Burnout and Your Master’s Degree: Strategies and Tools for Prevention

Feeling physically exhausted is a common sign of burnout. As it can also be a symptom of other conditions (like a viral infection), it’s hard to determine if a person’s fatigue is caused by burnout. If your fatigue seems directly tied to your studies, it’s likely from burnout.

Intellectual exhaustion can feel like brain fog, making new information difficult to process. Because graduate students must learn and think critically at high levels for extended periods, they are at a higher risk of intellectual exhaustion than most people.

Like many mental health conditions, burnout often manifests physically. If you’re burned out, your body is probably telling you something isn’t right. While these sensations differ from person to person, common physical symptoms include headaches, indigestion, tightness, and tension. Many of these physical sensations are common for those experiencing high levels of anxiety or stress.

Struggling to absorb information may also be a sign of burnout. While it’s normal to struggle taking in any new information after a five-hour study session, it’s unusual to feel that way all the time. Struggling to retain information from lectures, constantly rereading paragraphs in your textbooks, or other difficulties absorbing information may be signs of burnout.

Procrastinating on school assignments and other projects also may be signs of burnout. Coming up with any excuse to not study, like deep cleaning the apartment to avoid homework or jamming your schedule so full of social activities you have no time for academics or research projects, are examples of avoidance and procrastination. Watch out for these warning signs that can indicate burnout is right around the corner.

A decline in academic performance can also indicate burnout is headed your way. Maybe you used to get straight As but are now often getting Bs and Cs, or maybe you used to love your weekly meeting with your research mentor but now find yourself wanting to cancel. Anytime your academic performance slips like this and there’s no other obvious cause, consider burnout as the culprit.

A newfound apathy toward learning is another burnout warning sign. Being apathetic toward learning might mean you’re no longer excited by your studies, may seek easier classes, or not try as hard on assignments. You also might struggle to focus in class. If you used to love learning and apathy is a recent development, burnout may be the cause.

Burnout is closely related to depression and anxiety. If you have symptoms of either, burnout may be the reason. Common anxiety symptoms include restlessness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, and uncontrollable worry. Depression symptoms, which overlap with burnout symptoms, include a lack of motivation, continuous low mood, and loss of interest in passions and hobbies.

Whether you’re experiencing one or all of these burnout warning signs, implementing self-care strategies is essential for preventing burnout. Not a condition you definitely have or don’t have, burnout exists on a sliding scale that ranges from mild to severe. On the mild end, you might have just one or two symptoms, while on the severe end your symptoms may be so overwhelming you consider dropping out of school. Identifying signs of burnout in your life allows you to recover before burnout gets extreme.

For many graduate students, it’s hard to complete their master’s thesis, term papers, and TA work and still get enough sleep. While skipping out on sleep may seem like an easy option, doing so can bring far more harm to your health and mental well-being than any positives you gain. Remain sleep-deprived long-term, and burnout will likely find you.

A manageable schedule is difficult when you’re in graduate school. Between classes, being a TA or RA, completing a master’s thesis, and trying to get research published or accepted to conferences, your calendar is most likely full even before you add in other life responsibilities and searching for your future job. Having too much to do for too long can lead to a lack of motivation and fatigue and eventually lead to complete burnout.

For many graduate students, working out and eating healthy feel like luxuries they simply cannot take time for. Making time for your health when you’re juggling so much can be difficult for master’s students, but not investing in diet and exercise leads to consequences that leave you feeling depressed and burned out.

Some graduate students seem to effortlessly complete their thesis and classwork on time, never miss a social gathering, are always discussing their last gym session, and already have an internship lined up for the summer. Most likely, they can juggle so much without feeling burned out because they intentionally manage their time. When someone has poor time management, though, they likely feel overwhelmed by their to-do list.

Like poor time management, lack of planning can also cause burnout. When you don’t plan ahead, you’re more likely to miss assignments, pull all-nighters and cram for exams, and rush to class after you’ve pressed snooze too many times.

While it’s great to have big goals, unrealistic ones often lead to exhaustion and disappointment. Sure, you want to get your dream job lined up for after graduation and get as many research grants as possible, but unrealistic goals only set you up for failure, sleepless nights, and overbooked days, all of which can lead to burnout.

Stress – from any combination of the above or other stressors in your life – is the leading cause of burnout, along with fatigue and lack of motivation. Graduate students in particular experience a significant number of stressors, putting them at higher risk for burnout and physical problems like chronic conditions and a weakened immune system.

When your to-do list seems to grow whenever you check your email or attend class, it’s hard to find time to relax. After all, watching a movie, going hiking, or meditating is hard to prioritize when you’re juggling deadlines for multiple classes, several research projects, and a part-time job. However, not taking time regularly to relax depletes your energy levels, steals your motivation, and leads to burnout.

Not making time for fun also contributes to overwhelming stress and burnout. While it can be hard to fit in social gatherings and hobbies you enjoy around your master’s degree, it’s important to make time for what makes you feel alive. When you don’t, you’re more likely to feel drained, unmotivated, and anxious.

When you’re under a lot of stress from an overburdened schedule and unrealistic goals, isolating yourself from friends and family might seem to save you time. In reality, though, it negatively impacts your mental health and can lead to depression. No one is an island, and leaning on your support system gives you energy, motivation, and solidarity, all of which help combat burnout.