My 4-step guide to dealing with academic burnout

“Don’t compare yourself to other people. Instead, try to collaborate with them and learn about their ways of studying as well. Girls should support other girls — we should uplift and encourage one another.” (Photo courtesy of Dafrina Kalyla)

16-year-old Dafrina Kalyla is ambitious and passionate about school. But studying in a competitive environment was taking a mental toll on her, Dafrina writes the tips and tricks that help her combat academic burnout.

I consider myself a very ambitious person and I am passionate about learning new things, that’s why I generally enjoy going to school. However, the learning process is often time-consuming and overwhelming for me. Studying at school, attending cram school (where students take after-school courses to prepare for university exams) and practicing with my tutor daily is a lot to go through. Academic burnout is a familiar state to me because my school is a very competitive environment. My surroundings created a mindset of dissatisfaction with my academic performance — even though I was performing well. I assumed that my peers were always excelling — they seemed to be more of an expert than I was. My mind would race with thoughts of comparison and inadequacy.

I kept chasing A+s on my tests and assignments. I kept trying to find something to excel at because I felt like I wasn’t enough. I compared myself to the incomparable, which always led to emotional turmoil. 

Burnout is the increased mental distance from one’s occupation, coupled with feelings of negativity, low self-esteem, and energy depletion. Academic burnout stems from the stress of course loads, extracurriculars, and or other psychological factors that can sometimes come with learning.

Students may feel emotional exhaustion, a tendency to depersonalize, and feelings of low personal accomplishment. Even though students are not employees who work 9 to 5, school homework, activities and exams are considered work through a psychological lens. Fewer studies have been done on the academic burnout of students than on work-related burnout. However, the emotional exhaustion that comes from academic stress has negative impacts on our mental health, leading students to skip school and have higher levels of depression.

My middle school years were difficult. Puberty hit hard at that age and it was hard to be in my shoes. And while I was lucky enough to be in a strong school academically, the pressure doubled because students were expected to be remarkable all the time. I didn’t feel like I was smart enough or working hard enough and that took a toll on me. Academic burnout affected my self-esteem too. I associated my self-worth with the numbers on my report cards and the academic validation from people around me. While other people’s approval can be an excellent push to motivate ourselves, it can also be a  burden because of the expectations put on us. Learning to cope with stress and burnout is a lifelong process. It’s impossible to always have things under control, but you can take your time learning to mitigate academic burnout with these tips. 

(Photo courtesy of Dafrina Kalyla)

1. Give yourself time to rest

   Acknowledge that you need some time to recharge your brain. You are not a human “doing,” you are a human being. We cannot always be motivated and productive all the time. We have to prioritize our health and stamina to keep on going. This might sound counterintuitive and easier said than done, but eating well, staying hydrated, getting enough quality sleep (stop pulling all-nighters!), and rewarding yourself for all the efforts you make every day are all ways of cultivating rest for yourself. We should always listen and validate our feelings and learn what’s enough for our body and mind.

2. Re-evaluate your study techniques + plan your breaks

   Student burnout could also be a sign to revisit our study habits. Studying for 2 hours straight might feel productive, but is it effective? Are you absorbing the material or are you just wasting your energy to memorize? It’s more useful to implement short breaks

   I took an online course called “Learning How to Learn” taught by Barbara Oakley and Terrence Sejnowski. It showed me how important it is to plan my study breaks. I suggest studying with the Pomodoro method. Set a timer for 25-30 minutes (or more) to focus specifically on learning your school materials with no distractions. Focusing on one task at a time, at your own pace, will make studying much easier. After that period has elapsed, you can take 5-15 minutes (or more) breaks to reward yourself. How you spend your break is also very crucial, use your break time to recharge yourself. You can watch videos and scroll through social media for a short period, but I would suggest eating a snack, taking a jog or walk, taking a short nap, or engaging in your hobbies.

3. Focus on your progress and journey

   We might be surrounded by people who are constantly disrupting our studies, but not all of us are able to leave a toxic environment. We all have different living conditions, but one thing I know for sure is that we should approach learning as an inward process — focus on you. Remember that “comparison is the thief of joy” and is the best distractor of our progress. The path may not always be flattering but, we should all strive to thrive. In case nobody has told you this week: there is no such thing as “a waste” when it comes to learning. You are doing great, and I hope you are walking on the path of greatness. Having the drive to expand your education is exciting, but difficult. But for you to pursue it, you need to know how to take care of your mind and body. Finding that life-school balance is a challenging job, so take it one step at a time and be kind to yourself. You have come a long way already, but take care of yourself.

4. Learning is a process, stay kind to yourself and others

   Remember that learning is a process, not a product. Sometimes we get so caught up with the product, that we forget to appreciate what we’ve accomplished already, despite the distractions. When I feel drained, I remember to celebrate what I’ve already done and remind myself — I’ll eventually get through it. 

   As an added tip, try to find your kind of people — people who are as passionate as you in learning. Don’t compare yourself to other people. Instead, try to collaborate with them and learn about their ways of studying as well. Girls should support other girls — we should uplift and encourage one another. Everyone has their own time to shine and you will have yours.