Burnout at OHS

You know that feeling when you have absolutely no desire to do any of your schoolwork? An essay that would usually take you a few hours is suddenly taking you days and days to finish. All motivation seems to have just vanished into thin air. Missing school suddenly seems all too tempting, even if the end of term is looming over your head.

This abhorrent feeling is called burnout. Burnout is when excessive and prolonged stress leads to emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion. Usually it is a result of feeling overwhelmed, emotionally drained, or feeling as if you are not able to meet demands or expectations.

Unfortunately, burnout is something that many OHS students experience. The stresses that result from academic pressure leads many students to get crippling burnout, especially during the 2nd and 3rd term.

When asked what the root cause of his burnout is, Orem High senior, Shion Sonomura says “Unbalance in my life, whether it’s worrying about my grades, massive loads of work, or unnecessary social stress.”

Ellen Drinkwater, an Orem High senior, says “I think just 3rd term because it’s winter and school has been going on for quite a while, but there’s not like a big event to look forward to, or a fun holiday season. It’s just winter.” Unfortunately school doesn’t just end when it gets bitterly cold outside and winter starts to set in. Students and teachers must continue chugging along.

There are many reasons why students get burnout, we all have crazy busy schedules and are trying to balance a lot, but the real question is: how do students handle it? Orem High senior, Sam Thacker says “It fuels my bad attitude towards school and learning. I still do well in my classes, but I’m grumpier and not a very happy guy.”

Clara Wikle, another senior at Orem High says “I feel like I do worse in school because I’m constantly trying to catch up, so I’m not focused on what we’re currently learning.” An Orem High junior, James Christensen, says “It fills me with loathing anytime I’m about to go to a class that assigns big projects because I know that It will be the bane of my existence for the next week or two. It overwhelms my normal desire to learn and I become less motivated.”

Safe to say, burnout is not fun, and it makes school even harder than it already is. So what can we do about it? When asked if she had found anyways to help her burnout, Ellen Drinkwater says “a break usually helps me kind of reset, even if it’s only three days. Also cleaning my room, or just doing other productive things can help me with my school mindset.”

When asked the same question Shion Sonomura says “spending quality time with my friends, taking a break, doing things I like, and having a balanced life.” James Christensen also added some wise words when asked this question. “Sitting down and taking time to realistically and logistically plan out how I’m going to handle the many things going on will help me deal with the burnout.”

There are many different ways to handle your burnout. Unfortunately, burnout seems very hard to avoid, but you can recover quickly if you’re intentional about how you handle it. Here are some ways to deal with your burnout.

First, make sure to prioritize getting enough sleep. Quality sleep will allow your body to function at full capacity and keep your mind clear. 8-10 hours of sleep is the recommended amount of sleep for teenagers.

Second, make time for fun. Amidst all of the essays and finals, it’s essential to make sure you’re making time for yourself. High school is about expanding your knowledge, as well as learning about yourself and who you want to be. Find things that make you happy. Whether it’s a hobby or a person. Prioritize making it a part of your regular routine.

And lastly, practice gratitude. Gratitude is the best cure for a heavy heart. Remembering the things you are grateful for even when you’re overwhelmed can do wonders for you. When you’re really burnt out, think of the things that make you want to keep living life to the fullest. Those things are your reason to keep going. Don’t give up.

Ultimately, burnout is extremely hard to avoid in high school. There are going to be times when it all starts to pile up and it becomes too much to handle. But there are ways you can make it go away faster.

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Alexis Hall

Alexis Hall is a senior at Orem High School. She is an avid reader and writer. She has been on ODC for the past three years. She is also a student director for the Writing Center. She believes writing is a powerful tool that brings us together and she hopes to reach people through her writing.