Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013 - (Page 41)

planning ahead for college Avoiding Burnout Do you ever feel as though everything you need to do to prepare for college is going to deplete you of the energy you’ll need to thrive once you actually get there? With today’s competitive admissions standards, especially at selective universities, it’s no wonder that many prospective college students feel stressed out and overwhelmed. If you already feel burdened with stress, it is crucial for you to start managing it in a constructive and healthy manner now in order to prevent burnout later. The term burnout is often used synonymously with chronic exhaustion. People who suffer from burnout may feel hopeless or helpless as a result of long-term physical, emotional, intellectual, or even spiritual depletion. By pushing themselves relentlessly to achieve excellence, or perhaps even perfection, some students may be setting the stage for burnout to occur. One of the hallmarks of burnout is diminished interest in once-cherished activities and pursuits; thus, as ironic as it may seem, pursuing your passions to excess can actually rob you of vitality and motivation. While a certain amount of stress in life is unavoidable and can actually be healthy in manageable doses, burnout is something that can be averted. If you are not spending time with friends and family or engaging in leisure activities just so you can devote more time to schoolwork and other responsibilities, you might reconsider how you can work more efficiently. Make a plan that allows you to fulfill your obligations, but not at the expense of the other aspects of your life that are vital to your well-being. In his book Being Happy: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life, positive psychologist Dr. Tal Ben-Shahar explains that the key to managing stress is to allow for sufficient recovery time following intense periods of work. Instead of likening yourself to a marathon runner—running long and hard until you drop—Dr. Ben-Shahar suggests operating like a sprinter: take time to rest after working intensively for a relatively brief period of time. He encourages multilevel recovery that includes recovery on the microlevel (taking regular breaks during the day to exercise, listen to music, etc.), the midlevel (getting enough sleep every night), and the macrolevel (taking vacations each year). Planning these breaks can be challenging, especially when you are extremely busy juggling schoolwork, extracurricular activities, and planning your future. But allowing for sufficient recovery by Michelle Muratori, PhD time after periods of hard work can help you lead a healthier, more balanced life. Put another way, establishing and maintaining clear boundaries with your time so that you can take needed breaks can help you reduce stress and prevent burnout. It is important to set limits on the time you designate for homework, social networking, and even playing video games. Spending excessive time on these tasks for whatever reason—perfectionism, procrastination, or even the sheer enjoyment of the tasks—can leave you feeling overwhelmed when you run out of time to accomplish everything else you need to do in a given day (including getting adequate sleep!). Living in a technological society that provides round-the-clock access to others via smart phones and the Internet may pose a particular challenge for people who have difficulty setting boundaries with their time. If you become easily distracted, a simple way to avoid the temptation to constantly check email and text your friends is to put your smart phone in a different room when you are doing homework. Taking steps to limit your distractions may require some level of self-discipline at first, but it may very well result in a reduction in your stress. In addition to establishing limits with the amount of time you spend engaged in your chosen activities, you also need to set healthy boundaries with people, especially those who create stress in your life. For instance, if you have a friend who demands much of your attention yet fails to attend to your needs, it is human nature to start feeling resentful and used. Asserting your needs with others and placing limits on how much energy you exert in your relationships with them is another way to lower your stress. To avoid burning out before you even get started on your college career, it is vital that you learn to practice self-care by taking breaks and setting boundaries. Remember to run—and take breaks—like a sprinter, not a marathon runner. www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine imagine 41 http://www.cty.jhu.edu/imagine

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013
Contents
Big Picture
In My Own Words
The Week I Turned Green
No Turning Back
Landsat: A Continuing Legacy of Earth Observation
Sensing Danger
The Black Gold Miners
Cleaner Water, Brought to You by Sunlight and Science
Journey to the Frozen Continent
CTY Paleobiology
Selected Opportunities & Resources
Innovation in the Real World
Off the Shelf
Word Wise
Exploring Career Options
One Step Ahead
Planning Ahead for College
Students Review
Creative Minds Imagine
Mark Your Calendar
Knossos Games

Imagine Magazine - Johns Hopkins - January/February 2013