Have you ever woken up and felt pain or soreness? Wake up feeling sick and gross? I am sure you have at some point in your life, if not I’m a bit concerned. As COVID spreads we are very focused on the prevention of sickness but what about our mental health and our ways of taking care of ourselves daily. 

     I’ve noticed most people around me experience burn out, with the rise and grind mindset and never really stopping or taking a break. I’ve seen the slow fall from happiness to tiredness to a complete crash. Everyone should remember to drink water or at least stay hydrated with Gatorade or anything that isn’t just coffee to keep you going because first of all, it’s dehydrating and secondly you can’t be running off of fumes constantly. Take some you time, seasonal depression is a real thing and along with the daily news, the constant cold weather and every two seconds there’s a snow storm warning, instead of stressing yourself out go pet your animal, or take a bath, doodle something, whatever puts you in a good headspace and remember that spring is soon. School can become overwhelming and most high school students are now taking on jobs to support their families which is great but the struggle of constantly moving and talking and having an objective to complete can feel like a lot. 

     Remember that there will be a break, that you will get out of school or out of work at some point and you will make it. You can rest, you can eat, you can breathe. You are balancing two things at once. Good for you. If you notice something is wrong mentally or physically, take a break. Remember that the more you push yourself the longer it takes to heal.

     We as people aren’t invincible. We wear and tear on the inside and outside. Just because people don’t see you struggling doesn’t mean that we don’t begin to notice. The effects of burnout are worse than the slow progression of burn out to begin with. With some of the symptoms being insomnia, irritability, depression and more. You will have tomorrow and you have time today. Teachers, students, and workers need to be reminded to take care of themselves because everyone deserves some time to themselves. To not constantly be stressed and with everything going on in the world right now, it’s nice to take a break, even once in a while.