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Helping stress & burnout from school

Without going into detail, I've always struggled with burnout from school -- it never really goes away. I'm always taking time off because I just feel too emotionally drained, like I physically can't take another day. How do I prevent the burnout or help myself when I'm going through it?

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Sam

Hi there,

Burnout is when you don’t feel able to carry on with something because you’re feeling emotionally or physically drained. It’s natural to feel burnt out when you’ve got so much going on, so it’s important to think about ways to reduce and manage your stress.

When you’re struggling, there are a few things that can help:

  • Take real breaks
    Give yourself permission to properly rest. This means taking time to do things that relax you without thinking about work. Building breaks into your schedule can help you to be more productive when you are working as well.
  • Break things into smaller tasks
    Focus on getting through one lesson or piece of work at a time. If a piece of work feels overwhelming, break that down into smaller steps as well. Steps could be as small as walking to a lesson, sitting down, and opening your book.
  • Look after yourself
    Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, that you’re eating healthily, and staying active. Looking after your physical health can feel hard when you’re stressed, but it can also make things feel more manageable.
  • Set boundaries
    Set what time you’ll be working, and what time you won’t be and do your best to stick to that. If you’ve finished a piece of work that’s been particularly hard, it can be good to reward yourself after with something fun!
  • Make time for things you enjoy
    Make an effort to do something that makes you happy at least once a day. It could be music, your favourite show, something creative, or keeping in touch with people you care about.

It’s important to share how you’re feeling. You could vent to a friend or other young people on the message boards. Talking to a trusted adult can help you think about ways to reduce or manage your workload so that it can feel more manageable.

Learning to cope with stress can take time, but you should never have to deal with it alone.

Take care,

Sam

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