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When you’re burnt out, it can be tempting to think, I’ll feel better once this assignment is done. Then it’s the next assignment. Then exams. Then work. Then next semester.
While a break can give you some much-needed breathing room, recovering from burnout isn’t only about making it to the end of semester. It’s also about making sustainable changes to how you study, rest and manage your commitments.
In the first two parts of our burnout series, we looked at the signs of burnout and some of the things that can contribute to it. Now, let’s look at what recovery can actually look like without waiting for the holidays.
1. Start by taking the pressure down
When you’re already running on empty, adding more to your to-do list isn’t necessarily the answer. Start by looking at what’s taking up your energy right now. Are there deadlines you can plan differently? Commitments you could pause? Tasks that don’t need to be perfect? Try to focus on what would make your current workload a little more manageable.
Try this: Write down everything that’s currently on your mind, then separate it into three categories:
- Need to do: Things that genuinely need your attention soon
- Can wait: Things that can be moved or done later
- Can ask for help with: Things you don’t need to handle alone
Recover can start with simply creating some more breathing room.
2. Set boundaries around your time
When you’re burnt out, it can feel like you’re supposed to be studying whenever you’re not doing something else. But having no clear boundary between study and everything else can make it harder to switch off.
Try setting a realistic end time for study, putting your laptop away when you’re finished, or keeping some parts of your day completely study-free. And saying no to an extra commitment doesn’t mean you’re letting someone down. Protecting your time can help you avoid taking on more than you can realistically manage.
3. Make your study habits sustainable
Recovery doesn’t mean you need to stop studying altogether either. It just means finding a way to study that doesn’t leave you completely depleted.
Instead of trying to power through hours of work, experiment with:
- Breaking large assignments into smaller tasks
- Taking regular breaks
- Setting a few realistic priorities for each study session
- Switching between different types of tasks
- Studying somewhere that helps you focus
- Planning your week around your actual energy and commitments
The goal isn’t to squeeze more productivity out of every hour. It’s to create a study routine you can realistically maintain.
4. Make rest part of your routine
When you’re burnt out, rest can feel like something you have to earn when it really isn’t.
Sleep, downtime, movement, hobbies and spending time with people you enjoy aren’t distractions from your studies, they’re part of having a life outside your studies and help fuel you.
You don’t need to wait until the weekend or semester break either. A proper lunch break, a walk between classes, an evening without study or an early night can all create small pockets of recovery throughout your week.
5. Don’t try to recover on your own
One of the easiest things to do when you’re overwhelmed is withdraw from everyone but you don’t have to figure everything out by yourself.
Talk to someone you trust about how you’re feeling. This could be a friend, family member, classmate, tutor or someone from a Curtin support service.
You can also reach out to Curtin’s Student Wellbeing Advisory Service for confidential support and guidance. You can ask for help anytime.
If you’re struggling with your studies, your Student Success Advisor can also help you work through study-related challenges, unit progress and strategies for managing your university experience.
6. Think about what needs to change, not just what needs to stop
Taking a few days off might help you feel better temporarily. But if you return to exactly the same workload, expectations and routines that left you exhausted, you may find yourself back in the same cycle. Once you’re feeling a little more rested, think about what contributed to your burnout in the first place.
Was it:
- Taking on too many commitments?
- Leaving assignments until the last minute?
- Feeling like you always needed to achieve more?
- Not making enough time for sleep or things you enjoy?
- Finding it difficult to say no?
- Not asking for help when you needed it?
Even one change can make your routine more sustainable.
Recovery isn’t a race
There’s no single timeline for recovering from burnout, and you don’t need to be back to your “old self” overnight. Some days you might have more energy than others. You might need to adjust your expectations while you recover. And sometimes, despite your best efforts, you’ll need additional support.
The important thing is to notice when something isn’t working and respond to it.
So no, you don’t have to wait for the holidays to look after yourself. Small changes made consistently can be more sustainable than waiting until you’re exhausted enough to need a complete reset.
Need some extra support?
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted or unsure where to start, check in with yourself using the Wellbeing tool in OASIS. You can find personalised wellbeing resources based on how you’re feeling and what you need.
You can also contact one of our Wellbeing Advisors, or get in touch with our Psychology and Counselling Service for support and guidance.
This is part three of our three-part article series on beating burnout. You can read part one and two at the links below.
