There’s a condition that drains you from the inside out

It hinders your ability to sleep and cope healthily, increases risks of heart disease and sickness, and amplifies your desire to potentially drink or abuse substances. Not only that, but it affects 27% of American highschoolers. 

That condition is called burnout, and chances are you or someone you know has or is currently dealing with it right now. As a highschooler who’s dealt with it myself, I was motivated to interview Ms. Kelly McKeown, academic counselor at the Harker School for advice on what it meant to her and how she believed highschoolers should deal with it in a healthy manner. 

According to Ms. McKeown, most teenagers don’t even realize they’re suffering from burnout at first, and initially “start to blame…and shame themselves.” Often students end up spiraling and end up neglecting their nutrition and sleep leading them to function to a lesser ability and perform worse in school. However, unfortunately students then start to develop chronic stress because of the  combination of school and extracurriculars over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms include feeling exhausted both mentally and physically and feeling “stuck” like there’s no possible way forward.

Personally, I’ve dealt with some of these symptoms in the past when attempting to manage pressure from both myself and my parents while still performing well in the academic, extracurricular, and social areas of my life.

However, these symptoms lead many to engage in destructive behaviors like cheating, prohibited AI usage, or poor attendance. 

While the symptoms of burnout may seem scary, luckily it’s very possible to prevent by maintaining a balanced schedule that accounts for eight hours of sleep and eight hours of school per day. Ms. McKeown emphasized that planning ahead is truly the most effective method of preventing burnout.

If you feel like you’re already facing some of the symptoms lifted above, though, it’s not too late. Ms. McKeown recommended seeking help or connections with peers to understand that you’re not alone, and to know that it is temporary and as time moves on, things will change. When you’re in the midst of burnout, take a break from doing “everything” and cut down to just the essentials. Reach out for help from teachers to possibly get extensions on assignments. 

Burnout is considered a state of chronic stress, so if prioritizing yourself means potentially getting a grade lesser than what you expected, choose yourself first. While you may feel like you need to “just work harder,” what you really need to do is take a break and detach from work in order to rejuvenate. 

Feel free to check out the full episode on our Podcast page, and stay tuned for more episodes and articles!

Aanya Mukherjee