IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, THE LEAVES WILL HAVE COMPLETELY CHANGED COLOR, AND THE HUMID AIR HAS BEEN REPLACED BY A FRIGID BREEZE. THIS USUALLY MEANS THAT THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS WILL BE FOUND BURIED UNDERNEATH TEXTBOOKS AND CLASS NOTES. SO LONG SUMMER DAYS, HELLO HECTIC LIFE!
If there’s one phrase that was over-used in my Human Services classes in college, it was definitely the term, “burnout”. My program was emotionally demanding, as my internships consisted mostly of working with the homeless community and with those who were bereaved or palliative. Every class, our professors asked us what we were doing to avoid burnout. Maybe it was that they ran this concept so deeply into my brain, or maybe it was because it truly struck a chord, but the idea of burnout has stuck with me since.
By definition, burnout is the “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration”. This idea extends to more than just human service professionals. Too much stress of any kind could result in total burnout. Symptoms may include feeling tired most of the time, loss of motivation, increase in a negative outlook, isolating yourself, among others.
Clearly, you can’t avoid your daily responsibilities in fear of burnout, so what can you do to prevent it? These prevention tips carry one connecting theme: take time for yourself.
- Take at least 15 minutes each day to meditate, write in your journal, stretch, or read something inspiring.
- Adopt a healthy lifestyle: eat right, exercise regularly, and sleep enough! This provides you with the energy to deal with whatever life throws at you.
- Learn how to say “no”. Set boundaries and don’t overextend yourself. I used to be terrible at this because I didn’t want people to think they couldn’t depend on me. Thankfully, my parents stepped in with this advice: “Saying no now can allow you to say yes to more important things later”.
- Get creative! Be crafty, take photos, try a new recipe, participate in your favorite hobby or discover a new one… Choose something that has nothing to do with work.
- Learn how to manage stress
As you’re in the midst of studying for the next midterm, or juggling work, school and home, try exercising these preventions tips. You may find yourself feeling refreshed and ready to take on whatever the next day has in store.
With beginning of the school year comes the beginning of the struggle for my attention. Gone are the lazy days of summer in which my mind could float along, carefree and light, able to retain even the smallest bit of information with ease. Now, with homework, jobs, volunteering, events, grades, the upcoming election, you name it, it seems that I need to be able to split my mind into 100 different pieces to be able to accommodate all the incoming information, pressures, and emotions. Due to this chaotic frenzy currently occupying my brain, I find I often become overwhelmed with stress or panic and forget to think about one of the most important things in my life. Me.
Read More Post a comment (0)LET’S PLAY WORD ASSOCIATION. WHEN I SAY THE WORD FIBER, WHAT COMES TO YOUR MIND? DULL? BLAND? HEALTHY? WELL, THANKS TO MY DAD, THE WORD POOP COMES TO MIND.
My dad is a fiber freak, and that’s putting it lightly. For years now, he’s been giving me daily reminders of the benefits of fiber. For him, the greatest benefit includes having a solid one-on-one with his porcelain throne. I won’t lie, I used to think this was straight up bizarre, and slightly embarrassing. But, it’s time for me to face the facts and swallow my pride: Dad was right, fiber is key.
While fiber not only helps you maintain a regular bathroom schedule, it also boasts a plethora of health benefits:
- Improves digestions and slows the onset of hunger
- Lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, among other diseases
- Lowers cholesterol
To obtain these benefits, it’s recommended by the Institute of Medicine that individuals eat 14 grams for every 1,000 calories of food. For women, that’s a goal of 25 grams, and for men, 38 grams. Unfortunately, the average American manages to get only about 14 grams a day.
Thanks to my dad’s constant berating of the benefits of fiber, I’m aware of just how convenient it is to increase your fiber intake. There are the obvious classics like whole-wheat bread and grains, greens and oatmeal. But did you know fiber can also be found in apples (bonus points for leaving the skin on), kiwis, onions, frozen peas, and nuts?
Looks like today I’ll be having cut up apples, granola and yogurt for breakfast; trail mix for a snack; chili soup for lunch; and whole wheat pasta for dinner. Maybe I’ll even invite Dad over too…
It’s odd to think that your dream is not only in your hands, but in the hands of someone else as well.
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