How I've Handled Burnout

Somehow, 2020 felt the both shortest and longest year of my life, and 2021 does not seem to be any different. While I truly can’t believe that my sophomore year is already coming to a close so soon, I also cannot wait until classes and finals are finally over. For a lot of us, being inside and spending our days staring at our computers has taken a toll on our mental state. During the fall semester, which was our first fully remote semester, I was constantly feeling burnt out. I lost a lot of motivation to put my all into the rest of the semester and the rest of the year. It took a lot for me to get back on track.  I tell you all this to say that it is okay to feel burnt out; it seems pretty universal no matter who I speak to. What matters is how you can recharge while still keeping your grades up. 

For the first half of the semester, I set goals of getting a Computer Science tutor, utilizing the writing center for my English classes, and starting on assignments and tasks as soon as I received them. In order to check off everything on my planner, I began to lose sleep and spent my days staring at my computer screen, only leaving it to eat and go to the bathroom or buy a cup of coffee. My mind felt like it was on overdrive and I was constantly thinking about what task I needed to get done next. And while all my hard work was paying off in my classes, my health began to decline, I was barely talking to my friends unless it was about homework, and I stopped spending time with my family. All of these issues were building up to the week of midterms when I had an unexpected death in the family that hit me extremely hard. 

In a year of so much loss, I began to lose sight of the bigger picture. I was so concerned with putting my all into each project, each paper, each club. I had tunnel vision and it wasn’t until I was hit with grief during the hardest week of my life that I had to take a step back and just breathe. I needed to be with my family, because that was my priority. I communicated this to my professors and they were very understanding. I ended up doing okay on midterms, especially given the circumstances, and decided to make some changes to my routine. I began to take more walks around my neighborhood, making sure that they were only to walk, listen to music, and just relax. This was just my time to get away from my computer. I was surprised by the fact that this one small change made me feel so much better. I began to invest in my friendships more during this time as well because it’s so easy to get lost in the void of emails and Zoom calls and homework. As independent as you may be, humans are social creatures who need each other to bring us up and remind us of our goals and motivate each other. 

I’m going to be honest, it took a lot for me to get back on track. My actions in the first half of the semester had a lasting impact on the rest of the semester, but they allowed me to realize what works and what doesn’t during an online semester in the midst of a global pandemic. You don’t always have to put your 100% into all the activities you are participating in or all the classes you are taking. It’s okay to not do a reading or submit an assignment late or take a longer nap or sleep in. This time has drained all of us and has taught us to be more honest with ourselves and about our needs. If it hadn’t been for all of my ups and downs last semester, I would not have been prepared to take on another semester of Zoom University. I have learned so much from this time and I am sure you all have as well. 

I wish you all the best. Stay safe and good luck!