How to Avoid Burnout While Preparing for a Competitive Exam

Preparation for a competitive examination is an exhaustive process that may stretch for months, and sometimes even years. Early risers, long study hours, and comparisons with the other aspirants will eventually begin to take a toll on the psyche.

This guide will tell you exactly how to avoid burnout while preparing for a competitive examination. You will have practical insights into the early signs and root causes of burnout. The post will also give you tips for daily life that will help you in protecting your preparation. This article is for SAT, PTE, GRE, IELTS, TEFL, and GMAT DUOLINGO  aspirants.

Exam burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and physical depletion due to prolonged and continuous pressure of preparation. While tiredness and fatigue can be resolved with some rest, burnout needs to be handled with greater care.

The three symptoms of burnout include emotional detachment or depersonalization, cynicism, and lack of accomplishment. Burnout is regarded as an occupational syndrome according to the World Health Organization, which lists it in ICD-11. In other words, it is primarily related to work. However, the researchers have studied the phenomenon of study burnout extensively too, and they find similar patterns in students.

Burnout is not the same as stress since while the former leaves you feeling exhausted and detached, the latter leaves you feeling exhausted but involved in your work. It is therefore crucial for you to differentiate between the two.

Test prep examinations require not just knowledge but also patience. There are several contributing factors that make aspirants susceptible to burnout. It is critical that you identify these factors so that you can eliminate them from your preparation.

• Long timelines – The SAT examination, for example, has a process spanning several months. You may need to prepare for two or three years before you can complete this process. Such a long preparation without visible results can cause burnout.
• Heavy competition – There are lakhs of candidates for a few thousand seats in GRE, GMAT, IELTS, etc. The sheer numbers can be discouraging, especially if you feel that your efforts are not paying off.
• Isolation – Many aspirants go to Jaipur, Delhi, and Pune for coaching. This exposes them to a competitive and isolating environment. They are away from their loved ones and share a cramped room with strangers.
• Social comparison – Aspirants often get drawn into the comparison with others. They follow Telegrams, YouTube channels, and Instagram accounts of those who are more successful. They then feel as if they are lagging even when they are not.
• Family and financial pressure – Your parents will invest significantly in your preparation. While they may be emotionally supportive, it can translate into pressure on you to succeed.
• Poor study habits – Many aspirants study for sixteen hours but retain very little. Passive studying, such as mugging up and skipping revision, makes you vulnerable to burnout. You may feel as if your efforts have no result.

Identify the early signs of burnout in order to prevent it from getting worse and to prevent a full-blown burnout. Here are some of the warning signs to look out for.

Physical signs:

• Even with seven to eight hours of sleep, being very tired.
• Suffering from headaches, vomiting, pains in the body, or other ailments frequently.
• Unconscious reduction in appetite or going without food.
• Getting sick often.

Signs of mental & emotional:

• Snapping at your family when you get irritated or angry about small things.
• Reading something and forgetting it the next minute.
• Feeling numb, hopeless and that you will always fail.
• Disinterest in studying and fear of opening your books.

Behavioral indicators:

• Scrolling your phone and killing time.
• Not seeing your friends and family.
• Spending a lot of time studying, and getting very little done.
• Thoughts of suicide or self-injury.

1. Create a realistic study plan

A simple solution to avoiding burnout during your preparation process is the development of a realistic study plan. This means coming up with a realistic study plan that you will be able to follow easily.

You have a certain number of hours in a day. You can calculate how many hours you can learn in a day by deducting the time you must dedicate to resting, cooking, getting to work, and so on. Instead, it might be better for the students to go to class for six to eight hours as compared to fourteen hours.

Prepare your syllabus in such a way that you divide it in monthly, weekly and daily goals. This way, you will feel motivated because having realistic goals will not make you afraid of anything. You can set a goal to do two chapters and one test in a day. It is vital that you leave buffer days for those days when you don't achieve your targets. This way, you won't feel like you are consistently lagging. It is always a good idea to review your plan every Sunday. Examine your accomplishments for the week and establish new objectives for the next one. This will assist you in making sure that your planning is on schedule. You won't burn out while preparing if you plan realistically.

Sleep is an additional component of a competitive component of a competitive component of a competitive study. The knowledge your brain picks up as you sleep is consolidated. As a result, you will be able to remember how much information there is. Even on Sundays, you have to stick to a regular sleep routine.

In the half hour before going to bed, don't stare at your phone, and don't drink any tea or coffee in the evenings, and keep your room dark. Studying all night will probably not help you get better grades the next day. It's probably a good idea to go visit a doctor if you feel tired even when you got 8 hours of sleep. Not getting enough sleep could mean that there is something wrong, such as anxiety and other mental illnesses.

Studying for more hours does not always translate into more knowledge. Sometimes ineffective methods can increase your prep hours without improving your performance. It is critical that you use effective methods so that you can make the best use of your time and energy.

Based on a study done by Dunlosky et al., active recall and spaced repetition are two of the most effective ways of studying. In active recall, the process of self-testing takes place where one does not use his/her notes. Put away your books and write down all the things that you can remember. Though this process might seem difficult at first, it will eventually be helpful for retaining and recalling information.

