Student Leader Tips :: Avoiding Burnout
By Becky Anderson, Coordinator of Student Activities +
Marcus Hamblin, Vice President, Atelier
1. Take care of your health.
Stress can have a bad impact on your health, so it is important to stay healthy in order to avoid burnout. Get enough sleep. Eat a healthy diet. Exercise. If you find yourself experiencing burnout symptoms, talk to Becky Anderson, Coordinator of Student Activities. She can help you develop a plan to de-stress.
The Student Assistance Program provides free and confidential help for personal concerns and issues. Sometimes it helps to talk to someone - and the SAP program is free for BAC students.
2. Accept that you aren't perfect.
No one is perfect. Accepting this is part of maturing as an adult. One important way of avoiding burnout involves lowering your expectations. While that may sound like bad advice at first, realize that your standards may be higher than needed.
Realize that you cannot do everything. Reward yourself when you do well, but don’t punish yourself when things don’t work out exactly as you planned. Always remember that you are here for academics first, and student organizations should not trump your assignments for studio.
3. Ask for help.
Sharing the load with others is a highly effective way of avoiding burnout. Think of your organization as a team, with each person bringing unique skills, talent, and experience to contribute. If you feel overwhelmed, don’t be afraid to ask for help from your other teammates, as well as by utilizing various resources within the College.
Don't be afraid to ask for help with your academics. The Learning Center has free tutoring available, and Academic Advising is available to meet with BAC students to help strengthen time management skills, or to speak with you about academic concerns you may have. The Office of Student Development is here to support your organization. Find yourself stuck for an idea for a new event? Make a meeting with Rich, Kara, or Becky to brainstorm ideas!
4. Schedule time for fun.
It is important to give yourself time away from your organization. As the wise, lead singer of Chicago once sang, "Everybody needs a little time away...from each other."
This might mean taking a vacation, or it might simply involve taking the time to participate in hobbies or activities that you enjoy. Go see a movie, take a trip, or join a book club to find the relaxation that is vital for avoiding burnout. Can't get away from the computer labs? Watch videos of cute sleeping animals. Here's one of a really cute bunny!
5. Assess your role and level of involvement in the organization.
Avoiding burnout is impossible if you are not suited to your role. Assess whether the position you hold is a good fit for your personality, goals, values, and current work load (both inside the classroom, and at your job, if you have one).
If you decide that it is time for a change, discuss this with your other officers or members of your student group. Often, student leaders are just waiting for the opportunity to take more of a leadership role.
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