GRAPHIC: Image showing the words “Second Thoughts” in a blue serif font against a black background. Graphic by The Signal Managing Editor of Content & Operations Troylon Griffin II. — Graphic by The Signal Managing Editor of Content & Operations Troylon Griffin II.

SECOND THOUGHTS: The war against burnout continues

By Troylon Griffin II, Editor-in-Chief On Nov 28, 2022 262 0

Over the course of the blog this semester, I have talked about attitudes and approaches that have helped make college life (and life in general) easier for me. I spoke about how I am starting the semester off with the right mindset, dealing with criticism, decision making and how I continue to be an optimist even in the face of hardship.

I am someone who is never stressed and certainly does not know what it means to experience burnout right? Wrong. Like anyone else, and especially any college student, I too am often stricken with burnout.

When you are balancing school, two jobs, and life as a whole, it definitely begins to feel like a large weight is on you. Each of the things I named are separate weights, so I basically have many weights I carry on a daily basis.

Nevertheless, in my journey as a college student and learner, I have tried my best to combat the onset of burnout and every semester is a chance for me to ensure burnout does not strike me. Some semesters are more successful than others and I would not say it has gotten easier in terms of the challenges, tasks and obstacles that bring out the burnout.

So how do I deal with burnout? Well, at the heart of burnout, I think the primary issue is balancing the following: inspiration, labor and rest.

When burnout strikes us, the primary symptom of it is mental exhaustion. It leaves one feeling uninspired at their job or in school. Burnout is the death of inspiration and the death of inspiration is certainly not a death society can afford right now.

This death of inspiration comes when we begin to feel overworked. Some might say even when you are burnt out you just gotta keep going and you must remember your purpose and what inspires you so that you can get going. However, this is not the best approach.

As someone who reminds himself of his purpose, duty and inspiration every day, and has pushed himself to do things even when I have reached mental exhaustion, there is definitely a problem with such an approach because it disregards the thing society must never take for granted: leisure.

For every bit that we do work, we must make it a priority to take time for relaxation, even if others may deem it selfish. If taking time for leisure is selfish, just remember you only have one self. Many of us college students are still finding our way and we do not need to be burning ourselves out before then.

Time management is important, and it’s important we make time for leisurely activities just as much as we do for work and school. The way one spends their time not working is far more important than how they might spend their time working, as your job shouldn’t be the only thing that defines you.

One thing not always discussed about burnout is the guilt that comes with it. Burnout often makes a person feel like they have fallen off the plans and goals they wanted to reach. To that, I say the following: it is okay to fall off from one’s intended plans and not always achieve something at the exact moment you hoped you would. You can start a semester off with the right attitude but life will get in the way. Suddenly you realize you are in the same old cycle and not making the change you wanted, and that is okay. Life is not meant to be a steady ascension. It’s a series of ups and downs. It’s not about the fall, it’s about how you rise from it.

On the other hand, you may find it is your leisure that is keeping you from having the right work ethic. At that point, you have to ask, what is more important to you? Your leisure or your work? Which will help you in the long run?

I am a lover of philosophy and philosophy has helped me stay inspired in life and in work. Today, many are turning to philosophy to help them find motivation at work even when they are nearing burnout.

Aristotle wrote that when it comes to living a truly wholesome life, the quality of our leisure is more important than the quality of our work. It is when we do not work that we truly find inspiration, the driving force behind a quality life. It is not work or even recovery from work that is the endgame. They are a means to an end so that you can live your life when you are not working. So in this ongoing war against burnout, don’t feel ashamed or guilty to make time for yourself outside of school and work. You can’t work and learn well if you cannot even rest well.