Ever since I first heard the term “senioritis” I had always wondered what that meant. I knew in terms of technicality of what it meant, but I never really understood what it was besides a sort of slang that many people use once they hit senior year. However, the more that I learn about this condition, the more that I realize that there is another term that is used more commonly, “burnout”.
First, what is burnout? Merriam Webster defines burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration.” And this makes perfect sense with what senioritis is, a state of complete exhaustion caused by one of the main inducers of frustration and stress known to mankind: school.
However, the thing with burnout is that, like most of the illnesses that can’t be seen with the naked eye, it has so many devastating and long-lasting consequences that aren’t so apparent at first glance. A 2017 study published by the National Library of Medicine found that not only were there drastic psychological problems, such as insomnia and depressive symptoms, but it also negatively impacted one’s health. The study then goes on to list various physical health consequences, such as but is not limited to heart disease, prolonged fatigue, and respiratory concerns.
While this is a truly concerning illness for anyone, the statistics are especially bad for high school students. A survey by the APA found that over half of the students surveyed were labeled as burnt out or highly stressed. Most alarming, a study by the University of Washington that asked for the causes for this high stress state, a full 83% of the students claimed that school was their primary stressor.
Now, there are many different explanations as to why school might be a primary stressor in the lives of high school students, but a 2014 study shows how challenging courses, high expectations of family and peers, maintaining and regularly completing schoolwork, and attempting to effectively communicate with teachers and peers might all play a role in pushing school to the #1 stressor in the lives of many students of the 21st century.
Due to the fragile nature of adolescence, there is an added concern when it comes to high school burnout. There has been much research done on the impact of burnout in high school students, and the results are shocking. Adolescent burnout has been correlated with dropping out of school, absenteeism, additional mental health problems, as well as being correlated with youth depression and anxiety.
However, all this is not to say that senioritis is a severe case of burnout that might result in all of these consequences. But, it is always important to keep in mind the risks of burnout because one never knows when it might hit them. Everyone can get burnt out at some point in their lives or another. It is a completely natural thing to experience and the most important thing to do is to pull oneself out of it in a way that is both healthy and productive, as to not initiate the deadly cycle of burnout and extreme workaholism.
#1: Take breaks.
I truly think that breaks are one of the most important things to take. What I have found throughout my years of going to school is that in the long run, taking breaks is so much more productive than trying to grind out everything and spending every second on something productive.
#2: Exercising or practicing some form of self care.
There are various studies that talk about both the mental and physical health benefits when it comes to exercising and I think that taking some time to care for one’s mental and physical health really creates more stamina and healthy drive for future goals. Like tip #1, this will help much more than just trying to finish all the work that needs to be done.
#3: Setting realistic goals.
I think that setting realistic goals is a really important thing to learn. And in no way, shape, or form is setting realistic goals the same thing as telling oneself to stop dreaming. Dreams are an amazing part of life and without dreams and hopes, life would be so much more bleak. However, setting those dreams as goals isn’t a healthy mindset especially if those dreams are slightly out of reach.
Working hard for one’s dream is an amazing thing, and having realistic goals and working towards one’s dreams isn’t mutually exclusive at all. However, the advice that I would like to give is to also have smaller goals that one could realistically accomplish and celebrate those small achievements along the way as well.
Burnout is a very scary condition and I think the scariest part is that it doesn’t announce itself like a cut or a bruise does. It quietly sneaks up when one isn’t expecting it at all, but by being aware of its existence and actively taking steps to prevent it from taking over can help make high school a bit more bearable.
