Chandy Dancey
Iâm burnt out. I write this just after spending 3 caffeine-fueled days mashing out my final report of the semester that I knew was coming up for months. There was something unique about online school â namely that deadlines didnât feel real as I juggled academics and two jobs. Even though I knew the deadlines were coming up, thereâs this crazy thing called executive dysfunction where I just couldnât bring myself to work on the task at hand. To use a science analogy for this: chemical reactions sometimes need energy put in to start them, and thereâs this energy âhumpâ that has to be overcome so they occur called activation energy. For me, the activation energy needed to start an important task was just too great to overcome, and I struggled. Sometimes procrastination isnât just deadline denial; sometimes itâs being unable to overcome the mental barrier of starting. This happened not just once, but all semester for me. If what Iâm saying sounds relatable, rather than tear ourselves down about it, letâs plan to practice self-forgiveness, accept what happened, and move on. After some much needed summer recuperation, weâve got this.