When workloads become sky high and the pressure to do your best becomes too much, it is likely that students will reach their breaking point and shut down from doing anything besides attending to their basic needs. Burnout can develop in numerous ways, but most commonly through work or school, meeting deadlines, health problems, and family influences. For junior Jack Hiteshew, the pressures of finals season caught up to him, making it hard to even get out of bed at times, which only added onto his stressors and set him back further.
The feeling of burnout, “is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by stress that is very intense, long-lasting, or both,” according to the Mind 24-7 team of mental health researchers. It is most common among teenagers and in a survey conducted by the Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), there was an indication, “that a substantial 66 percent of students disclosed experiencing stress attributed to unsatisfactory grades, while an additional 59 percent reported feeling stressed due to evaluation circumstances”
Some of the most common side effects that come with burnout are the “psychological syndromes of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and reduced personal accomplishment that can occur among individuals who work with other people in some capacity,” (NIH). Prior to the burnout that Hiteshew experienced, life was still relatively busy, “but I wasn’t tired all the time like I am now” Hiteshew said. The stress and exhaustion that Hiteshew experienced continued to build upon itself, forming an overflowing amount of dejected feelings.
"I became really depressed and burnt out and it made it hard to do anything" - Jack Hiteshew
“Feeling burned out can make it harder to focus to start or finish tasks, which can result in feeling unprepared & falling behind, increasing stress levels even higher. A stressed or burned out brain will have a greater tendency to focus on the negatives, and to worry, which will amplify the bad feelings,” (Brain Balance) according to a source on the study of burnout in children and teens.
Hiteshew continued to be hard on himself while he was feeling burnt out, but with help from his parents he was able to persevere through the pressure he felt in school. He tells himself to “take it one day at a time” as the semester goes on.
Burnout doesn’t only manifest through academics however. Recently, many have even found that their favorite childhood sports became draining as the years went on, like junior Samantha Martinez.
Nine years of shooting hoops, and spiking the ball over the net in high school, fueled Martinez’ passion for sports, but overtime, the sport of basketball that once brought her happiness, has now left her fatigued and with less excitement for the sport. Martinez’ most recent season came to an end, completing her ninth year of basketball
Martinez didn’t recognize it in the moment of playing but as the time went on she eventually noticed the impact of being burnt out and her lack of motivation. “I think I put too high expectations and pressure on myself, and I put this goal in my head. Then when I found out that I couldn’t reach that goal, I just started to shut down and not really find motivation in anything,” Martinez said. The constant pressure of coaches and family members as well, overwhelmed Martinez, ultimately leading her to shut down and feelings of unmotivation.
"I just felt like I wasn’t good enough. Because it’s like, I want to be good, but I don’t want to do it. So it’s like, why try?” - Samantha martinez
When sharing her methods of combating burnout, Martinez recalled how she spent time with her teammate Julia Cox after the game, debriefing on the events that occurred. And revealing their similar experiences. Martinez also received further support from her mother who she felt understood her struggles a lot. An additional strategy Sami tried was choosing not to play beach volleyball this year, instead choosing to focus on school in order to reduce burnout from affecting her academics.
Despite the poor impacts of academic and athletic burnout on students, there are many resolutions that teens can take to prevent this adverse issue. A few key components in the breakthrough to burnout may be avoiding procrastination, taking breaks, practicing self-care, putting in time for hobbies or doing things that make you happy. Parents can contribute to helping their students as well.
In an article from Oxford Learning, several tips for parents to prevent burnout include reassuring children that it’s okay to say no to taking on more tasks than they can handle if they’re already prioritizing too much work. Additional tips show that children can ask for help, develop stress management strategies, and establish healthy habits like eating healthy and getting eight hours of sleep.
Burnout can be a great threat among teenagers, but with the proper resources students and athletes can surpass the struggles that may control their lives.