UF’s prestige and high rankings often attract hardworking and academically driven students. Yet, through endless days and sleepless nights, it’s important to prioritize one’s mental health to avoid burnout and reach for success.
While burnout often goes unspoken, it’s prevalent among students who overcommit to extracurricular activities and lack time for themselves. Without time dedicated to self-care, mental exhaustion kicks in, leaving students overwhelmed with stress.
Whether it’s students who spend hours applying to medical school each week or UF faculty members teaching more than six classes a semester, Gators often balance multiple lives at once.
Anaïs Ortiz, a 32-year-old UF psychology graduate student, believes in “thinking preventatively” to prioritize one’s mental, physical and emotional health. Rather than comparing themselves to others, students should pay attention to what they need to be successful.
Everyone has different mental thresholds, Ortiz said. During busy semesters, it comes down to routinely checking in with one’s emotional state to see what needs to be done to care for their well-being.
To balance schoolwork, occupational duties and social lives, blocking out time can set students up for success, she said.
“It’s easy to get wrapped up in the newness of everything when you’re starting the year, especially if you’re a first-time student,” Ortiz said. “It’s important to remember that if you start building these habits now, you’re going to make it to your goals.”
Charlotte Trabbic, a 23-year-old UF graduate, worked at her own pace as an online student, mentoring herself by scheduling time for school and work. She took 13 credits almost every summer to stay on track to simultaneously graduate with a bachelor's and master’s degree.
Her burnout became overwhelming when she began to experience a fear of missing out, she said. She’s since realized how important it is to give herself grace and time to recover from academic stress.
“The pressure to excel the most you could is just what people would want for students in a university like this,” Charlotte Trabbic said. “I felt the pressure … but it’s something to rise to and push yourself to achieve rather than to think it’s unattainable.”
Wandering the Kanapaha Botanical Gardens and sitting by Lake Alice are two ways to break the cycle of lectures and libraries, she said, giving students a well-deserved mental break.
Brigitte Trabbic, a 20-year-old UF food and resource economics junior, recognizes college is extremely stressful for students, but many of them don’t realize the people around them are also going through similar situations.
Forming friendships through shared experiences can foster deeper connections to Gainesville’s community, she said.
“Reaching out to people in different sections of my life grounds myself and reminds myself that if I feel pressure in one specific situation, that is not all my life is,” Brigitte Trabbic said. “Taking a deep breath and appreciating the area you’re surrounded by is one of my favorite things about UF. It’s in such a beautiful place.”
Contact Autumn Johnstone at ajohnstone@alligator.org. Follow them on X @AutumnJ922.
Autumn Johnstone is a freshman journalism/art student and a music reporter for The Avenue. When they're not writing, you can find them enjoying a nice cup of coffee at a nearby café or thrifting for vinyls.