Spaced repetition is a process where one continues testing himself/herself about the material he/she has studied. One can start with testing himself/herself after a day, then after a week, then after a month, and so forth. Revision at increasing intervals will make one retain the material for a longer period of time.

Mock tests and previous year papers are also excellent for testing your preparation. They will give you an idea of your weak areas while also helping you get used to the pattern of the examination.

To sit for hour to study will tire you and your energy will go down. This will reduce your concentration and will be create trouble in memorization. So, it is necessary to take proper break in between your study schedule. To make a proper study schedule in blocks with breaks you can opt Pomodoro technique which states that take a five-minute break after studying for 25- minutes. Even you can also go with 10minutes break after 25 minutes study this strategy will give you a fresh start.

Give a body stretch and a little walk during the break. Don’t scroll social media this will distract you and you will get engaged with your phone. Moreover, a little walk and body stretching will make your body healthy. Even, you should eat something after several hours of study or you can do a light physical activity. This all the little things will give you another level of energy that will help you to back for your study within refreshing mind.

There are a number of advantages of exercise, especially when you are preparing for an exam. Physical activity will help you to reduce stress, feel better, sleep well, and make you mentally alert. You don’t need to work out in a gym or do strenuous exercises. A stroll, some yoga postures, or the game that you enjoy will work just fine.

As per the World Health Organization, one and a half hours of moderate exercise are recommended to be performed weekly. This means that you will have to devote half an hour for exercising daily. For instance, you can take a stroll after your dinner, do some stretching while having breaks from studies, or play sports twice a week.

Some students avoid exercising because they feel that they do not have sufficient time for that. Yet, exercise will make them more concentrated. Moreover, physical activity will increase their ability to remember. Hence, exercising can become a useful tool in your preparation.

Food is a crucial part of your healthy preparation. If you skip your food this will affect your body and mood also because a healthy food is not only for making you healthy but it also affects your mind. Food works as a fuel for mind to rejuvenate it, which helps you to become focused. So, always eat healthy food within time and stay hydrated to avoid any kind of weakness.

Your meals should be include dal, vegetables, roti or rice, curd, and fruits; you can also add nuts, eggs, and paneer to your diet. This healthy food gives you calmness and will reduce stress. Don’t eat so much food at a time eat food in moderation so you will not feel sleepy during study. Always be hydrated drink plenty of water because dehydration will make you tire that will affect your mood. So, always carry a water bottle with you. To avoid any kind of hinderance plan your diet in advance.

When studying for a challenging exam, your phone may be your biggest source of distraction. It is the finest. It is as much as you are the best. You could choose to restrict your use or remove specific apps if you are unable to resist using them.

Notifications can really throw you off while you are trying to focus and social media can be very distracting.

You could always put your phone on airplane mode when you are trying to get work done. Establish personal objectives and remove any social networking applications that are encouraging you to utilize them. Unfollowing someone who makes you think inferior or making you envy of what they have achieved is always a smart idea. 
Because it can save all of your lectures, notes, and current events, a phone can also be useful. It's crucial that you choose how you want to use it. It's what you should be able to use to help you accomplish.

Comparison can be highly detrimental to your preparation. Seeing others study for more hours can make you feel as if you are not doing enough. You may feel as if you are losing time when you see others achieving better scores. However, it is important that you stop comparing yourself with others. First of all, people tend to showcase their achievements on social media. You do not see the failures, the disappointments, or the tears. Their preparation may have been more difficult than you realize.

Comparison can also create unhealthy habits. You may begin to measure your preparedness against others’ success. Instead, you should compare your current progress with your past performance. Were your scores better this test than the last one? Has your revision improved? Are your weak areas coming together? These are more useful measures of your progress.

A small study group can be more beneficial than following the entire online community. If anything, the latter can make you feel inadequate about your preparation. Comparison, therefore, can become extremely harmful, and it is important that you avoid it as much as possible.

Some aspirants cut down on almost everything in their lives apart from studying. While this may seem helpful at first, it can be emotionally damaging in the long run. It will also affect your performance as you will feel moody and dissatisfied with life. You are indulging in your preparation does not mean you will stop to having joy in your life. Moreover, indulging in your hobbies will reduce preparation anxiety. When you are making your weekly schedule set an hour to entertain yourself like listening music, cooking, painting or do whatever that can make you happy

It will clear your head and serve as a reminder that you are more than just an aspirant. In a similar manner. Even, the simplest way to make yourself calm and energetic talk with your close buddy or take a tea party with your parents.

Take some downtime from preparation and spend quality time with your family and friends without feeling bad about it. It is merely a period in life; it is only after all.

Preparation can be affected by negative thoughts and anxiety and there are several things that can make you anxious. Some applicants could believe that their parents would never be satisfied with them or that their attempts are bound to fail. There are some people who thinks that their efforts have not been paid off.  It is the reason that you are the reason that you can stop.

One of the best ways to deal with anxiety is to put your worries on paper. This will help you to see them objectively. Sort them into things that you can control and things that you cannot. Breathing exercises are also extremely helpful in dealing with anxiety. Breathe in for a count of four, and out for a count of six for five minutes. You could also challenge your negative thoughts.

