With finals on the horizon, Pitt students are beginning to feel the effects of months of academic work and sustained stress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Burnout<\/a> is physical, emotional or mental exhaustion that results from constant levels of high stress for a long period of time, and many students experience<\/a> it at the end of the semester. To manage the feelings of exhaustion, mental health experts at Pitt encourage students to exercise, manage their sleep and utilize the University Counseling Center<\/a>\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n Anna Marsland, a professor of psychology, said students who are feeling exhausted, stressed, overwhelmed and emotionally drained may be experiencing academic burnout.<\/p>\n \u201cMany college students can experience feeling burned out, especially at the end of term,\u201d Marsland said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Gabi Pedrosa, a first-year public health major, said she is concerned she will get burned out because of finals.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI know that it\u2019s gonna get crazy soon,\u201d Pedrosa said. \u201cI just feel like it\u2019s an impending doom with finals.\u201d<\/p>\n She said her burnout stems from a desire for academic validation, which causes her to work hard throughout the semester. When she feels burned out, Pedrosa said she doesn\u2019t feel like doing anything.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to do school work. I can\u2019t even go out with my friends and party,\u201d Pedrosa said. \u201cI just want to stay in and become one with my bed, but that\u2019s what burnout feels like for me,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Dakota Engel, a sophomore nursing major, said that as the semester is nearing its end, she is beginning to feel burned out.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThis semester, I feel unmotivated, and there\u2019s a lot going on,\u201d Engel said. \u201cI get so used to the going, going, going \u2014 it becomes mundane.\u201d<\/p>\n In order to manage burnout, Marsland said students need to find what works for them on an individual level.<\/p>\n \u201cThings that can help include not leaving assignments to the last minute, creating a schedule that prioritizes tasks and balances academic and self-care activities \u2014 such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercise, a regular sleep schedule, a healthy diet, spending time with friends and offering others support,\u201d Marsland said.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Marsland, feeling burned out can alert individuals that they are becoming overwhelmed. She said it\u2019s important for students to address those feelings because if left unaddressed, they will be more challenging to manage.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFeelings are not a constant state and are often described as waves \u2014 often the task is to ride the wave as best one can until the feeling passes,\u201d Marsland said. \u201cThe challenge is to act in ways that encourage the feeling to pass rather than doing things that may make the feeling worse.\u201d<\/p>\n Cassandra Long, assistant director for strategic programs in the Division of Student Affairs<\/a> and licensed clinical social worker, said students who feel burned out should come into the University Counseling Center<\/a> and speak with a clinician.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t wait until things get worse. Be intentional about rest, set limits on what you take on and lean on your social support,\u201d Long said. \u201cBurnout is real, but it responds to support, and the UCC is here to help you find out what that looks like for you.\u201d<\/p>\n