Burnt out matchstick bent to look like it's sitting on table edge in dark

Feeling Burnt Out? 5 Steps to Get Back on Track

You should never work yourself to burnout! It's not healthy. If you feel like you're in a rut, here are five ways to fight burnout and work your way out of it.

Teens are constantly pushing themselves in academics, athletics, and extracurriculars. They expend all this energy, leaving them drained. This exhaustion can erase the passion and drive to do their work, even with topics that they once enjoyed. But even when you find yourself in a rut, there are ways to deal with it and work your way out.

1. Find the source

There are myriad reasons why you could be feeling burned out. Often, it’s more than just one thing—there could be strain on personal relationships, overworking, overextending, or a lack of sleep, just to name a few possibilities. Identifying what it is that is using most of your energy is the first step to dealing with it.

Related: How to Avoid Burnout During College Application Season

2. Don’t get frustrated

It’s easy to want to give up when you aren’t feeling inspired—I know I have felt that way before. But you shouldn’t let yourself get so wrapped up in feeling down, because that will only extend your rut. Try to keep going through your routine and getting work done. You will be grateful you were still producing afterward, even if it wasn’t your best work.

3. Practice self-care

It’s important to take care of yourself even more when you are feeling flat, because allowing yourself to relax can help fight that burnout. Self-care isn’t just facemasks, spa days, and chocolate (although those things are great!). It’s staying hydrated, eating balanced meals, and doing whatever you need to relieve your stress, whether that’s exercise, resting, or talking with friends. Find a way to prioritize you.

Related: College Students' Quick Guide to Health: Taking Care of Your Body

4. Learn to say “no”

Part of the reason you might be fighting burnout is because you are taking on too much. Not everything is your responsibility, and you don’t have enough energy to do it all even if it is. It’s okay to say no if you think you can’t do it—no one will be disappointed if you do. You aren’t letting anyone down by prioritizing one task over another or, more importantly, your mental health. In fact, it may lead to a better product in the end because you aren’t overextending yourself.

5. Talk to someone

Your friends are there to support you. They want to be there to celebrate your good times and help you through your bad. If you aren’t feeling motivated, talk to them. See if they can help you figure out why. And if this lasts more than a couple of weeks, it might be a good idea to tell an adult.

Related: Mental Health: What Is It and How You Can Find Help

Burnout is a real problem, but it’s not something you should be ashamed of. Everyone deals with it at some point in their life—it’s just important that you deal with it in a healthy way.

Find more helpful advice for burnout, anxiety, and stress by using the tag “mental health.”

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

About Zia Sampson

Zia Sampson

I am currently a first-year student at Loyola University New Orleans, where I'm majoring in Mass Communications, both Strategic Communications and Journalism, and minoring in Sociology. I'm in the University Honors Program and the Social Justice Scholars Program. In my free time, I like to watch Netflix, sleep, and read. I am a big animal lover, with four cats and two dogs, and I have two older brothers and a twin sister. You can follow me on Twitter @ZiaSampson.

 

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

University of the Incarnate Word

San Antonio, TX


Rhiannon Teeter

Rhiannon Teeter

$2,000 Community Service Scholarship Winner, 2012

I have spent a lot of time aggressively searching for scholarships. It was a long and frustrating process until I found the CollegeXpress network. This site made my search so much easier. With the simple check of a few boxes, the site sorted out scholarships I was eligible for and led me directly to the correct websites. Winning this scholarship has definitely given me and my family some financial relief, and CollegeXpress has allowed me to improve my chances of winning further financial aid. Thank you so much!

Michael

Michael

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress showed me that Western New England University was a great match for me both with curriculum and location. CollegeXpress is an excellent resource both future and current college students.

Yuhlani Patterson

Yuhlani Patterson

High School Student

CollegeXpress has helped me find so many scholarships that fit me. They match me to colleges I have specific interest in to make searching for colleges way easier and more efficient. CollegeXpress refers me to schools that have my major of interest and backup schools if I want to change my mind. CollegeXpress also gives out their own scholarships, so you have even more of a chance at gaining multiple scholarships. This website has helped me de-stress from the pressure of not being able to afford college, [of finding] what schools are right for me, and how to find easy access to scholarships that most people never knew existed.

Nikole Dixon

Nikole Dixon

$500 Refer-a-Friend Scholarship Winner

Toward the beginning of last year, I was searching for scholarships to apply to through my school, town, websites online, and anything else I could find. I asked tons of questions [online] about scholarships and the best places to find them because I was desperate and needed as many as I could find. I came across a ton of bogus websites, but as soon as I found CollegeXpress, I knew I had to tell other people about it. It was definitely the most helpful site I came across, so I told my friends about it. CollegeXpress is definitely a website worth giving as a source.

Kory Gilbertson

Kory Gilbertson

High School Class of 2022

CollegeXpress has helped me explore my views on college in that "why do I wanna go to a certain school" way. It’s helped me explore the best fits in all of these outstanding choices. All these college admission counselors can access my accolades showing them how I could help their college. This source of information helps me show these admission directors who I am and what I'm interested in. Thanks to this platform, my experience for education will be better than most, and I'm so grateful for all that it has provided for me.