MWCC Mental Health Counselor and Student Discuss Burnout and its Contributing Factors
By Maddie Willigar | Assistant Editor
Though many may be familiar with the term “burnout,” what may be unfamiliar is the variety of factors that can contribute to it and the various ways it can be experienced in the body. MWCC Mental Health Counselor Melissa Manzi and student Cami Stephens share what burnout is, what factors could contribute, and advice on how to overcome this issue.
According to Manzi, during the beginning stages of burnout, people may find their thought process becoming more limited, causing them to shut down new ideas quicker than normal. She explained that though burnout symptoms can overlap with symptoms of depression or stress, burnout is a different experience that is dependent on someone’s environment, whether that be school or work.
Manzi said the most prominent sign of burnout is exhaustion, but people may also experience feelings of irritability or anger. Manzi added that “physical symptoms always come out in our body” and said that people might also see these burnout symptoms manifest in stomachaches, back pain, or even tension headaches.
Manzi explained that the individuals who are most likely to experience burnout are those that help others, such as people working in the healthcare field. But when looking at the academic world specifically, perfectionists, people without support systems, people who are struggling in their classes and major, and students during the pandemic are at high risk as well.
One student who has observed how this perfectionistic mindset can contribute to burnout is Stephens, who is a Liberal Arts major with a focus in psychology– currently, she is completing her last semester at the Mount. Having noticed burnout creep up last semester, Stephens found herself emotional, tired, stressed, and prioritizing school over her mental health and talking to friends.
Stephens compared her experience with burnout to a feeling of needing to drive somewhere but “having no gas in your tank.” Stephens said, “It’s a very uncomfortable and unsettling feeling because you know that there is more work to do…but you’re physically and mentally incapable of doing it because you’re so burned out.”
Stephens recognized that despite feeling burned out, her desire to maintain high grades is what caused her to continually push herself. Stephens said, “Once you get that victory of having perfect grades, you want to hold onto it forever.”
Manzi explained that “quintessential burnout” is this feeling of wanting to push yourself past exhaustion. But in order for people to take action and rewire this mentality, Manzi suggested others “take a step back, to not be so focused on results, but be more focused on showing up, paying attention, but then connecting to others.”
Manzi said that one of the simplest yet most overlooked things is spending time with friends. She also suggested that students use the less hectic parts of the semester intentionally.
“Those times when things calm back down, make sure you’re spending that time wisely by doing all those healthy things that are going to help your body withstand that next cycle of when things get tough again,” Manzi said.
But the first thing Manzi said people should ask themselves is what is causing them to be burned out. She elaborated that students who are working full time and doing school full-time might be able to give somewhere. Manzi also said that it’s okay to have boundaries and that “you don’t always have to say yes.”
Manzi explained that other factors could also contribute to burnout as well, such as students studying something they aren’t sure matches their values or goals, a heavy workload, or lack of relationships, control, or fairness.
Manzi added, “Don’t underestimate that Covid in itself was a cause of burnout for…many people.” She explained that Covid was unfair, caused lack of relationships, and was out of our control.
Manzi also said that “students who…had to address the changes that we went through with covid” could become burned out because some may struggle to navigate technology, such as a computer or not have reliable access to the internet. These factors can exert more energy than normal and could contribute to burnout symptoms.
In addition, students that like socializing or become energized from being around others were now submerged in the complete opposite: isolation. This act of what Manzi described as going “against someone’s grain” caused students to work extra hard.
On this same note, Stephens said that the pandemic could contribute to students experiencing burnout because it has caused students to either devote so much more time to their studies, or find it hard to stay motivated to complete assignments at all.
Stephens explained that it’s important for people to figure out what is causing them to be burned out because “it’s a very vicious, damaging cycle” that impacts your mental, emotional, and physical health and can cause you not to give your body what it needs.
Manzi explained that often a misconception behind burnout is “that it’s someone’s fault.” However, Manzi explained that burnout is a “state” and a direct result of the environment. Manzi pointed out that it was nobody’s fault that Covid happened, and yet the “environment of Covid caused burnout.”
Manzi said that some steps people can take to pull themselves out of burnout are going for a walk outside, ensuring they have support and aren’t isolated, and being consistent with participating in activities that ground them.
Stephens advised people to make sure they have support, reach out to their professors about any problems or questions, take breaks, make time for things they enjoy, and be “intuitive,” and know their own limits.
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