Burnout

By Aniyah McLemore
FWIS Youth Writer

Burnout is a subject that many people can relate to. Burnout is known as experiencing exhaustion physically, mentally, and or emotionally (ClevelandClinic). When speaking about burnout it is important to understand where it comes from. Academic pressure, extracurricular stress, sleep deprivation, social pressure, family stress, and many other stressors can cause burnout.

Sometimes people don’t even recognize that they are experiencing a burnout until it causes severe issues mentally and or physically. Recognizing burnout can be difficult at times because society often makes people believe feeling tired is a ‘normal part of life’. Symptoms of burnout can include feeling drained, feeling sick, having trouble focusing, mood swings, loss of interest, anxiety, depression, and many others.

Personally, I believe that I have experienced burnout a few times in my life. During some seasons in my life, I feel like everything is piling up. For example having many school projects due at once, long practices after school, and having to go to work. Oftentimes this pressure builds up and builds anxiety in my mind. During these times I find it important to take a few minutes or a day away from what is stressing me out.

One of the first ways I help myself prevent burnouts is creating healthy balances for myself. For example, if I am doing homework, I will give myself the adequate amount of breaks or downtime from the work. I also try to plan ahead and make healthy goals for myself since I often have limited time to do things. Rewarding myself for the progress I have made is also very helpful during a hard time. Lastly, I prioritize healthy relationships. This way I can have a strong support system for myself that I can utilize when times get hard. I also remain available for these people to lean on me when they need it also. With burnout being on a rise in 2025, especially within adolescence, I believe it is important that we are able to recognize these important signs in each other. By being able to recognize the signs of a burnout we can help each other be at our fullest potential.