Academic Burnout: Signs, Symptoms, and How to Recover

You stare at the textbook, but the words don't make sense. You feel tired, cynical, and detached. This isn't just laziness; it's academic burnout.

1. Stress vs. Burnout: Know the Difference

• Stress: You care too much. You are anxious and hyperactive.
• Burnout: You don't care at all. You feel empty, unmotivated, and emotionally drained.

2. The 3 Stages of Burnout

1. Overload: You work harder to compensate for feeling behind.
2. Frustration: You become irritable and start blaming teachers or the system.
3. Apathy: You give up. You stop submitting assignments and skip classes.

3. The Recovery Protocol

You cannot "push through" burnout. You have to stop.

• The "Do Nothing" Day: Take one full day off. No books, no guilt. Sleep, eat, walk.
• Reconnect with a Hobby: Do something that has no grade attached to it. Paint, play guitar, or cook.

4. The "Good Enough" Mindset

Perfectionism is the leading cause of burnout. Accept that 80% is often good enough. Submitting an average assignment is better than submitting nothing.

5. Talk to Someone

Burnout isolates you. Talk to a friend or a counselor. Just saying "I am exhausted" out loud can lift a huge weight off your shoulders.

Remember: You are a human being, not a grade-generating machine. Your mental health is more important than your GPA.