Students commonly face stress; some people find it alarming that education can cause personal and social stress that can affect their academic abilities.

“I think academic burnout is a combination of things. It is students enduring the pandemic and the expectations that their parents put on them. Your world was turned upside down at the snap of a finger and then you were stuck in the house. Now you are trying to play catch up to get all your skills where they need to be so you can be on the path of success,” Student Services Coordinator Stephanie Rudison said.

Burnout can happen when facing ongoing stress or frustration without a break. If you do not plan it can lead to stress, especially in teens. According to Psychology Today, the average high school student has the same level of stress or anxiety as the average psychiatric patient in the early 1950s.

“It doesn’t surprise me that students have the same level of stress because looking back to the 1950s and the pandemic that happened recently, they both have similar attributes,” Mrs. Rudison stated.

The definition of burnout can vary depending on the person. For example, some adults or teachers see this as a learning curve, a way to work harder, and sometimes they do not dramatize it. However, some students will have a tough time functioning if they find themselves in a rut, and their grades will worsen.

“I definitely think students can get affected mentally and physically by school. I have no say in the matter, but I just know that students can influence each other negatively, and they also get stressed out because of work,” Freshman Jeymar Couvertier commented.

The greatest challenge is a Planning ahead of time is beneficial for any tasks that prove challenging for students, like homework, housework, etc.

“You want to have a balance, and sometimes if we do not have a strategy and we are not properly planning, that can lead to burnout, even as adults. Our goal as service providers is making sure you have the strategies that you need before you go into the real world; before you become an adult,”

From many teachers’ perspectives, what makes school hard is a student’s own lack of planning and unpreparedness, for instance, students handing late or substandard assignments. However, from some students’ perspectives, it is the schoolwork that compromises their motivation.

“Nothing is really challenging, the amount of schoolwork you get assigned is just tiresome. It is hard when you get home, and you are trying to take a break after what could have been a tough day, but you realize that you have extra work, and then you have to put off rest a little longer,” Couvertier stated.

Burnout is not just seen in students; it is also seen in teachers. Teachers have the same amount of work that students do, sometimes even more because each classroom can vary from 20 to 30 students, and each teacher has 6 classes.

“A lot of our teachers are dealing with a lot of stress, and we do see the signs. Like a teacher yelling, if they are not being attentive or get agitated by little things, that is when we know that something is going on. We want to have this perception that everything is okay, but everything is not always okay,” Mrs. Rudison said.

There are different ways people manage their burnout until it passes, or just avoid it all together. Some people recommend meditating or words of affirmation, however some students have a different strategy.

“Usually, I play games and scribble on paper to relax, sometimes I will also write about how my day has been going and how I could have done better to improve next time,” Couvertier said.

Knowing signs of burnout can help others act and support their peers, even prevent burnout. It is important that students look out for each other in a time of need and inform people of the different healthy solutions instead of suffering in silence.

“You students know each other best; you know your friends and what they are upset about, you know how you lift them up, so make sure you are encouraging and empowering each other,” Mrs. Rudison stated.