by Sequoia Thomson, Year 13 Student, Kaipara College
As I write this, I am still three weeks away from the end of the term, but as you, my lovely readers and fellow students, read this, the school term is over! I bet future me is very relieved, but already figuring out what I need to do next.
It has been one chaotic term, with so many fantastic activities and events that it was hard to keep track! We just recently had a wonderful Samoan language week, with some beautiful performances and a very cool updated bell - though I must say, it did startle me the first time I heard it. It’s so easy to get into a routine, and Mondays are already rough enough as it is. Once I adjusted, though, it was quite fun to have a dance!
We also had our wonderful school production of the year, Baskerville, a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Fantastic drama teacher Sara Dean has been hard at work putting this play on a fast track due to a second production (a musical: Paradise), which will be shown early term three. This reduced the amount of time Sara had to prepare everyone, but boy did the cast and crew pull through. The production was shown from the 17th to the 20th of June, and gosh, it was just wonderful!! All the characters were incredibly vibrant and funny, and the acting was just marvellous. The set was also incredibly built, considering the lack of resources and time. I myself played a couple of minor characters, which is always such a fun experience - the behind-the-scenes chaos never gets old!
As I joked about before (this is a character flaw of mine), future me, when I arrive at the holidays, will likely already be figuring out what I need to do next. I wanted to stress in this article the massive benefit of allowing yourself the time and space to breathe and celebrate your wins. As I know very well myself, not allowing yourself to celebrate your wins, or to rest, is the only sure-fire way to get to a state of burnout. For those who don’t know what burnout is, it is a state of mental, physical, or emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress and a lack of rest.
For those experiencing burnout, the first step to recovering is recognising the signs like chronic fatigue and irritability, then auditing your workload, setting boundaries, and prioritising physical and emotional rest. I also suggest seeking support from friends, family, and most definitely a therapist or counsellor who can help you construct effective methods to prevent yourself from burning out again. That work-life balance is sooo much more important than you think!
If you would like to learn about burnout in greater depth, visit Healthline’s article, Burnout Recovery: 11 strategies to help you reset, or Psychology Today’s article, dealing with academic burnout. The school’s free therapist is also a wonderful free asset for those who find counselling or therapy too much of an expense in this current economy.
I mention this because as we start to approach the start of practice exam season, the pressure begins to build. Maintaining your usual work-life school schedule, with the extra workload of exam study, is no small feat, and really keep in mind that ensuring your body and mind stay rested, healthy and happy plays a massive part in your results. Whilst one extra hour of study at 11 at night seems more beneficial, for your brain to function properly, that extra hour of sleep is much more beneficial.
Tofa (goodbye) everyone, have a wonderful holiday!
