Burnout - Elizabeth Enriquez

I am constantly under a disgraceful amount of pressure. Pressure from my teachers and peers, from my family, from my friends, and even from myself. After all, this is a pivotal time in my life. It's the time between childhood and adulthood, where I need to decide what I want to do and how I aim to accomplish that. Everything I do now will affect my future, whether I like it or not.

    This kind of mindset, however, can quickly become toxic. The persistent pressure to perform at the top of the competition in everything, at all times - no exceptions. "Mediocre" and "decent" easily turn into "failure" and "incompetent," and "good" is never good enough. Higher standards make the fall from grace that much more fatal. What once served as an efficient motivator can turn on a dime and become the very thing that leads to your downfall.

    It is this same pressure that can lead to burnout - physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion related to prolonged periods of stress. I wish I could say otherwise, but I often find myself stuck in a state of burnout, one way or another. Nearing the end of the marking period, the interregnum between winter and summer break, the month before school finally lets out in June - these are prime burnout seasons, where the days seem to blur together. During this time, the only thing I can worry about is tests and college and my future. 

    The interesting thing about burnout is it doesn't have to be permanent if you don't let it be. A little while back, I realized that in moderation, distractions can potentially ward off this exhaustion. 

    For example, exercise can serve as a useful distraction. I participate in two sports, and they end up conveniently occupying the entire year. This means that I have practice nearly every day, all year. Of course, there is stress related to competitive athletics, but I love attending practice because, during those few hours, the only thing I need to focus on is breathing. The only thing that matters is improving for my own sake. 

    Often overlooked, friends can serve as a distraction as well. Especially with the current quarantine, it is easy to feel isolated and alone, with nothing to think about but getting work done. Surprisingly, that unexpected phone conversation or that thread of exchanged texts can make all the difference. Spending time with the people I miss most is perhaps among my favorite distractions. 

    The world is absolutely hectic right now, and stress runs higher than ever. It is important to have some sort of escape; somewhere I can go or something I can do in order to remove myself from that anxiety. Without these distractions, I'm not entirely sure of much I would have been capable to accomplish or where I would be today.