Fighting Midterm Stress and Burnout

By Jacob Chen

For many students there comes a point in the semester where time seems to drag, and motivation seems to wither away. Generally, it’s around halfway through the semester after getting through the various Midterm exams. As hopeless and tired as you may feel, there are many ways to de-stress and finish the semester out strong, thriving like the student you were in the first half of the semester.

Take a Step Back and Assess

The first, and most important step to getting through stress and burnout is to figure out what exactly is causing it. For example, many students have an aptitude for prioritizing their grades over their health and wellness. This looks like a lack of sleep, unhealthy food, lack of socializing, etc. All of these stressors lead to a worsening of mental health, and a lack of motivation overall.

Follow a Schedule

Following a schedule feels like a monotonous routine that nobody wants to do, and everybody wants to recommend. Schedules help to hold us accountable to the work we need to get done in a given day. Breaking down work into several chunks throughout the day, and spacing it out appropriately so it isn’t as overwhelming can work wonders towards productivity, while making it seem all the more manageable. Nothing helps more to get your work done than knowing exactly what you need to do and when to do it. Check out Mike and Matty’s “How I Organise my Busy Schedule (Student Edition)” on YouTube for advice on making a schedule!

How I Organize My Busy Schedule (Student Edition)

The Importance of Being Well Rested

With the stress of homework and midterms, it can be difficult to prioritize your wellbeing. People tend to prioritize homework and tests with complete disregard for themselves. However, this will only ever make things more difficult and more stressful. A schedule is the first step that allows you to find the time to prioritize yourself through your busy schedule. Prioritizing your wellbeing can look like a few different things. First and most important to a healthy wellbeing is getting your sleep. The average person requires 7-9 hours of sleep per night, yet the average college student gets 6-7 hours of sleep. Although it may not seem like it, 6-7 hours of sleep consistently over a long period of time has its consequences. Midterm burnout isn’t just psychological, it’s physiological as well.

Eating Right

Trying to eat healthy foods as a college student can be quite difficult for a number of reasons. Time constraints, a low budget, and stress can all leave us arm deep in a family-sized bag of Doritos. Fortunately, there is a simple solution for most of these issues. Meal prepping and buying in bulk go hand in hand. Buying single serve items is one of the quickest ways to overspend on a budget, and if you’re trying to get groceries for the week you have to buy many. If you buy in bulk, you generally save a lot more money. Just make sure it’s a food you like! Try to include some leafy greens, a good source of protein, fruits, grains, and other vegetables. Including a wide variety of these will bear the correct nutrition to fuel your body out of a midterm slog! Check out KWOOK’s “24 Hours of Healthy Student Cooking (Cheap and Realistic)” on YouTube for some great recipes and ideas!

24 Hours of Healthy Student Cooking (Cheap and Realistic)

Health and Wellness Center

If you’re struggling with your health, whether that be mental or physical, SUNY Niagara’s Health and Wellness Center is there to help. As a student, your tuition pays for all of these services that you should be taking advantage of. If you’re seeking personal counseling services, or you need some support, feel free to reach out to them anytime!

Located in Room: C-122