Instead of believing them, ask yourself what evidence there is for them, and counter them with something more reasonable. For instance, if you think, “I will never clear this exam,” you could counter it with, “I am improving, and I still have time.” Meditation and mindfulness can also help you in dealing with negative thoughts, if they suit you.

When you have invested so much time and effort into your preparation, failure can be a bitter pill to swallow, and it can be difficult to digest. Sometimes you think failure is the last point of your journey but in reality, it is the starting point of your journey. Don’t be lose your morale from failure; treat as your feedback and focus on improvement overs weaknesses.

If you lose your mock test or exam then identify the reasons behind your failure. Try to find out that you are not well prepared for exam or it was only exam anxiety. Whenever you will find exact cause of your failure then work on it to overcome from failure. Don’t change your preparation strategy because of failure just work over weakness and move on. Don’t compare with others compare yourself with your own abilities that will help you to achieve positive results.

Thers is no need to deal with your failures alone. Even, you should talk about your concerns with your close ones, your teachers and mentors it will help you a lot. A small talk gives you many perspectives to analyze your concerns. If your struggles are troubling you constantly than you can seek for expert helps. You can share your problems with counsellors and psychologists. These professionals are becomes well trained that can help you to overcome from your difficult situations. If you are unable to find solutions of your difficulties then in this case this is the best way to consult with a professional to win over problems. The source also lists free resources in India such as Tele-MANAS and KIRAN, a 24x7 mental health helpline from the government.  

Every aspirant has different requirements, so treat this example as a helpful guide. You can tweak the timings according to your coaching or office timings.

The above schedule will provide you with around eight hours of study time. It will also give time for exercise, food, friends, and family. Consistency is better than studying for a long time.

Weekly and monthly things to do to keep you rejuvenated-

• There are some weekly and monthly things that you can follow which will keep your preparation interesting as well as unblock you from any situation.
• Follow one light day per week when you study for lesser hours or revise easily. Utilize that time in resting or pursuing your hobby.
• Do the monthly review in which you analyze your mock score and completed topics along with your mood.
• Plan the next month according to this review.
• Take a vacation after a major test series or exam to keep your morale high.
• Keep checking your “why” in order to remember your reason for taking the exam.

Burnout does not just affect the individual; it affects the whole family as well. Some actions that parents can take include:

• Ask caring questions and listen to your struggles instead of demanding results. A question such as how you are feeling opens up the conversation more than a question about your study hours.
• Never compare yourself to your cousins or neighbors. Appreciate what you achieve no matter how little it is.
• Give you all the needed support, which could either be nutritious food or allowing you time off.

Again, friends can join hands with you to study, take notes together, and be there for you during tough times. Friends could provide a perfect distraction for you to take breaks from preparation.

• Studying for prolonged periods of time without any intervals.
• Ignoring sleep and relaxation.
• Creating impossible goals.
• Always comparing oneself to other people.
• Avoiding food and physical activity.
• Failing to take rest and getting distracted constantly.

1. Burnout is synonymous with laziness.
2. Burnout occurs solely in those who study or work excessively.
3. Taking breaks is an act of time-wasting.
4. Burnout can be averted by just increasing motivation.
5. One cannot prepare for an examination with just a couple of hours of sleep.
6. Burnout is normal examination stress.
7. One must manage burnout on their own.
8. Burnout will magically disappear after the examination.

Here are some useful strategies that can help you in managing your time.

• Use the block and break method wherein you work for a certain amount of time and then take a break.
• Limit distractions such as phone and social media.
• Prepare a realistic study plan that you can complete.
• Set achievable goals and reward yourself when you achieve them.
• Do not multitask as it reduces efficiency.

Burnout may occur not only in the examined person but also in their close ones. That is why family members have a great role in preventing and combating exhaustion. Parents and siblings can highly contribute to the process by discussing not school or college-related problems and asking concerning questions. For example, instead of asking how the candidate's last grade was, they should ask about his current condition – How are you doing today? These questions would let the candidate become more talkative and share the reasons for his nervousness.

Furthermore, when talking to the candidate, his family members must refrain from comparing him with his peers or cousins. It is imperative that they value whatever success he may have achieved and encourage him to relax and take care of himself. Finally, friends can play a vital role in the described situation by studying in groups, exchanging notes, and monitoring each other’s conditions.

Burnout isn’t sudden and tends to happen due to lack of sleep, comparing yourself to others and poor revision plans. But there are simple steps you can take to stop this from happening.

To prevent burnout whilst revising, create realistic revision plans that allow you to get enough sleep. Try using active recall and spaced repetition methods to revise more efficiently. Ensure you’re getting plenty of exercise and eating well. Avoid using your phone/social media whilst revising. Finally, ensure you’re looking after your mental health by not comparing yourself to others and keeping in contact with friends and family. If you do badly in a practice test use it as a motivator to improve. Also, if you’re feeling stuck, ask for help.

Remember you need to rest whilst preparing. As the exam is a marathon, it is important to look after your health and wellbeing just as much as your syllabus. On the day of your exam, you’ll be grateful!