Preventing Burnout At University

Ah…burnout, a concept I, personally, am a tad overfamiliar with. Luckily, it doesn’t have to be this way – yes, even for Finalists! I’m sharing some of my top tips that I use to stop myself from burning out and I’m hoping some of these might help you too!

1. Have a life outside academic studies: I think it’s really important to have extra-curricular activities, hobbies and interests that you do away from your degree. This gives you some time away from your studies and allows you to enjoy the university experience holistically, which is key for your mental health.
2. Do at least one thing for you everyday: so often, we find ourselves prioritising other people over ourselves, and it becomes easy to put ourselves last. By actively planning at least one thing that you do every single day for yourself, this becomes your ‘you’ time. This can be WHATEVER you enjoy, but for me, this is usually a big gym session, going for coffee, or cooking my favourite meal.
3. When you’re working…work: this one sounds obvious, but how many of us can ACTUALLY say that we work solidly on a topic for a set time without interruptions? Most of us get 20 minutes in and become distracted by the notifications on our phone. I’m saying this as the girl who purposefully did not download TikTok for months, in a desperate attempt to avoid becoming addicted…I now have downloaded TikTok, and am addicted… But seriously, switch off your phone when you’re working and save the Instagram scroll for afterwards.
4. Prioritisation: my favourite word… Quite honestly, if I didn’t start every morning with writing out my 5 non-negotiables for the day, I don’t think I would have made it past the second week of term…
5. Exercise: do I even really need to say this? Probably not, but I’m going to anyway 😊 Its benefits for physical and mental health are unmatched. Or maybe I’m just biased because the gym is my favourite place on earth…but seriously, even 10 minutes of movement can help. A walk with a friend, your favourite team sport, a park run – your options are limitless!