What do I do if I am juggling good grades, multiple clubs, a job and family time, but feel so exhausted 24/7? – Christine
Hey Christine,
You probably thought that you could balance everything in your life like school, extracurriculars or family but in reality you are burnt out and moody. Don’t dwell on it too much. I am here to help!
School isn’t a magical place like the movies (hint: High School Musical.) It comes with lots of brain- draining classes, competitive sports and club meetings. You feel like you should be able to keep a strong hand on everything with it, but it really isn’t that simple. It may seem hard right now, so let’s switch some things up to address this problem.
Do not, and I repeat, do not doom scroll. If you don’t know what that term means, it is to scroll on a social media platform for hours on end. It is really addicting, but quite detrimental for your mental health which doubles down on the physical fatigue that you may be facing. The brain is such a powerful thing. It controls everything you do but it can still get overworked. Dr. Albers mentions the effect on mental health from scrolling, giving specific problems.
She explains that, “On a biological level you’re feeding your brain a continual stream of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone,” said Cleveland Clinic.
Instead of a vicious cycle of scrolling, set a screen time. Start with chunks of time whether that’s an hour or forty five minutes. For me it took several days to get used to the major jump from lots of screen time to way less. I had to find new hobbies like crocheting and drawing to fill the time that was usually fueled by scrolling! Also, try to put your phone down at least an hour before you go to bed to make sure you can get a good night’s rest. This helps limit exhaustion the next day.
For the overwhelming sense of having to do everything when you have time, try this instead! Dedicate time on the weekend and create a to-do list for each day of the week. I have a cute planner to motivate me to schedule, colorful pens to make the to-do list more fun and I have a fun drink like coffee to enjoy while planning. Don’t exert more energy than you have. Even if you have time left over, enjoy it, watch a movie with your family or go to the gym. Make sure to keep with it for at least a month or so to really see results with it. I know you can do it!
Exercise can be very difficult, especially if you are so tired after school, but not exercising could be contributing to your chronic fatigue. To start, find something that relaxes you and that you enjoy. Maybe walk your dog or do a YouTube pilates workout to get your muscles moving. Now, a big thing to consider is the fact that you are allowed to rest. Do not beat yourself up over being tired quicker than someone else. You have to find what works for you which may take so much trial and error so don’t give up!
Tiredness is normal, however it shouldn’t be consuming to the point where you can’t enjoy the things you love to do. While you may face feelings of exhaustion, there are things out there that can help like not doom scrolling, setting a screen time, planning out your week, exercising and allowing yourself to rest. I hope these things work for you and remember to stick with it!
Yours truly, Emily Clemens
