Updated on March 22nd, 2021
Academic burnout is a surprisingly common problem, especially among high school seniors. Juggling schoolwork, college applications, scholarships, extracurricular activities, graduation preparations, and everything else is daunting. At times, it may even be too much to bear, particularly with the weight of the pandemic still residing on many students’ shoulders.
Is your student burning out when trying to find college scholarships? If so, we can help! If you and your student want to learn more about scholarship opportunities, including how to efficiently find them and apply, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to secure your spot today.
Luckily, it is possible to avoid or overcome academic burnout and finish out high school strong. If you’re worried that your student is struggling, here’s what you need to know.
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What Is Academic Burnout?
In the simplest sense, burnout is a negative physical, mental, and emotional state that arises in response to stress. While it’s traditionally associated with working professionals, it can impact anyone who participates in specific kinds of activities.
With academic burnout among high school students, the main stressors tend to be those related to schooling. This can include attending classes, handling homework, taking standardized tests, and similar activities.
At times, academic burnout also extends into other parts of the school experience. For example, extracurricular activities may fall into this category, as well as certain social aspects of being a high schooler.
Regardless of the precise cause, burnout in students tends to lead to mental and emotional fatigue or exhaustion. For anyone, prolonged stress tends to be damaging, negatively impacting motivation, concentration, and more.
At times, the implications of burnout are broad, affecting a person’s entire life. In others, the ramifications are more focused, limited mainly to the activities that are the source of stress.
Symptoms of Burnout
The symptoms of burnout can be surprisingly varied. In some cases, there are physical manifestations. In nearly all cases, there are mental and emotional symptoms. However, the symptoms are always disruptive, impacting the student’s academic life, at a minimum, and potentially harming other aspects of their lives as well.
Here is an overview of some of the common symptoms of academic burnout in students:
- Feelings of depression or anxiety
- Frequent or chronic insomnia
- Frequent headaches or increased pain due to tension
- Nausea or other digestive distress
- Irritability, frustration, or hostility
- Fatigue, exhaustion, and tiredness
- Diminishing motivation
- Falling academic performance
- Reduced confidence in one’s academic abilities
- Increased absences from school
- Lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable
- Increased reliance on bad habits as stress relievers
- Inability to focus at school, home, or work
- Self-destructive or self-harm behavior
There can be other symptoms of burnout as well. Every person is unique, so reactions to stress and burnout can vary. However, those above can serve as a starting point, allowing you to keep an eye out for potential symptoms in your student.
It’s essential to take any burnout symptoms you or your student spots seriously. Ignoring the issue will typically make it worse, increasing the odds of poor outcomes and bigger struggles. In contrast, early action can make burnout easier to avoid or recover from, ensuring a difficult situation doesn’t evolve into something catastrophic.
If your student is considering self-harm, is suicidal, or is exhibiting other signs of a mental health crisis, contact a medical professional immediately. Stress – including high school burnout – can be a precursor to serious conditions or may exacerbate an existing condition. However, with proper treatment, medical health conditions are often manageable. Don’t delay if your student is struggling, as quick action can make all of the difference.
How to Avoid – and Recover from – Academic Burnout
Avoiding or recovering from high school burnout means your student learning to keep themselves metered and balanced. Life shouldn’t be all about academics, for one. For another, everyone has energy limits, and concentrating too heavily on academics means not having enough time for enjoyable and rejuvenating activities.
First, have your student take a step back, putting as many activities on a temporary pause as possible. That way, they can assess their situation without being in the middle of it.
Encourage your student to carve time out of their schedule for themselves. Additionally, make sure they aren’t overtasked, as trying to squeeze in too much for a long period sets the stage for burnout later.
Help your student set priorities and goals. Then, make sure they align their activities with those priorities. If a current obligation doesn’t support that picture and isn’t genuinely necessary, setting it aside may make it easier to avoid or combat burnout.
Additionally, try to make sure your student gets to spend some time outdoors. During COVID-19, most people were stuck in their own homes, rarely leaving. This can compound academic burnout, making trying situations harder to navigate. At times, a short walk outside each day can be a simple yet surprisingly effective solution.
It’s also wise for your student to focus on getting enough sleep. A lack of sleep can make stress harder to manage, making it harder to avoid burnout or overcome it. Similarly, good nutrition is important, as it ensures the body has what it needs to thrive.
If your student is battling back from academic burnout, be supportive, empathetic, and understanding. The road to recovery takes time to walk, and your student may need additional support as they regain their footing.
Finally, if your student is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact a medical professional immediately. They can help your student by creating customized treatment plans, sharing coping techniques, and otherwise help them manage their condition and move forward.
In the end, avoiding and recovering from student burnout is all about achieving balance. Just like professionals strive for work-life balance, students need academics-life balance too. That way, they can have fulfilling lives, reduce stress, and ensure they are ready for the challenges of today, tomorrow, and the future.
How Parents Can Protect Themselves from High School Senior Year Burnout
Can parents experience high school senior year burnout? Yes, they can.
Many parents play a big role in helping their students finish high school strong and prepare for college, and just like students, they can struggle with the stress that comes with it.
Plus, parents have to shoulder the stress of a child potentially leaving home for college. That’s a big transition, and it can be both exciting and scary. Couple that with the stress of running a household, working in a job, and other life demands, and burnout can certainly happen.
Like students, parents should also take steps to maintain their mental health. Taking some personal time is a big step, as it allows you to participate in activities you enjoy.
Additionally, managing your expectations – both those you place on yourself and those you put on your student – is essential. If your goals aren’t realistic, they’ll simply be a source of strife, increasing your stress levels and making challenging situations harder.
Remember, not only should you be supportive of your student, but you should also be kind to yourself. After all, you can’t help anyone if you’re struggling. That’s why taking care of yourself is so vital, ensuring that you’re in the best shape possible and have the focus, energy, and motivation to help your student thrive.
Is your student burning out when trying to find college scholarships? If so, we can help! If you and your student want to learn more about scholarship opportunities, including how to efficiently find them and apply, sign up for our free college scholarship webinar! Take a trip over to http://thescholarshipsystem.com/freewebinar to secure your spot today.
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