As sunlight grows scarce and the vibrant colors of fall begin to drain, it is possible that students’ mental health and academic careers are affected, leading to burnout.
The transition from fall to winter can impact students’ routines, with fewer chances to enjoy time outside, students might find themselves spending more hours on social media. Therapist at Counseling Solutions of the Ozarks Les Brown said social media creates a false sense of connection.
“Our brains do not create the same amounts of oxytocin while scrolling or texting as we do during in-person social engagements, that [students] are more likely to experience in the warmer months,” Brown said.
Brown said several factors contribute to depleting mental health when students try to substitute human connection with social media.
“When students aren’t getting social connection, oxytocin, exercise, serotonin and not having many things to look forward to … their brains are starved of the neurotransmitters that allow them to feel good and function well,” Brown said. “The potential impact of not sleeping well and feeling disconnected from others can lead to irritability and a lack of motivation at a time when students need it most.”
These factors can intensify during the winter, leading to winter burnout.
“Winter burnout is similar to other forms of burnout,” Brown said. “Like career burnout where a person experiences signs of depression or mood changes as a result of cold weather months and the lifestyle changes that occur during these months.”
Junior counselor at Nixa High School Jenny Myler said it is common for those undergoing winter burnout to have a lack of incentive.
“[Winter burnout] creates stress and then [students] shut down and they lose their motivation,” Myler said. “Which … can create more anxiety and stress because we start to get behind and then [don’t] know how to manage our time and get caught up.”
When this exhaustion is not dealt with properly, it can lead to a decline in mental and physical health. Brown said that poor coping methods can sometimes lead to self harm.
“Students can have a short fuse, feel emotionally drained and experience heavier moods,” Brown said. “In the most severe cases of winter burnout, students can be prone to poor coping techniques like self harm, or suicidal ideation.”
If students are struggling with thoughts or feelings of self-harm, they reach out to a trusted adult for support or call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
Students in all grades can be susceptible to burnout.
“I experienced burnout last year around winter time and again in May,” junior Makaela Wentworth said. “It was a lot harder for me to get the motivation to do my assignments and to just want to do anything related to school.”
Spending time outside or staying active can help one cope with burnout.
“If [an activity] is something that a student truly enjoys and it brings them peace, joy and it makes them feel good, then engaging in those activities is going to help stimulate more of those endorphins and help get them through the stressful times,” Myler said.
While enjoyable activities can help improve a student’s mental state, if an activity or sport starts to demand too much time or energy, it can have the opposite effect.
“I do cheer every day,” Wentworth said. “On top of that I have to do more assignments. I’m constantly doing something and never have a break.”
Wentworth said that making time for breaks is beneficial for completing stressful tasks.
“If you are feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork, instead of avoiding it maybe schedule some time to really focus on it, create a to-do list, mark some things off your to-do list, but then also put in some personal time,” Myler said. “Whether that’s spending time with friends or family or going for a walk, just do something healthy that helps you feel more balanced.”
Wentworth said that the festive season has brought on new stress such as gift planning.
“Around [winter] time, I’m planning gifts and making them because I prefer to make things rather than buying them,” Wentworth said. “That’s really self-draining, because not only do I have practices and assignments I’m also making a bunch of presents. Currently, I’m making 12 or so projects and those alone take about a week each.”
Depending on one’s personality, winter burnout can have unique symptoms.
“Everyone’s different,” Myler said. “I truly do believe some people are more comfortable being inside and maybe they’re more introverted. … But I also think there are a lot of people that kind of get their energy off being around other people, and so they need those interactions or they may need to be in nature or outside.”
Myler said that the lack of sunlight during the winter can influence one’s vitamin D intake, which can worsen burnout.
To combat the lack of vitamin D, she said that people should take a step back from technology and find time to go outside.
“Vitamin D plays an essential role in burnout,” Myler said. “Being able to disconnect from technology … and just freeing our mind a … is important.”