Burnout in high school has become so common that it almost feels expected. Being constantly tired, stressed, and overwhelmed is treated like a sign that you’re working hard enough. Between classes, sports, part-time jobs, extracurriculars, and trying to maintain friendships, students barely have time to breathe.
A typical day can start before sunrise and end close to midnight, especially when homework and studying are added on top. And when someone says they’re exhausted, the usual response is “That’s just how it is” or “It’ll prepare you for college.” But should feeling drained all the time really be considered normal?
Mrs. Meredith Adams, Wilde Lake’s Mathematics Instructional Team Leader, explains what burnout can look like. “It starts to just kind of weigh on [students]… they just seem to disconnect a little bit from school, and they’re getting really tired, mentally, physically, they could be exhausted,” she said.
A lot of students don’t even realize they’re experiencing burnout because it builds up slowly. At first it’s just being tired, but over time motivation drops and school becomes harder to focus on. Mrs. Adams says, “they turn to disconnecting by using social media… just to try to find a way to relax because they’re so burnt out.” Then students turn to procrastinating and feeling guilty for falling behind.
Gabrielle Gyebi, a junior at Wilde Lake who deals with burnout says, “school becomes tiring, especially as an upperclassman. I understand that the teachers are dealing with a lot as well, but the amount of work I get as a varsity athlete is stressful.”
Burnout doesn’t only affect students, as it also impacts teachers. Many teachers are balancing lesson planning, grading, helping students after school, and work they bring home at night. Mrs. Adams shared, “Part of the reason I’m after school for a longer time is because I’ll stay and help kids till four o’clock,” and then later, she may still be grading at night, sometimes sending emails “at 9:30 or 10 o’clock because I’m still working.” She and many other teachers experience this.
Even though burnout is common, there are ways students and staff can try to reduce it. Setting realistic goals, taking short breaks while studying and while grading, and limiting late-night screen time can help with recharging. It can also help to talk to teachers, counselors, or friends when school starts to feel overwhelming. While hard work is important, maintaining balance is just as important for long-term success and well-being. Burnout should not be normalized.