5 Ways to Help Your Student Avoid Burnout

Burnout is a national epidemic, evident during the 2021 “Great Resignation” where 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs. In a 2021 survey of 1500 workers, over 50 percent claimed that they were burned out from work. This sentiment has trickled down to our kids as academics have become more competitive than ever before. 

If you believe your student is experiencing burnout or on their way to burning out, this article is for you. With your guidance and support, your student can reverse or avoid burnout altogether.

What is burnout?  

The World Health Organization defines burnout as “a syndrome conceptualized as resulting from chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” It results from doing too much for too long. 

Burnout is easily confused with stress, but they are different:

• Burnout specifically stems from workload, which in your student’s case is academic workload, while stress can originate in any area of life.

• Stress tends to occur in spurts, such as when pulling an all-nighter for a big test, causing nerves. Once the test finishes, stress likely subsides. On the other hand, burnout is chronic, resulting from a prolonged period of stress. 

• Burnout results in 3 specific areas: exhaustion, mental distance from workload, and reduced efficacy (more mistakes).

• People experiencing burnout tend to feel hopeless about their situation.

All in all, both stress and burnout should be managed, but burnout is more dangerous in the long run. 

Why do we get burned out and why should we do something about it? 

According to research conducted by UC Berkeley, burnout can arise from different areas, including taking on too much work, feeling a lack of control over workload, experiencing little reward for the effort required, and doing tasks that seem contradictory to values. Taking on extra work in the name of trying to go above and beyond can sometimes come at a cost. 

The long-term impact of burnout is astounding, with physical health issues like diabetes, heart disease, prolonged fatigue, headaches, respiratory issues, gastrointestinal problems, and shortened life span. Burnout can also contribute to depression and insomnia.

Let’s face it. We take on too much, forgetting that we can decide what gets our time and attention. It is tempting especially when everyone around us is doing the same. But, to protect our wellbeing (kids and family alike), we must be willing to go against the grain of saying “Yes” to every opportunity that arises.

How can you help lighten your student’s load?

1. Remove unnecessary commitments.

Write down all academic commitments with your child for this school year. Circle which are most important and cross off the ones that can be removed. No one can do it all, all the time.  

If it’s not possible to be on the committee of 3 clubs and get straight A’s, your child may need to step down from one committee to focus on school. Sometimes, all they need is your permission to let go of a commitment without feeling like they are disappointing you.  

This should be an ongoing assessment (perhaps every semester or school year). Your child will gain confidence in managing commitments with you in their corner, guiding them on how to protect their plate from becoming overcrowded.

2. Schedule downtime at home.

If your child always has somewhere to be or something to do, there is no opportunity to rest and recharge. Try to prioritize downtime daily and on the weekend.

This is the only time in your child’s life when they will have breaks, such as spring, summer, and winter breaks. Although it may be tempting to fill these breaks with activities, doing less can be good for the soul.

3. Become a single-tasker. 

 According to research in neuroscience by Psychology Today, our brains are not capable of multitasking (completing tasks simultaneously). Rather, we are capable of switching tasks quickly, but it comes at a cost. When you stop a task to start a new one, that in-between stop/start process actually slows us down and can result in mistakes and drained energy. In a world full of distractions, it is possible that multitasking is contributing to burnout.

Picture this. Your student is “in the zone” studying for a big Biology test, but hears his phone “ding” with a new text. He feels the pressure to grab his phone to respond to the text quickly. He doesn’t want to seem inconsiderate or rude to the person on the other end texting, after all. Frustration sets in as he tries to find the spot on the page of his textbook he was just reviewing. This vicious cycle repeats on autopilot. Sound familiar?

Consider doing one task at a time. During homework time, distractions like phones should be in another room out of sight to focus. They can set the expectation with friends and family by letting them know that during 4-6 PM, they are unavailable.

4. Seek help from experts. 

There will be seasons in your student’s life that are busier than others, such as junior and senior years as they prepare for college. Turning to your community for support can help during these especially hectic times.

Leverage your village, including guidance counselors or tutors, in areas that are beyond your student’s expertise. For example, if your student has never written a scholarship essay before, it can seem like a daunting task to learn from scratch. Consulting with a college counselor for guidance can ease the stress as the counselor likely has sample essays to refer to. 

5. Ensure basic needs are met.

When burned out, It can be easy to let go of the basics, like sleeping, eating, getting dressed, and investing time in your relationships. But these should not be overlooked. If you are sleepy and hungry on top of being burned out, that is a recipe for disaster.

Establish boundaries to help your student daily. Here are a few ideas:

• Set a firm bedtime, along with removing devices in their room overnight to make sure your student sleeps soundly. 

• Eat dinner at the table as a family. Not only will this help you ensure your child is eating a proper meal, but they are also investing in their relationship with their siblings and parents.

As Esther Perel, psychotherapist, says “The quality of your life ultimately depends on the quality of your relationships.” To raise well-rounded and happy kids, prioritizing the basics is essential.

 The bottom line.

Too much is at stake, including both mental and physical health. Consider implementing these tips to help your student avoid burnout. In a world that glorifies busyness, it may seem counterintuitive to lighten your student’s academic load, but the long-term impact is worth the courage to challenge the status quo.