The Quarterlife Crisis: Navigating Early Burnout

Between graduating college, applying to new jobs, and jumpstarting your career, early adulthood can be stressful. It’s easy to experience burnout during this period of time, as you juggle working, your social life, budgeting, and independence.

Burnout is defined as “physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion accompanied by decreased motivation, lowered performance, and negative attitudes,” often caused by increased levels of stress and tension. While it’s usually associated with mid-career professionals, burnout can be experienced during any point in one’s life.

According to a study completed at the Ohio State University, “the number of students reporting feelings of burnout leapt from 40 percent of students in August 2020 to 71 percent in April.” Young people are experiencing burnout at an elevated rate, when compared to previous generations. Feelings of burnout are valid, no matter your age or job, and deserve attention and help to get you feeling your best as soon as possible.

What Is Early Burnout?

For a young adult, early burnout can happen during college, post-grad, or early in their career. These periods are often defined by excitement and change, accompanied by stress and uncertainty. Common causes of early burnout can include:

Academic pressure
Financial stress
Social media comparison
Hustle culture and toxic productivity
Lack of support or guidance during transition phases

Experiencing burnout caused by any of the above is completely normal and not something to be ashamed of. College, post-grad, and early career are inherently stressful and uncertain periods of our lives, leading to many people experiencing feelings of burnout.

Signs You Might Be Burned Out

There are many signs that may signal that you are feeling burnt out. If you notice these within yourself or a loved one, it may be time to sit down and figure out what is causing these symptoms and how you can go about relieving them. Symptoms of burn out can include:

Burnout can affect everyone a little differently, meaning it can be hard to identify in yourself and others. However, if you begin feeling any collection of the above symptoms during a period of hardship, personally or professionally, you may want to consider burnout as a root issue.

How to Recover from Burnout

Once you have identified your burnout and where it stems from, it’s time to get your mind and body back on track to feeling better. There are plenty of ways to recover from burnout, many of which are best used in tandem with each other. Check out the suggestions below to find ways to help alleviate feelings of burnout:

Build Routines: Create a routine that helps you to get through the day and manage your schedule without too much thought. Be sure to prioritize getting good sleep, movement, and nutrition when forming your new routine, as these aspects will make you feel better in the long run.

Set Boundaries: Putting up boundaries can help you to gain control over your work and personal lives, ensuring that you are able to put energy into both. When setting boundaries, remember to consider your alone time, which can be necessary to feel rejuvenated and ready to take on any other tasks you have day-to-day.

“After I finish my work for the day, I'll set my phone and laptop aside and dive right into that self-care,” wrote Samantha Burns, Acenda’s Quality Manager. “Setting good boundaries has helped to keep my mind clear and focused at work and relaxed when I'm at home.”

Reevaluate Goals: Check in with yourself and your goals and determine if you’re taking on too much. It’s okay to take stuff off your plate and say no to new tasks if you’re feeling overwhelmed. By reevaluating your goals, you are prioritizing your mental health and allowing yourself to dive headfirst into the projects you’re excited about.

By making an effort to build your routine, set boundaries, and reevaluate your goals, you are taking steps towards bettering your mental wellbeing and, therefore, your future.

How to Prevent Burnout

Once you’ve recognized, acknowledged, and recovered from your burnout, the next step is to prevent it going forward. There are many ways to go about preventing burnout in the future, so choose one that you believe will naturally fit into your routine, to ensure that it sticks. Here are some tips to get you started:

Create Realistic Productivity Goals: Many times, burnout can be caused by increased productivity over an extended period of time. Rather than wear yourself out by trying to fit as many tasks into your day as possible, come up with a more sustainable routine that maintains a steady level of productivity with a healthy mix of down-time. Strategies like time-blocking, to-do lists, or the Pomodoro technique can all help you keep your productivity goals reasonable and achievable.

Schedule Time for Play: This may sound counterintuitive, but blocking out time to be creative, have fun, or even just relax can ensure that you actually do it. If you wait until you have time and all your tasks are done, you’ll likely never make the time for play. However, if you schedule in an hour after dinner to do something you enjoy and make space for other tasks elsewhere in your day, then you may feel less overwhelmed and pressed for time.

Practice Self-Care: This looks different for everyone but is important no matter who you are. Prioritizing self-care can mean reading a book, going for a walk, or baking a new recipe. It really can be anything that rejuvenates you and helps you feel most like yourself. Self-care is important to integrate into your daily routine, especially as you work to prevent burnout going forward.

“I have a pretty high demand secondary job I have on some weeknights and my weekends, so it could be really easy between my career and my secondary job to just be working non-stop,” wrote Burns. “But I really prioritize my self-care as a way to put everything else away and de-stress.”

Conclusion

Experiencing burnout is highly common, especially during college, post-grad, or the start of your career. Burnout isn’t a sign of weakness or failure; it’s simply a signal from your body that something needs to change. By taking the time to identify where your burnout stems from and how best to treat it, you can help build a better routine for yourself and prevent it moving forward.

Remember that rest and balance are important aspects of your day-to-day, and you need them to ensure that you feel and perform your best when you do need to be productive. If you feel overwhelmed by your burnout, consider talking to a mental health professional to help you sort out next steps.

About the Author

Riley de Jong, Communications Strategist at Acenda, attended the University of California – Los Angeles for her undergraduate degree in Communication and minor in Entrepreneurship. She enjoys supporting her community, telling engaging stories, and connecting with others.