Some putrid smell of burnt popcorn fills the air; the microwave will reek for hours. But this ‘burnout’ could go away – for students suffering from mental health issues, however, burnout can be a long-lasting hell and is not always easy to bounce back from.
A large portion of students find themselves being burnt out due to the constant pressure to be perfect academically as well as athletically. This persistence to ‘not fail’ can cause students to break when exposed to issues, resulting in them becoming drained and overwhelmed. Pressure is increased by others around students criticizing someone for their mistakes, and not realizing what is happening within their private life. Being burnt out can feel isolating, and exhausting, and this is due to prolonged stress within studies and sports. When dealing with failure, in particular, students will blame themselves and consequently feel like a failure to themselves and others.
It is not always easy to determine if a student is burnt out, but typically the symptoms will start small and slowly grow bigger if left untreated.
It is actually normal to feel stressed and unmotivated at times, but if this becomes a daily occurrence – it could be burnout. Although burnout may feel impossible to overcome, there are ways to find help. Students can seek support from peers, family, or even a therapist.
Another significant variable in students’ emotions is exercise and diet. Students sometimes spend so much time on school and sports that they forget to care for themselves. Not getting enough sleep or eating processed foods can affect not only the body but the mind as well.
Student-athletes struggle with time management due to practices and games taking up so much time within their schedules. Sports are also a huge commitment; making it difficult for students to find time for their schoolwork. After practices, kids are emotionally and physically tired and still need to find the energy to complete homework.
“There will be times after practice or a game where I just don’t feel like doing anything; either cause my mind is exhausted or my body is just tired and it makes homework seem a lot more daunting,” senior Brianna Carrasco said.
Social media also plays a large role in student’s mental health. Social media normalizes the idea of being burnt out with trends on TikTok such as “bed rotting” where teens will spend an abnormal amount of time lying in bed. The trend makes it out to be a positive practice when it only increases depression and worsens sleep activity. Apps such as TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat tend to focus on negative aspects of life and it’s important to keep in touch with nature. 59% of U.S. teens have reported being cyberbullied in some kind of way; which only adds to the idea that social media has worsened kids’ mental health.
Although completing schoolwork and participating in sports is crucial for teens, it is important to not let the stress of excelling go above self-care. It may be easy to fall into a slump, run away from the problem, and give up; but talking to someone and recognizing the issue is huge for overcoming it.
“Burnout has made me have no energy to do my schoolwork. I used to have so much energy, and now I can’t complete stuff that I need to,” junior Rylee Finstrom said.
