How to Recognize the Signs of Academic Burnout and What to Do About It
Burnout often hides in plain sight, disguised as fatigue, frustration, or even a loss of purpose. The good news? It's manageable, and more importantly, you can bounce back from it with the proper awareness and a few proactive steps.
What Burnout Looks Like
Burnout isn't just about being tired. It's the slow erosion of motivation, focus, and energy. It often feels like you're constantly pushing but getting less and less in return. For student veterans, this feeling might be complicated by the shift from a structured military environment to the more fluid expectations of college life.
Common signs include:
Chronic exhaustion, even after a full night's sleep
Loss of interest in subjects or activities you once enjoyed
Irritability or withdrawal from classmates or online communities
Difficulty concentrating or remembering what you studied
Feeling like your efforts aren't paying off
Recognizing these early is key. Just like you'd treat a physical injury before it gets worse, mental and emotional fatigue deserve the same attention.
Why Veterans Might Feel Burnout Differently
Veterans often come into school with a mission-oriented mindset. You're used to pushing through discomfort to reach an objective. That mindset is powerful, but it can also make it easy to ignore early warning signs. You might mistake burnout for just needing to "try harder." In reality, it often means you need to try something different.
Steps to Recover and Rebuild
Burnout isn't the end of your story. It's a pause—a signal to reassess and reset. Here's how to respond:
Reclaim Your Routine: Chaos is a fuel source for burnout. Create a schedule with regular breaks, healthy boundaries, and realistic expectations.
Reconnect with Purpose: Why did you go back to school in the first place? Write that reason down. Keep it somewhere visible. Let it ground you when the days get hard.
Talk to Someone: This could be a fellow veteran, a faculty member, or a counselor. The simple act of talking it out relieves pressure and can bring clarity.
Unplug with Intention: Step away from screens and do something completely unrelated to school, even for 30 minutes daily.
Lean on Your Community: You're not alone in this. Engage in digital communities where others understand your background and challenges. This will help normalize what you're feeling and keep isolation at bay.
Building Resilience Moving Forward
Once you've recovered from burnout, your next goal isn't to avoid stress altogether—it's to build resilience. Think of it like training: you don't stop exercising because it's hard, you learn how to recover smarter and come back stronger.
Practice sustainable habits, say no when needed, and don't wait for burnout to hit before making a change.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, know this: it's temporary, and there's a way forward. Burnout doesn't define your journey—it redirects it. Start today by identifying one thing you can do differently this week.
Explore GGU's Helen Diller Center to stay supported, informed, and connected.