The concept of burning out has gained particular attention in recent decades as the psychology community seeks to better understand the mechanisms behind it. Literature published in ScienceDirect defines “burnout” as a psychological syndrome caused by prolonged occupational stressors. For college students, burnout tends to be most prevalent throughout the final weeks of the semester. To better understand this phenomenon, Angela Fileccia, LCSW and director at the University of Maine Counseling Center, was asked for her input.
“This is a very stressful time of year because you’ve got all the projects due, getting ready for finals. Some folks are getting ready to potentially head back home, or even head on to study abroad or an internship. So there’s a ton of upheaval that happens,” said Fileccia.
From years of being a counselor working with college students, she has noticed significant trends when it comes to stress throughout the semester. Fileccia explained that stress can become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
“We see a lot of students who are expressing extra stress this time of year, and then with that extra stress means that students stop doing some basic things to take care of themselves. They’re not sleeping as much because they think they’re going to do all the studying instead, or not eating like they usually would, trying to cram as much as they possibly can,” said Fileccia.
The question remains: How should students best manage their burnout? According to Fileccia, the answer may be simple.
“Try to really focus on making sure that you’re still doing the basics, like still trying to get some sleep, still eating three meals a day. Like get out and touch some grass, touch some snow if there’s any,” said Fileccia.
Many students feel inclined to neglect these aspects of their health as they put more energy into their studies. Abby Caruso, a UMaine student and mental health advocate, was asked for their perspective.
“I’m at the point where it doesn’t even feel worth it to go to my classes because I’m really just there to take a final and be done with it. It doesn’t help that if you have mental health struggles like me, burnout just makes it all worse,” said Caruso. “It has been a struggle to keep myself getting out of bed every day.”
During this stressful period, Caruso emphasized that it is important to remember that “you are not alone.” Burnout is common among people no matter their mental health status and, as Fileccia describes, is a sign of one’s humanity.
“Our brains aren’t really designed to study for 20 hours at a stretch. That’s not really how our brains work. So, we do try to really focus on what you are going to do to take care of yourself,” she explained.
Fileccia also shared that the way in which you take care of yourself is not the entire picture. Part of the battle is how you frame this period in your mind. Fileccia defines this idea as a “cognitive distortion,” where our brains tend to frame concepts in a maladaptive light.
“‘If I don’t pull this all-nighter, if I don’t just put my head down and not even see my friends for the next three weeks, I’m going to flunk out of school.’ For the vast majority of people, that’s not true. What’s important to remember is that this period of time is temporary. The passage of time will occur. You will get through this,” said Fileccia. “You will make it to winter break.”
Additionally, there are resources on campus that students can take advantage of, such as those
provided by the Student Wellness Resource Center. Located in the basement of the Union, the center hosts a number of activities. During finals, there will be therapy dogs in Fogler Library library.
“There are a lot of things on campus happening between now and the end of finals to help students de-stress. So take advantage of some of those, because those actually will help you be a better student,” said Fileccia.
Fileccia ended by noting that students should take care of themselves during these final few weeks, and remember that academic performance on exams does not define worth. As children’s illustrator author Charlie Mackesy wrote, “Sometimes just getting up and carrying on is brave and magnificent.”
