The epidemic of school burnout is among us. Kids all across the country and most likely world are struggling with burnout. According to UGA, “Academic burnout is considered to be a negative emotion that relates to physical and mental reactions to prolonged study that results in exhaustion, frustration, lack of motivation, and reduced ability in school.” Burnout can be incredibly frustrating as it causes difficulty when managing all of the things on your plate in a healthy way. The students work to combat their emotions of struggle and failure each year which ultimately leads to the burnout feeling. Bottling up emotions often leads to students feeling even more burnt out. Burnout is a regular thing to experience during high school due to the increased stress that comes with school. When burnout is not dealt with, the burnout can often increase as a result of feelings of stress and guilt bottling up on top of the workload the student already has.
Exhaustion from the demand that school has is another big thing that can lead to burnout. Students experiencing burnout typically have a complete change in their attitude towards school but also towards others. These feelings and actions typically are negative and make it difficult for students to interact with others in a positive way! Burnout is extremely common, with over 90% of polled Dee-Mack students reporting feeling this way. Whether the students are feeling burnt out from school, sports, familial responsibilities, or work, burnout is often easily recognizable. Students experiencing burnout typically have a complete change in their attitude towards their responsibilities, their friends, and their family. Each student has a different way that they deal with burnout but few have a true solution. The easiest thing to do is to find something that takes pressure away from performing. Having days that allow students to just chill or have some fun with their peers is an excellent way to alleviate their stress into something productive. Teachers can have project days that engage students into something useful for their learning but also not putting a ton of pressure to perform.
As we continue to navigate the school year, we need to recognize that life is hard for everyone and no one is alone. We need to remember that everyone is feeling something different so be kind, be respectful and be helpful to everyone.
