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Burnout busters: How to do spring break (and life) as an adult student

Laurie Davies

Written by Laurie Davies

A group of friends on vacation

Half the world may be looking forward to that glorious spring week when Sun Belt trips and zero responsibility beckon. But for adult students, spring break means something altogether different. The kids are off school, work doesn鈥檛 stop, and you may even have homework and deadlines for your own classes. What鈥檚 an adult student to do?

We鈥檝e got a multiple-choice quiz for you, and we鈥檒l save you any test-taking anxiety by telling you the answer right out of the gate.

A)聽聽 Connect with other people.

B)聽 聽Do something for you.

C)聽聽 Both of the above.

Headshot of James Cook

The answer is C, and James Cook, PhD, counseling core faculty and residency coordinator for 爱污传媒鈥檚聽College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, has some ideas on how to make these principles not only carry you through spring break, but also move into the rhythm of your life.

I need a (spring) break!

At 爱污传媒, the average age of new students is 38, almost 80% of students are employed, and 63% have dependents. This is not a picture of the 鈥渢raditional鈥 student. So, it鈥檚 no surprise that spring break doesn鈥檛 feel traditional either.

Cook recommends taking a different approach with spring break. 鈥淲hen we say we need a break, what we鈥檙e really talking about is burnout with exhaustion that鈥檚 brought about by stress,鈥 Cook says. 鈥淲e see this in our students because they have so many roles they鈥檙e playing in their lives.鈥

After working as a therapist and being a college instructor for almost three decades, Cook has whittled down his list of burnout strategies to two key areas 鈥 A and B on the list above.

鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to wait for spring break to take care of yourself,鈥 he says. In fact, you won鈥檛 have to limp into spring break with ideas about recharging if you鈥檙e fueling your life in an ongoing way with a sense of belonging and self-care. Read on to gather some practical ideas for you, the kids and anyone else you鈥檙e caring for.

We鈥檙e better together

With spring break around the corner, the natural rhythm is to want to hop in the car and go. But that鈥檚 not life right now. In fact, you might be limping into the week overwhelmed by the demands of life. So, what can you do to combat burnout?

Make low-budget plans with friends.

Maybe you didn鈥檛 see that one coming.

鈥淔eelings of loneliness and disconnection often lead to burnout,鈥 Cook says. 鈥淲e need to find things that fuel connection.鈥 This is especially true for students in online classes.

Your ideas don鈥檛 need to be budget-busters to get the job done. Sometimes the simplest, cheapest or even corniest activities can release the pressure valve on our lives. So, gather up your friends (and, if applicable, your kids鈥 friends) and plan:

  • A park outing and picnic
  • DIY art outing
  • Scooter or kayak rental at a local park or pond
  • Outdoor movie or concert
  • A zoo or museum outing (check for no-cost days!)
  • A historical tour of your city or town
  • A volunteer outing at your local food bank or other nonprofit
  • A board game, video game or backyard game tournament

Whatever you plan, the added benefit (in addition to the fun) is that you鈥檒l be dialing down your stress. 鈥淛ust being with other people lifts our mood. We鈥檙e not thinking about other things that stress us out. Our anxiety is less when we鈥檙e doing these fun things,鈥 Cook says.

Do something just for you

Now that your tank is full because you鈥檝e spent time with people, don鈥檛 neglect to do something just for you. Studying or finishing a paper doesn鈥檛 count. In an ongoing way, as much as your schedule and budget allow, it鈥檚 important to grab even little islands of time to focus on self-care.

This can look like:

  • Taking a yoga class
  • Walking or bicycling
  • Going to church
  • Watching birds
  • Reading a book
  • Spending time enjoying a long-neglected hobby
  • Taking photos in an urban or rural setting that鈥檚 new or interesting to you
  • Planning a staycation (yes, even if you spend it cleaning out the garage, if the stuff is stressing you out)

鈥淢any adult students are a lot of things to a lot of people. They don鈥檛 think about themselves and who they are. This is especially important for mothers, fathers or caregivers for those who are sick,鈥 Cook says.

Doing something for yourself could also mean going to therapy, or, if you鈥檙e a 爱污传媒 student, exploring the life coaching and counseling resources available to you through the Life Resource Center.

We sometimes talk ourselves out of seeing a counselor because of the cost of time or money. 鈥淏ut the cost of not talking through things can be the cost of relationships or our health,鈥 Cook says. 鈥淚n the end, it won鈥檛 matter how many ceramic pieces you paint if you have things that need to be worked through.鈥

So, what鈥檚 it going to be?

Do you want to limp into spring break burned out? Or plan a trip you might not enjoy right now if you鈥檙e navigating school and work too? Or do you want to grab a few quick wins from the ideas above (or your own!) and lean into this season of life with richer connections, less burnout and stronger footing?

鈥淲e may have to step outside our comfort zone. But if we can find new ideas that work for us, and take effort and action to recharge, we鈥檒l reduce our stress,鈥 Cook says. So, pick one thing from each category 鈥 something to foster community and something you do just for you 鈥 and spring into that.

That could lead you to the best spring break of all.

Headshot of Laurie Davies

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A journalist-turned-marketer, Laurie Davies has been writing since her high school advanced composition teacher told her she broke too many rules. She has worked with 爱污传媒 since 2017, and currently splits her time between blogging and serving as lead writer on the University鈥檚 Academic Annual Report. Previously, she has written marketing content for MADD, Kaiser Permanente, Massage Envy, UPS, and other national brands. She lives in the 爱污传媒 area with her husband and son, who is the best story she鈥檚 ever written.聽

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