Sunburnout
May 28, 2021
Summer break has finally arrived. The past two semesters seemed longer than ever with little to no breaks, time-consuming assignments, and finals that never seemed to arrive. But now with all this free time, we realize just how exhausted we are. Instead of soaking up the sun and getting sunburn, we are struggling with how to overcome school burnout.
As slow as this semester passed, it also snuck up on us. Everyone was trying to make the most of things. Hanging out with friends and still submitting to Canvas on time proved to be a difficult balance. As students, we are masters of multi-tasking and managed to keep up. A nap or two (or fifty) may have been needed to get us through, but we scraped by in the end.
Now, the last assignments are submitted, the last plus swipes have been used, and we are finally all out of dining dollars. We finally have a break… now what? Plans of having the best summer ever seem less important than a week-long sleep in our own beds. It can be difficult to find a routine over summer break – especially when wanting to focus on destressing from academics.
Letting your mind and body rest is allowed. It keeps you healthy. What is important to be aware of is not to let your body get too comfortable in this state of rest. Though it sounds like an oxymoron, resting for too long can be damaging to our physical and mental health. Staying inactive for a prolonged period of time will cause lethargy, a lack of motivation, and potentially a state of depression. This is an easy spiral to fall into. If we stay in bed and rest for too long, we will become lazy and unmotivated. This lack of energy will then lead to not wanting to leave the house or the bed for anything. All those aspirations of beach days, road trips, and summer fun will be long gone. Once they are gone, a strong sense of FOMO will take over. This could ultimately lead to the most depressing summer ever.
Finding the balance of allowing the body to rest, the mind to recharge, and getting back out in the world is the goal. The best summer ever can’t happen if we stay in bed the whole time. Remember to take a break. You deserve it, but make sure you don’t fall into a pattern of inactivity.
The last thing this summer needs is to be wasted. Go out and enjoy it!
Written by: Anna Pender
Anna is a Senior Strategic Communications major. She is thankful to have the opportunity to write for the blog because it gives her a chance to explore and write about topics and events that she is passionate about and that are relevant to the world. She loves getting to be creative and share her personality through writing.