Burnout can happen to students, not just working adults. Burnout does not affect only adults – students also feel the burden of stress. ANNA SHAZIA finds out how to deal with it.
Additional reporting by Gabriel Ramsey In her first year of junior college, Ms Ember Foo Wei Ting hit what she called “the lowest point” in her academic life. She had failed a mathematics exam, and it gave her an “inferiority complex” and made her feel “guilty that I didn’t study as hard as others”. For Temasek Polytechnic student Ryan Ng, who is in the Digital Media and Production Crew, an extracurricular group that provides technical support for school events, peak event season brought him “constant stress”.
Said the 19-year-old communications and media management student: “At some point, I felt like I was dragging myself to school, ‘autopiloting’ throughout the day, and was less conscious of what I said. In some cases, I wouldn’t even remember my conversations with people.” Both were suffering burnout, a condition that should not be ignored, said counsellors.
Singapore’s Institute of Mental Health (IMH) describes burnout as a problem that occurs when stress continues at high levels over a prolonged period. Signs of burnout include fatigue, headaches and irritability. One may find oneself less productive, and have increased conflict with others.
Over time, if such levels of stress continue in an individual, potentially life-threatening physical and mental illnesses may develop, including hypertension, heart attack, anxiety and depression. Mr Ryan Ng, 19, a Temasek Polytechnic student, said he was on “autopilot” and sometimes couldn’t remember conversations with people. PHOTO: COURTESY OF RYAN NG Counsellor Lim Lay Leng, from the Singapore Care Community Services Society (SCSS), described burnout as feeling emotionally and mentally “overwhelmed and drained”.
Students struggling with burnout often feel like they “cannot cope with the demands of life”, she said. They begin exhibiting signs of anxiety, disturbed sleep, and strained relationships. When their energy levels plummet, some students may resort to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
They may withdraw from working and socialising, and opt to stay home or holed up in their rooms. Ms Lim has seen cases of burnout across the spectrum of ages, including an increasing number of polytechnic students who have asked for professional help. One reason could be SCSS’ ties with polytechnics, which makes it easier for students to access its services.
Reasons for burnout There are multiple reasons for student burnout, from the self-imposed pressure to achieve top grades to academic workloads feeling like an insurmountable obstacle. For Temasek Polytechnic student Anaqi Danial, 18, the jump from secondary school to polytechnic was “somewhat jarring”. He found that he could no longer cram for exams at the last minute and needed to put in consistent effort.
He lost his motivation to study. Said the medical biotechnology student: “As someone who was previously a top scorer, the steep decline in my grades was painful to say the least. I tried to handle it all on my own, but I eventually sought professional help and began confiding in my loved ones.
” Temasek Polytechnic student Anaqi Danial, 18, said the transition from secondary school to polytechnic was “jarring”. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ANAQI DANIAL Ms Lim said her work as a counsellor is to create safe spaces where students feel comfortable seeking help. Ways to cope Ms Chloe Koh, a graduate of Hwa Chong Institution, said: “Around terms two to three of (my second year in junior college), I could not stand doing my work any more and often slept in class out of stress and frustration.
” The 19-year-old went for cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) after meeting with a psychiatrist at IMH . It helped her recognise when she was having a negative thought, so she could reframe her point of view, as well as challenge that thought. For example, she said that whenever she questioned her self-worth through thoughts like “What have you achieved?”, she was advised to take a step back and instead ask herself questions like “Who are you?”, which prompted her to connect with herself.
This prevented her from overthinking and becoming more stressed and anxious over her studies. Ms Lim recommends CBT as an effective technique for managing stress. She said that questions like “Who am I?” and “Is this coping mechanism helping me?” helps students focus with detachment on their circumstances and situations, rather than their feelings of anxiety.
She said: “When you’re aware of what’s crippling you, you can move forward to make changes.” Students can also manage their stress by scheduling activities that they used to enjoy, such as taking long walks or meditating, and encouraging themselves to take those up again. The IMH said CBT assists students who are dealing with burnout to cope with distressing thoughts and emotions (and) to adopt more balanced perspectives.
IMH also offers internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) or group therapy programmes. iCBT is a guided online course, and is a convenient way for people to have access to CBT. Individuals who register for iCBT with IMH will receive personalised guidance and support from an IMH psychologist through the course.
Equipping teachers and school staff with the tools to identify student burnout and provide support is also essential, Ms Lim said. Often, many educators take disciplinary action because they are unsure of how to deal with signs of burnout, like a student who is so exhausted he or she falls asleep in class. Instead of focusing on the lack of attention being paid in class, educators could tell students “there is someone who will listen to you” to encourage them to go to counselling, said Ms Lim.
What students say about stress and burnout Ms Priscilla Edward, 18, media, production and design student from Republic Polytechnic “I experienced burnout in my first year of polytechnic due to excessive responsibilities. Juggling school work and school club work became overwhelming, leading to late submissions, skipped meals, and sleepless nights. This took a toll on my mental health, exacerbating fears of incompetence.
To recover, I prioritised self-care, requested breaks away from the club when needed, and spoke up about my struggles to my club seniors, friends, and trusted adults. This helped me maintain a healthier work-life balance. “My advice would be to prioritise time management, set realistic goals, and put your health first.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, and recognise that taking care of yourself is not a luxury, but a necessity. By doing so, you can avoid burnout and maintain your overall well-being.” Ms Fahmidha Sanaa, 20, Tamil studies with early education student from Ngee Ann Polytechnic “Academic pressure, tight polytechnic deadlines and lack of self-care led to my burnout.
During this, I experienced anxiety, frustration, lack of proper sleep, loss of appetite, nausea and constant fatigue. “Unfortunately, I could not overcome it until school break happened. Although I go for counselling regularly, due to the tight deadlines I was unable to make an appointment and dedicate proper time off to seek professional help.
“Remember to plan your work early, start early. Section your work and do it in portions. Even if you can’t do it to a ‘perfect standard’, try to do something each day.
At least one to two hours of work each day will reduce the pressure and chances of falling into burnout. And when your body needs it, allow for a day off.” Mr Zhang Jun He, 20, animation, games and visual effects student from Nanyang Polytechnic Mr Zhang Jun He, 20, a student at Nanyang Polytechnic, said he was burnt out from the amount of work required for every subject.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF ZHANG JUN HE “I faced burnout due to the number of assignment deadlines and the amount of work required for each single subject. This is especially so in design school, where the assignments take a long time to complete for just one segment or milestone. “It was extremely stressful and made worse by the fact that you know you wouldn’t do well if you submitted any work late.
“It really messes with your emotional state, in the sense that every time during the period of what we refer to as ‘assignment chiong’, the amount of mental load will be more than you can imagine.” Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads. Read 3 articles and stand to win rewards Spin the wheel now.
