10 Top Tips To Survive Study Burnout

Being at university is one of the most exciting periods in your life – yet, the pressure of exams, deadlines, and balancing your academic and social commitments can feel overwhelming. This often leads to a common but serious issue: study burnout.

If you feel like your assignments are getting on top of you and you no longer have time to socialise with your friends, you might already be suffering. But don’t panic, burnout is reversible. It’s important to identify and overcome it before the stress completely takes hold of you. 

In this article, we share ten handy tips so that you can feel more in control of your academic life. Learn how to prioritise your time and set boundaries, plus where to find extra help if you need it.

What is Study Burnout?

The APA Dictionary of Psychology defines burnout as, “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes toward oneself and others.”

In other words, study burnout isn’t just about feeling tired; it’s a state of complete exhaustion that permeates your emotional, physical, and mental wellbeing. If you’re at university, it can be a result of over-studying, increasing academic pressure, and worrying about your future beyond education. 

Some common symptoms include:

• Irritability
• Feeling “numb”
• Lethargy
• Forgetting deadlines
• Withdrawing from social situations
• Difficulty falling asleep
• Muscle pains or headaches
• Extreme weight gain/loss

Burnout does not usually happen overnight, but rather over numerous weeks or months. External pressures build up and can cause you to feel hopeless, overwhelmed, and extremely mentally and physically tired. This can have a detrimental effect on your grades, relationships, and self-esteem.

Helpful Study Burnout Tips

• Prioritise Your Time Wisely

  If you’re studying for multiple exams, you might feel like there is not enough time in the day to prepare. This is where prioritising your time comes in handy. It can be helpful to sit at the start of the week and make a list of the different tasks you need to complete, in order of most to least important. This way, you can tick them off as you go along.

  Some people also benefit from a technique called time blocking. Use a free calendar service (like Google or Notion) and add each of your lectures and seminars. From there, you can easily allot chunks of time – make sure to colour coordinate it for easy viewing – to each of your tasks. This can prevent you from cramming all of your work into the latter half of the week.

  Pro tip: Make sure you don’t spend too long making the calendar look pretty or this defeats the purpose of it. We recommend taking 10 minutes on a Sunday to block out your time each week. Remember to allow yourself some free time, too!

• Set Boundaries for Study and Rest

  Studying needs to be sustainable, otherwise you will find yourself procrastinating. You need to create clear boundaries between study and rest to avoid crashing out. Without these clear distinctions, it becomes too easy to blur the line. For example, you might find yourself making study notes while you’re out for dinner with friends, or falling asleep with your laptop on the sofa.

  Designate a study space – preferably at your desk or table – and avoid working from your bed at all costs (we know it’s tempting). It’s also imperative that you set limits… and stick to them. 

  If you are planning to study for two hours, make sure you go and see your friends or watch a movie afterward. You can also use methods like the Pomodoro technique to help you work in focused bursts. After these productive sessions, you can enjoy some guilt-free downtime.

• Take Time to Socialise with Friends

  It might seem counterintuitive to take time away from your desk, but spending time with friends will boost your endorphins and leave you ready to face the world… and your uni work. Making sure that you are purposeful when you study – and not procrastinating – means you can take breaks without feeling guilty. So, go ahead and plan that girl’s night or fun trip to the cinema!

  Forming a study group can also help you feel less alone, even while you’re revising. Arrange to meet with your friends to share resources, collaborate on projects (when allowed!), and support each other emotionally. This can make a huge difference to your mood throughout exam season, in particular.

• Regulate Your Sleep Pattern

  We get it: it can be extremely tempting to say “yes” to every fun night out while you’re at university. But, regulating your sleeping schedule is key to preventing study burnout. Poor sleep quality can lead to a lack of focus and irritability, both of which are exacerbated by university stress. 

  Although we know it is not always possible, attempting to go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day is ideal. This will give your body a sense of routine and help you structure your day.

  Avoid studying right before you head to bed and give yourself some time to unwind away from a screen. Creating a calming routine is key – perhaps grab a (decaf) tea and get cosy with a good book, or practise meditation before you snooze. Also, make sure you avoid stimulants in the latter half of the day (AKA no more 8pm Red Bulls to get you through last-minute revision).

• Get Some Fresh Air (and Exercise!)

  Don’t forget to move your body between long study sessions. It’s no secret that being in natural light improves your mental health; it also helps to regulate your body’s internal clock and boosts serotonin levels. Getting outdoors for some exercise can help both your physical and mental health, recharging your mind and ensuring you feel more energised. 

