Managing Burnout

Life can be exhausting. This is especially true when we are juggling multiple roles and responsibilities. It's draining trying to balance school, work, and a social life, all while maintaining your physical and mental health. It makes sense why so many of us experience burnout. When you're burnt out, it can be easy to lose hope that you will ever get back to your "normal" self again. But, I promise there is hope. It just takes some patience and gentleness with yourself.

When I'm feeling burnt out, I lose interest in the things I once found joy in. Everything feels like a task. I find it difficult to initiate engaging in my interests because of some invisible barrier that's in the way. It feels challenging to push through that barrier and engage in the interest anyway, but I promise it's worth the try. Sometimes I find that once I engage in the interest or hobby despite the barrier, I end up enjoying myself. Making the time to engage in your hobbies and interests can be a great way to manage feelings of burnout if it's possible to do so. It might be a good idea to try scheduling in some daily time to engage in these hobbies or interests.

Another thing that I find helps is to spend time with friends who understand what I'm going through and will allow me to vent and be myself. It feels so comforting to be in the presence of someone who gets you, who you don't have to pretend with. Mutual venting sessions can be life-changing. Having a bond with someone where we can both lean on and support each other has made all the difference in my life.

Finally, it might be worth it to take the time to think about your current situation and identify what's making you burn out. Sometimes we just need to take a thing or two off of our plate. This might mean stepping back from a role or responsibility, which can be scary, but your mental health has to come first.