How to Avoid Academic Burnout

Updated: Oct 11, 2020

As the COVID pandemic continues to grow, it has begun to impact various parts of our lives - the newest impact being academics. Many universities and postsecondary institutions have made the switch to online schooling for the upcoming academic year, but how will that affect students? As students prepare themselves for the next academic year, academic burnout is something that should be kept in mind.

What is burnout?

Burnout is extreme exhaustion caused by prolonged stress that affects an individual’s physical, mental, and emotional health. Burnout is seen commonly within students in high-stress academic programs. This form of exhaustion reduces an individual’s productivity and makes them unable to meet their necessary tasks.

Signs of academic burnout:

Lacking the motivation to attend classes or start assignments
Always feeling fatigued, regardless of how much sleep you get
Increased tension in the body (body aches, headaches, etc.)
Constantly feeling anxious
Loss of confidence, inspiration, and creativity

How to avoid academic burnout?

1. Develop good relationships with professors/teachers/teacher’s assistants

With online schooling, students can often feel disconnected from professors and this can lead to students not receiving the help they need. Developing good relationships with professors can make school feel less like a chore, and more like something to enjoy. Take advantage of tutorials and professors’ office hours to develop professional relationships that will make your academic experience more enjoyable. Don’t feel hesitant to ask for help, that’s what they're there for.

2. Break down responsibilities

Big assignments can often feel overwhelming and leave students feeling anxious. Divide the assignment into steps and give yourself breaks in between. This allows students to be productive while still taking care of themselves and their mental health. Rewarding yourself with a break or a healthy snack in between steps will motivate you to keep going.

3. Avoid procrastination - good time management skills

Students that procrastinate and leave all their assignments to last minute are more likely to suffer from academic burnout because the stress snowballs until it is unbearable. By keeping up with assignments in a timely fashion and preparing ahead of time for midterms and finals, students are more likely to feel prepared and confident in their academic abilities. A tip to stay on top of your schoolwork is to keep a schedule with assignment deadlines/exams, online or handwritten depending on what works for you.

How to recover from burnout:

Academic burnout is something that many students will face at least once in their academic careers, especially those in the STEM field. If you ever feel burnout, here are some ways to get better.

1. Seek help

Academic burnout can bring countless emotions to the surface and it is important to get the help you need. Just talking about it with a trusted companion or school counselor can help you relieve stress. Most universities and schools have mental health counselors, so don’t be afraid to reach out.

2. Don't ignore it

Ignoring the signs of academic burnout will just cause more stress if you keep pushing yourself forward without properly dealing with your stress and not making healthy changes.

3. Make changes to your lifestyle

Making healthy changes to your life is a way to ensure that you don’t suffer from academic burnout again. Some changes that can be made are to practice mindfulness/meditation, healthy eating, and socializing with friends and family.

Works Cited

Admin. “Tips for Preventing Student Burnout.” Florida National University, 20 Aug. 2019,

www.fnu.edu/tips-preventing-student-burnout/.

Henry. “Academic Burnout: How to Prevent It and What to Do When You Have It.” University of the People, 13 Nov. 2019, www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-academic-burnout/.

About the Piece:

Hello! My name is Harni and I manage a platform called Studenosity. Studentosity is a youth-led resource for students in the STEM field. We understand the importance of mental health awareness within the youth and this piece reflects that. Starting school amidst a pandemic, during unprecedented times, can take a toll on someone's mental health and we want to ensure that students know how to identify and cope with academic burnout. You can find us on Instagram!