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I think I’m burnt out and I need help

My term dates are different so I am on a 3 week break from uni now and I am going back to uni tomorrow. I am on a really intensive course and I am just tired. I don’t want to go back at all. I just want everything to stop. But I need to go back and I don’t know what to do. Does anyone have any advice

Reply 1

Muttly

Does your course have an end date? If the pain is worth the sweat in the short term - if yes stick with it.

First get your sleep bank fully charged. Next do some de-stressing work. No study, no screens. Go and walk (run; swim; cycle) in a pleasant (green) space for ten minutes every day minutes. This may take at least 4 or 5 days. You might not have all the answers to life but allow your mind to wander and explore everything you would love to do. Catch up with friends, family if you are able and get lots of love and TLC. Focus on deep breathing, gentle stretching. Makes sure you eat nutritionally sound foods, cooked from fresh. Soups do not have to be expensive. Eat as much fruit & veg as you can, and hydrate. Then you will be ready to decide what to do.

Then break your course down into weeks (or days) and see how you can separate out each part of the head pain with a short break doing something pleasant to reward yourself at the end of each day (or week)

Are you up to date in your work? If yes, keep going. If no urgently go and see the course tutors or get a hardcore blitz and producing the study work necessary to get your course done. Even burn the midnight oil and just get it gripped and churn 'anything' out for submission (course work)

In the interim just review where you are at in life. What you see yourself doing in the short term, in 2 years, 5 years,
10 years. What qualifications (including this one) can you 'bank' and then move on? The pain doesn't last forever. Do you enjoy your Uni intense course subject? That helps if your brain cells are shrinking and crying out for help. Keep going too. If you are finding the course painful because of its intensity, so will everyone else. Others will drop out, don't join them unnecessarily. You have to find the extremes of anything you do just to know what you are capable of achieving.

If you honestly want to bail out, only do it after thinking through all the pro's, the con's in a better frame of mind. Work out what you will lose in the longer term and then just do it if you have made that decision. But its always easier to give up and flake out in life than it is to give a burst of super human effort to get over the finish line. Giving up too easily might be an entrenched learned bad habit?

Reply 2

University of Huddersfield

Official Rep

Original post by Anonymous

Anon,

Talk to your tutor about how your feeling. They will be able to share some words of advice and be able to speak directly about your course and how students typically feel at different stages and whether taking time out is a possibility.

It is likely that with such an intensive course you are not the only one feeling overwhelmed, so do reach out to other course mates who you can share with and be supported by. Perhaps you can grab a coffee with someone after one of your lectures or seminars and talk things over with them.

It might also be an idea to reach out to friends and family who can offer some perspective or additional help to get you through this tough time. Maybe that's help with time management, finances, a regular call during the week or some words of encouragement. Family and old friends tend to know us best, so they might be able to remind you about previous times when you felt stressed out and how your overcame or simply be able to remind you that they are there for you and believe that you can achieve your goal!

How long have you got left?

What assessments still need to be done?

Of course there is stress and there is worry, tiredness and feeling overwhelmed, but there is also a point where things move towards a loss of physical health and mental health. So if you are experiencing emotions and feelings which are not normal for you or you experienced these things before and it led to problems with your physical or mental health, then do contact your GP now!

All the best,

Oluwatosin – 2nd year student – University of Huddersfield