Introduction
Entering a medical university, most students are fired with the energy to learn new knowledge and master professional skills. They are eager to help people. But, due to a large amount of information, heavy workload, high-stress levels, lack of work-life balance, and emotional exhaustion, the internal reserves of each student begin to be emptied. As a result, sleep and leisure time do not bring the desired relaxation. Internal energy cannot be restored. The daily routine becomes more and more intense. It leads to the development of emotional medical student burnout. Over time, this leads to a loss of interest and desire for getting an education.
What is students burnout and what are the causes of burnout?
Emotional burnout is a state of physical, moral, and mental exhaustion. For the first time, this phenomenon was described in the USA in 1974. The term is used for healthy people who are forced to constantly be in an emotionally tense atmosphere. For the most part, burnout has the same causes. They are monotonous work; the rhythm of college study; lack of reward; regular undeserved criticism; or hard-to-write essays.
Of course, this is not the whole list. To learn more about burnout cause and effects examples students can look for information online. Another productive way to become an expert in this issue is to write an essay or research paper. Yet, it is worth mentioning that not all medical students are sure cause and effect essay examples without spending much energy and effort. If so, they can always find great free essay examples on the net. Many educational resources have huge databases of flawless essay samples. They help gain inspiration and new creative ideas.
Burnout medical students symptoms
To date, many researchers have identified about 100 signs that might be medical burnout symptoms. The most severe are:
- chronic fatigue and overfatigue;
- decrease in motivation to work/study;
- loss of concentration;
- systematic violation of deadlines;
- conflict;
- the need to be alone;
- irritability, stress;
- depression.
Stages of burnout development
Emotional burnout develops gradually and goes through several stages. For students, these changes in stages can happen just during the academic years.
Stage 1: the student feels less and less satisfaction from his education activity. The ideal image of a profession is disappearing. Energy decreases.
Stage 2: fatigue and apathy appear. Sleep problems may occur. In the absence of additional motivation, the student becomes more withdrawn and indifferent to learning.
Stage 3: constant irritability, fatigue, a feeling of being “backed into a corner,” and a feeling of lack of time may appear. A person begins to get sick more often.
Stage 4: chronic diseases develop. As a result, the ability to study is completely or partially lost.
Stage 5: physiological and psychological problems become more acute. The person is depressed and has chronic diseases. At this stage, they can often be excluded from education.
Effective ways to prevent emotional burnout
The earlier burnout is prevented, the easier it is to deal with it. Here are some principles that can help:
1) It is important to develop reflection. It is thanks to self-awareness that we begin to orientate ourselves better, and therefore monitor our mood, thoughts, and condition promptly. We can clearly understand our motivation and interests.
2) Plan an adequate schedule. It must include rest, quality long sleep, and regular, nutritious meals. If you are overtired, and this fatigue does not go away during rest, then you need more rest. The plan should include an alternation of physical and mental activity, walks, communication with loved ones, as well as time for hobbies.
3) Determine your priorities and values in the chosen profession. Understand the long-term purpose of learning and teaching methods.
4). Consult a professional. The reasons for burnout are sometimes difficult to understand without professional help. Let go of the idea that if you go to a professional, you will somehow fail or that there is something wrong with you. Therapy is just as much a way to maintain a healthy spirit as going to the gym is to keep you in good shape.
Stay optimistic
If burnout catches up with medical students, they should have the strength to fight it back. A high risk of developing emotional burnout occurs in conditions of prolonged or increased intellectual and communicative loads. That is why students should be always attentive to their physical and mental well-being.
