Term two, week six. Whew. We’re approaching a time in the year where if burnout hasn’t grasped you yet, it’s probably starting to sneak into your academic habits, lecture attendance, and general wellbeing. Whether you’re a first year who’s still not fully used to the expectations of university, or a final year in the absolute trenches of a dissertation, we’re at an unbecoming crossroads where you’ve lost the starting momentum and yet still, the end is not quite in the horizon.
So, be real with yourself. How are you doing? Does the sight of a stacked Google Calendar no longer fill you with joy, but dread? Do you find yourself ditching what should be fun plans to go to the library and eventually get nothing done at all? Are you, frankly, just exhausted? If any of that resonates, you could be experiencing some form of academic (or otherwise) burnout.
“The most critical thing, truthfully, is to be in tune with how you’re feeling … The most polarising and often overwhelming thing we get told about mental health is that the onus is on us to know when it is getting bad”
Mental health is something that affects every single person reading this, and while you’re reading this it might be good, bad, or somewhere in between. The most critical thing, truthfully, is to be in tune with how you’re feeling. Easier said than done, I know. The most polarising and often overwhelming thing we get told about mental health is that the onus is on us to know when it is getting bad.
That’s never particularly easy to recognise, especially for myself. I’m the type of person who is excelling, striving, cooking-on-gas until I hit an absolute mental wall — impenetrable and ethos-crushing. That was me around this time last year, back when I was in second year. I went from an academic weapon who thrived during library sessions with friends, never missing a class, to absolutely overwhelmed over missing out due to illness for a single week. The concept of falling behind, paired with an existential fear of missing out, led me to be in such a catch-up-mode upon my return that I simply could not catch up.
“ “And a thing that’s quite shitty about mental health struggles like these is no one really talks about the domino effect they sometimes have”
And a thing that’s quite shitty about mental health struggles like these is no one really talks about the domino effect they sometimes have. For me, as someone who often thrives from connection, intimacy, and communication, I felt such guilt for missing classes and events, even when I was blatantly not well enough to attend. And sometimes, missing a class or a catch-up with friends means missing seven classes, or ghosting those friends entirely, especially when you’re conditioned to view mental states in such a black-and-white nature.
“The Student Counselling Service is one of a number of tools at student disposal for when this sort of wall can hit”
So, after a good few weeks of being absolutely numb and sliding by as best as I could, I sought help. That’s also easier said than done, but the Student Counselling Service is one of a number of tools at students’ disposal for when this sort of wall can hit. Student Counselling is a fantastic resource that can be utilised to help you navigate any struggles with mental wellbeing throughout college. The best way to find out the best path forward is to book a Support & Needs-Assessment Planning (SNAP) appointment. If there is a more pressing emergency, you can also seek a same day crisis appointment through a direct email to student counselling.
In your SNAP appointment, a counsellor will go over your mental health history as well as dive in depth with everything you’re currently feeling, and find the most appropriate path forward. For me, this was short-term counselling, six sessions with a member of the team. This is one path of many, which also include referral to group counselling, independent or online mental health resources, or a referral to external services.
Going to a counselling service can be overwhelming, and isn’t always the right path either, depending on what you find. Oftentimes, peer support can be just as useful, if not more useful of a resource, and one that can resonate better, depending on what you’re struggling with. The Student Union welfare officer is one such resource, available to help you work through any welfare-related issues and signpost towards the best resources going forward, in addition to other supports like S2S peer support and Niteline. Both of those services rely upon student volunteers trained to help those in crisis or in need of a listening ear, and are often trained to help with specific scenarios, like if you are an international student or LGBTQ+, for example.
I also want to give a little space for the importance of noticing these signs in your friends. Not all of us might read this, or have the knowledge, understanding, and energy to seek support. In the difficult period that this month and the looming exam period can be, try to keep an eye on those you care about. If you notice a detachment, hopelessness, or even just someone not being fully themselves, check in. It’s always better to be reassured that someone does care than to suffer in silence.
