your dream?
What is within your control right now that you can change in order to feel less stressed? Are your goals really reflecting what you want out of life? Sometimes asking yourself, “what can I change” can be far more beneficial than asking yourself, “what do I want?” Are you chasing the wrong course, or career? Are the decisions you are making within your control or are you finding yourself following someone else’s dream?
You need to do the following
Give yourself sufficient rest, sufficient sleep, good food and sufficient water.
Not all stress is bad however. A little bit can actually be very good for you. We need some stress and pressure in order to work more effectively. If you can learn how to proactively handle the pressures of life and study, you can learn how to cope in stressful and challenging situations. Instead of draining us, stress actually lifts us up. You need to understand your limits and respect them. Be kind to yourself. Stay focused on how you feel. Don’t be afraid to give yourself what you need to feel good, and enjoy life.
Be proactive in managing your stress
This requires a certain level of awareness. If you are feeling stressed, take a few extra moments in the morning to find calmness. If you are feeling tired, make an effort to get more sleep at night. These little acts of self-love add up.
What do you need to feel good?
Allow yourself to try different types of rest. Be open to everything, people, podcasts, books, places, and new ways of thinking. Medicine comes in many different forms.
Self-care is vital
If you are not monitoring how you are feeling and coping you will not be able to manage mental health. Everyone’s needs are different; you may need nine hours of sleep, while someone else may need six hours. Some people go to the gym once a week, others go three times a week in order to feel great. There are no one size fits all model. Allow yourself the time and space to get to know yourself.
The next thing you need to do in managing your stress/mental health is to look at ways in which you can change the way you carry out your daily tasks, can you make your day simpler?
You may need someone to talk to about your stress, a fellow student or parent, who is your go-to person when you feel like talking. You may need to put boundaries in place, you may need a medical check-up. Put specific things in place and do this on a regular basis. Create measures for managing your mental health.
No matter how busy you are, you have time to connect with yourself. This is a choice that you make. You get to decide how you set your energy, how you connect with yourself and the world around you. Being spiritual may also be a way which you use to connect. How do you want to make people feel or how do you want to feel yourself? Anxiety only grows when you avoid it, so being aware of how you are feeling and what you need each day is the key.
