For many of us, hustle culture plays such a prominent role in our daily lives, pushing us to be as productive as possible for the sake of achieving success. This mindset can promote various benefits such as avoiding procrastination and ensuring that we truly are putting in the effort to do the best we can. However, the opposite can also be true: burnout. Unfortunately, this is not only becoming a more frequent problem each year, but it has even become normalized and accepted as a part of the academic journey.
According to helpguide.org, burnout is defined as “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.” Consequently, this can have serious implications on nearly every aspect of your life, outside of just work or academics. It’s extremely important to take good care of yourself as a human being to prevent the onset of burnout.
According to helpguide.org, burnout is defined as “a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress. It occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands.” Consequently, this can have serious implications on nearly every aspect of your life, outside of just work or academics. It’s extremely important to take good care of yourself as a human being to prevent the onset of burnout.
Be Logical
When planning out your day or filling out your calendar, be logical with yourself. Hustle culture is so ingrained within us that we often don’t notice when our expectations are continuously rising to impossible standards. It’s understandable to want to take advantage of your time, but not at the detriment of your mental health. Focus on your priorities; what are the things you must get done today? Direct your time and energy towards the items at the top of your list, and work at a manageable pace that enables you to have adequate time for breaks. If you have extra time, go ahead and continue, but don’t force yourself to unreasonably suffer, as it’ll just catch up with you in the long run.
Consistently Check In
Now that you’ve worked on time management and planning, it’s important to be mindful throughout the day or week. Ask yourself, how are you feeling on a scale of 1(relaxed) to 5(intolerably stressed)? If you’re in the 4’s or 5’s, it’s a sign to give yourself a break. Drink some water, eat a snack, watch some funny videos on Youtube or Tiktok, or even take a short nap if needed. Find out what works for you and recharge numerous times during the day. Frequent and short breaks are the way to go when preventing burnout.
Self-Care in the Long Run
Burnout is a very real and unexpected thing that happens to many of us. It can pop up out of the blue one day and seriously affect your ability to continue with your work or studies. Therefore, self-care is something we all need to pay more attention to in the long run. This includes the constant check-ins during the day, but also developing healthy habits that enable your body and mind to be as healthy as possible.
Again, figure out what helps you feel your best. Personally, I enjoy moderate to intense exercise when I’m feeling extremely stressed, especially after sitting in the same room all day long, so I try to do this at least 3-4 times a week. Furthermore, I love movies and television shows, so I strive to make time for them during the weekends. Some other examples include a weekly at-home spa night, video-calling friends to mutually vent and provide support, spending time outdoors and reading, or even indulging in a delicious meal! There are endless ways to go about this, but long-term self-care is non-negotiable.
Be Kind to Yourself
These days, it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle culture and fall down a hole of negativity. However, if you catch yourself spiraling into a ball of stress, take a step back and remind yourself that you are capable. You’re capable of pushing through challenges and coming out victorious. If your body or mind is telling you it’s tired, embrace it and rest. Get help if needed. But remember, you’re deserving of being kind to yourself throughout it all.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆
When planning out your day or filling out your calendar, be logical with yourself. Hustle culture is so ingrained within us that we often don’t notice when our expectations are continuously rising to impossible standards. It’s understandable to want to take advantage of your time, but not at the detriment of your mental health. Focus on your priorities; what are the things you must get done today? Direct your time and energy towards the items at the top of your list, and work at a manageable pace that enables you to have adequate time for breaks. If you have extra time, go ahead and continue, but don’t force yourself to unreasonably suffer, as it’ll just catch up with you in the long run.
Consistently Check In
Now that you’ve worked on time management and planning, it’s important to be mindful throughout the day or week. Ask yourself, how are you feeling on a scale of 1(relaxed) to 5(intolerably stressed)? If you’re in the 4’s or 5’s, it’s a sign to give yourself a break. Drink some water, eat a snack, watch some funny videos on Youtube or Tiktok, or even take a short nap if needed. Find out what works for you and recharge numerous times during the day. Frequent and short breaks are the way to go when preventing burnout.
Self-Care in the Long Run
Burnout is a very real and unexpected thing that happens to many of us. It can pop up out of the blue one day and seriously affect your ability to continue with your work or studies. Therefore, self-care is something we all need to pay more attention to in the long run. This includes the constant check-ins during the day, but also developing healthy habits that enable your body and mind to be as healthy as possible.
Again, figure out what helps you feel your best. Personally, I enjoy moderate to intense exercise when I’m feeling extremely stressed, especially after sitting in the same room all day long, so I try to do this at least 3-4 times a week. Furthermore, I love movies and television shows, so I strive to make time for them during the weekends. Some other examples include a weekly at-home spa night, video-calling friends to mutually vent and provide support, spending time outdoors and reading, or even indulging in a delicious meal! There are endless ways to go about this, but long-term self-care is non-negotiable.
Be Kind to Yourself
These days, it’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle culture and fall down a hole of negativity. However, if you catch yourself spiraling into a ball of stress, take a step back and remind yourself that you are capable. You’re capable of pushing through challenges and coming out victorious. If your body or mind is telling you it’s tired, embrace it and rest. Get help if needed. But remember, you’re deserving of being kind to yourself throughout it all.
We hope you enjoyed this article. For more content on how to find your academic success, check out some of our articles here on StarryScholar. If you have any questions/comments, feel free to leave them in our “Community Discussion” tab, or email us at @[email protected]! Remember, you got this ☆