How to Prevent Academic Burnout

It’s that time of year when school work seems endless, it is exhausting to study, and you lack the motivation to do your assignments. This is academic burnout and it is becoming increasingly common for students. A study done by Bernadette Melynk at The Ohio State University suggests that student burnout rose from 40% in 2020 to 71% in 2021.

However, a vital step after your recovery is preventing burnout, which can occur several times a year and be extremely frustrating. In this blog, we’ll share some tips on how you can prevent burnout before you have to recover from it. But first, let’s go over what academic burnout is and some common symptoms of it.

What is academic burnout?

Academic burnout is a specific type of burnout caused by academic demands and pressure. It typically occurs several months into the school year and especially during midterms and finals when there is added stress and pressure. Academic burnout is also when school work that once seemed manageable becomes overwhelming and uncontrollable.

Symptoms of academic burnout

First, it’s important to be able to identify academic burnout. This could look like slacking on your work because of a lack of motivation and focus. It can also create an irregular sleep pattern where it seems like no matter how long you sleep, you’re still tired or you can never fall asleep despite being tired. It also makes students frustrated more easily in school and have a lack of patience learning new topics. If you have any any of these symptoms, it is likely you are suffering from academic burnout. 

Tips to prevent academic burnout 

1. Get more sleep

One of the main causes of burnout is a lack of sleep. Little sleep leads to a lack of focus and fatigue, key symptoms of burnout. While most students are tempted to stay up late studying, this practice is counterproductive as that studying when tired is not as effective. Furthermore ensuring that you maintain a healthy sleep schedule is a good way to combat stress as being well-rested allows you to maintain a positive mindset.

2. Find healthy distractions

Academic burnout can be caused by the repetitive cycle that school is: waking up, going to school, studying, and repeating. That’s why it is important to take time off from this cycle and do something you love. Whether that is going on a walk, watching a movie, or talking with friends, it is important to do something completely unrelated to school. This also gives your brain a restart when you return to studying and allows you to concentrate better and be more interested in a topic.

3. Create (and stick with) a solid routine

Creating a good routine is paramount to preventing academic burnout. Typically when we procrastinate on assignments, the work continues to pile up which can be stressful and exhausting. That’s why it is important to create an outline of your day to prevent the piling up of work and ensure you can be as stress-free as possible.

To create a schedule, find what time you feel most productive - that can be right after school or even in the evening. Then, determine how long you need to study for each day. This number can vary depending on how much work you get so I would have this estimate on the higher side to ensure you are prepared for days with heavy workloads.

For example, if I like to do my work in the evening, and on a difficult day I would need three hours to complete it, then I would try to allot 6 pm to 9 pm as the times when I study. Once you have these hours, shape the rest of your day around them to prioritize your school work. This also allows you time to do other things you love and not be too stressed throughout the day. 

4. Listen to your body

Being aware of your body and your brain is important to prevent burnout. Like any illness, when you catch burnout early, it is much easier to treat. Some early signs of burnout are changes in sleep patterns, stress, and a lack of concentration. If you start to feel any of these symptoms it is important not to ignore them as they can develop into a much more severe case of burnout. Once you identify these symptoms you can refer to this post on recovering from burnout to find different ways you can treat it!

5. Stay on top of your work and give yourself grace  

Falling behind in classes can be a quick way to get burnout. This is because as assignments start piling up it is easy to become overwhelmed with your workload. Additionally, a lack of understanding of the material in school can also be overwhelming and create unwanted stress.

That’s why it is important to always stay on top of your work. While there are days when you lack the motivation to do work, it is important to push through that, because you will thank yourself in the future. By staying focused and caught up with the material you are avoiding lots of unnecessary pressure and anxiety to try and catch up in class.

6. Talk with your teachers

Communicating with teachers can be one of the best ways to prevent academic burnout. Teachers aren’t only there to teach information, they can be a good support system. Talking with teachers is a good way to get advice and be someone to lean on when you are struggling. You can also communicate with teachers when you are having trouble understanding material or keeping up with deadlines.

Communicating with teachers and allowing them to understand your concerns and struggles and can provide extra help or give you extensions.

You can also talk to UPchieve tutors who can help you with subjects you may struggle with. This will improve your confidence and allow you to stay on track in class. This can prevent a lot of symptoms of burnout such as a lack of motivation and inability to keep up with school. Additionally, the one-on-one tutoring space is a great way to talk to someone new who can provide guidance both in and out of school.

7. Find healthy ways to manage your stress

Stress is probably the biggest symptom of academic burnout. That’s why it is important to be able to manage your stress in order to prevent burnout.

A technique that I find helpful is the STOP method. First, you stop what you are doing, whether that is homework, studying, or simply overthinking. Then you take big deep breaths. Focus on your breathing and slowly inhale and exhale until your mind feels empty. Then observe your options.

For example, if you have a big test then think about your options. You can either continue stressing about it and compromise your studying, or focus your attention on the material and try your best. While this is definitely easier said than done, it is really helpful to think about different ways to go about this stress.

Finally, you must proceed peacefully. This looks like not casting any doubt on yourself and trying to be as optimistic and open-minded as possible.

Final Thoughts on Preventing Academic Burnout

Academic burnout is one of the biggest problems among students. Caused by a never-ending workload and difficult assignments, it can be hard to overcome it. That’s why it is important to prevent academic burnout in the first place to ensure you can have the most successful academic year.

Hopefully, these tips will help you prevent academic burnout and be the best version of yourself in school as symptoms of burnout will no longer drag you down. If these feelings continue to linger it is important to talk to a trusted adult or professional as these symptoms may not be because of academic burnout. Talking to a loved one and sharing how you feel is the best way to get help and relieve these symptoms. 

And just remember, if you’re stuck in a homework rut, don’t forget to reach out to an academic tutor, who can help you get back on track!

Good luck!