As the school year wraps up for students, the final weeks before the last day of school can feel like they drag on and on. Personally, as a former “gifted student,” these last weeks have been agonizing. Students who have finished their AP exams, or even those who have taken on a heavy course load, are ready to be done with the year. Projects, assignments, and tests are constant reminders that we’re so close, yet somehow still so far. 

In the past few weeks, I have taken more naps in a single day than ever before. Even after getting a full eight hours of sleep the night before, I can’t help but take quick naps in class or crawl under the covers as soon as I get home. I’m sure many students can relate to this sudden fatigue as we get closer to the end of the year. On top of the exhaustion from this school year, seniors are eagerly anticipating graduation. Four years of carrying academic and extracurricular responsibilities, along with maintaining a social life and working, are suddenly over.

These symptoms of fatigue, lack of motivation, detachment from responsibilities, and/or irritability can be signs that you are experiencing burnout. Alongside depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, and other mood or behavior issues common in teenagers, burnout can make it hard to prioritize important tasks or self-care. It can feel like an existential dread is hanging over you, leaving you too anxious or tired to get anything done. Then you’re stuck in a loop of not getting anything done until the last minute, which only heightens the exhaustion and anxiety you feel.

It seems easier said than done, but it is important not to get stuck in this loop. The first step is to understand what you are feeling so you can come to terms with it. No one understands our bodies and feelings better than we do. Compare your normal behavior to how you are now; I know that I am usually bubbly and outgoing, so when I am exhibiting signs of burnout, I know I need to take a break and recalibrate. 

Self-care can feel impossible, especially when it seems like you have no time for anything but work, organizing, and preparing. Mental Health America suggests doing “bare-minimum” self-care, such as staying hydrated or unclenching your jaw and relaxing your shoulders. Taking breaks to do these bare essentials helps you stay in tune with your body and mind.

Most importantly, never let anyone guilt you for experiencing valid stress and fatigue. Balancing everything that a high school student has to balance can be a lot, so give yourself some grace! Between grades, preparing for post-grad plans, working a part-time job, getting volunteer hours for honor societies, and trying to have some sort of social life, high school can be a lot. Burnout is a valid feeling, and it is easy to get stuck in a lack of motivation. Give yourself permission to slow down, breathe, and simply do the best you can with the energy you have left. 

The end of the school year is finally within reach, and a well-deserved rest is waiting right on the other side.