  Making sure you get some fresh air can be as simple as taking a ten-minute walk around the block or hitting up a local trail with friends. Grab a picnic and enjoy your lunch outside, weather permitting. 

  If you’re looking for more intense exercise, most campuses have gyms at a reduced rate for students or you can head outside for a run. Total beginners can follow the popular Couch to 5k program, which can also help you celebrate an achievement outside of the academic world.

• Find a Creative Outlet

  It’s pretty normal to spend most of your days hunched over a laptop while at uni, so you must try and find a creative outlet to take part in to avoid study burnout. These kinds of hobbies can alleviate stress and give your eyes a break from staring at the screen. It’s important to pick something not related to your field of study.

  There are plenty of options: if you’re an artsy person, you could take up pottery, painting, or DIY crafts. If you want to stay active, you could opt for running, yoga, or pilates (you can find free workout classes on YouTube, like this stress-melting option). Even hobbies like reading, cracking brainteasers, and learning a language can help you take some time for yourself and reduce your stress.

• Celebrate Your Wins

  When you’re at uni, it’s all too easy to focus on the pile of work you still have left to do and forget how far you’ve come. Taking the time to celebrate your wins – big or small – is a great way to combat burnout and stay motivated.

  Whether you’ve smashed a tough assignment or managed to stick to your study schedule, it’s important to acknowledge that achievement. Celebrating doesn’t have to be expensive; it could be as small as watching a movie, enjoying a meal out, or even giving your best friend a long call. Making sure to celebrate will help to reinforce positive habits and give you small but manageable targets to work towards.

• Fuel Your Body Correctly

  We know the last thing you want to do after a hard day of studying is cook yourself a nutritious meal. But, trust us when we say that this is one of the best ways to prevent your body from burning out. You and your housemates could even start a dinner club, taking it in turns to cook throughout the week.

  Sure, dining on a student budget might not be easy, but there are ways to save some cash. Purchase simple ingredients in bulk (think pasta, rice, beans) and shop at cheaper supermarkets like Aldi and Lidl for fresh vegetables, meat, and dairy. You can also split costs with your housemates for items like salt, pepper, and condiments. Make sure you’re eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, you can buy frozen ones in bulk if you have a strict budget.

  Meal prepping is another great way to save time and money. Simply cook up extra batches of food and pop them in the fridge to eat later on. Soups, pasta dishes, and salads work extremely well for this. This will reduce the need for you to spend money on takeaways or microwave meals that will leave you feeling rubbish.

• Ask for Help if You Need it

  If you feel like you are struggling, it’s vital to know where to go to seek help. Sometimes, speaking to a friend or family member is the easiest and most effective option as they might also be feeling the same way. Sharing wellbeing tips with those close to you is a great way to build a support network.

  For further support, your university will have several options available. Don’t hesitate to contact your tutor or lecturer to ask for feedback, additional support, and clarification on work. You can also book a session with the Academic Support Team (most uni’s have one) for a workshop or one-on-one coaching. Taking just an hour out of your week to attend a session can help equip you with the skills needed to tackle your assignment.

  Most UK universities also have a mental health team that can refer you to counseling or peer support groups. If you need serious external support, mental health charities like Student Minds can provide it. Don’t feel embarrassed; it’s important to break the mental health stigma and get the help you need (and deserve!)

• Recognise the Early Signs of Burnout

  It’s crucial to recognise the early signs of study burnout before they escalate into a full-blown crisis. While symptoms vary from person to person, most people report feeling extremely drained, even after a good night’s sleep. 

  It’s also a good idea to reflect on your mood – have you felt more hopeless or irritable lately? If you are struggling to concentrate during your lectures (more so than usual) or feel scatterbrained, these could indicate that you are starting to burn out.

  Sounds like you? Don’t panic. Identifying these patterns early will allow you to use our other nine tips to get back on track. Start by writing down the symptoms you notice so that you can look back on them in a couple of weeks, after implementing these steps.

Avoiding Study Burnout: Summary

Study burnout might feel inevitable while at uni, but it doesn’t have to be. By following the above tips, like recognising the early signs of burnout, creating a solid sleep routine, and seeking help if you need it, you can navigate university life with ease.

Remember: getting good grades is important, but prioritising your health and mental wellbeing is even more so. Finding a balance between study and your social life will help you avoid burnout and make the most of this exciting chapter.