Students discussed feelings of anxiety and stress in a workshop called “Burnout Is Real: Avoid It!” in the Student Union on Nov. 17.
The event was part of Peer Connections’ “Cookies for Success” program, which offers a variety of workshops to help students succeed in school, as well as free cookies for those who attend.
Psychology junior Nikita Varma gave a presentation on what burnout looks like and how students can avoid it.
Burnout can be defined as the condition of being completely exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally, according to a Darling Downs Health webpage.
Varma said two signs of burnout are loss of motivation and withdrawing from responsibilities.
Psychology freshman Ariana Gallegos said she experienced burnout in high school and has found it difficult to handle a more strenuous college workload.
“In high school I put a lot of academic pressure on myself ... but now that I’m in college I don't feel so forward with my academics,” Gallegos said. “I feel like maybe I put so much energy in high school that I lost all of it.”
Varma said there are a number of ways to heal from burnout, including socializing through clubs or events hosted by San José State, trying out new hobbies alone and seeking professional help.
Varma said alone time can be especially valuable in the healing process for those who dedicate a lot of time to others.
“You are a friend to you ... you need to remind yourself that you're not just there to provide for others and to get work done,” Varma said. “You're also there to take care of you and make sure that that person within you is being treated as well.”
Roughly 86% of college students in the U.S. felt overwhelmed and almost 39% felt so depressed it was difficult to function, according to a 2017 report released by the American College Health Association.
Math education freshman Lindsey Nguyen said the amount of time she has to dedicate to academics has given her a lot of anxiety.
Varma said students who care for others and forget to care for themselves should try to practice the opposite of the golden rule, “treat yourself the way you would treat others.”
One form of emotional self-care is for students to let themselves cry when they need to, according to Varma.
“When we think of emotional self-care, we think, ‘What’s gonna make me feel good in the moment?’ but sometimes you gotta feel out your emotions,” Varma said. “Your emotions are a spectrum and you’re supposed to be angry, you're supposed to be upset, that’s the way of life.”
Nguyen said she has noticed the stark difference between the levels of difficulty in high school and at SJSU.
“It’s a slap in the face,” Nguyen said. “Even though I went to a college prep school where I took community college classes, it is not the same. I’ve just been in this big adjustment period.”
She said she has noticed a decline in her mental health since coming to SJSU, and said she has experienced strong feelings of being burnt out.
Workshops like “Burnout Is Real: Avoid It!” are provided by SJSU to give students the tools they need to cope with the difficulties of life as a college student, and Nguyen said this one was valuable to her.
“I’ve started experiencing a lot of anxiety to the point where I reached out for mental health services for the first time ever,” Nguyen said. “To be able to put a name to how I feel, and then be able to figure out ways to prevent it or help it was really helpful to me.”
