From playing sports and performing under the spotlight to starting non-profits and pursuing research, nearly all of the School’s students have commitments outside of academics. These activities are an opportunity for students to not only take a break from school work, but to do fun things they are passionate about. But after years of participating in the same activity, many students experience burnout. To avoid burnout or help recover their passion, there are several strategies available for students.
Burnout often occurs as pressure causes extracurriculars to be more stressful than enjoyable. Senior Christian Woo has been fencing since third grade, but has experienced highs and lows. “At one point, I found myself consumed by the results, focused solely on winning and losing,” he said. “This, of course, was unhealthy, and I quickly found myself dreading upcoming tournaments.”
But for some, extracurriculars never lose their magic. Senior Amelia Fung has done five years of circus—including acrobatics, clowning, and juggling—after seven years of competitive gymnastics. Despite spending so much time on it, she has not lost her excitement for acrobatics. “I haven’t yet experienced burnout from circus because it is such a versatile art form, so in any given training session I can focus on technique or creativity or both,” she said.
Junior Rowen Weeramantry does theater both inside and outside of school, spending intense hours on vocal, acting, and dance training both during weekdays and on weekends. “It’s super draining, but I honestly love it, which is why I put so much time and effort into theatre,” he said.
There are many methods to avoid or mitigate burnout from your hobbies. For some, finding new ways to interact with their extracurriculars can help maintain or rekindle enjoyment. Fung, for example, also coaches younger kids. “Coaching circus helps to prevent burnout for me because I get to see the kids having so much fun. . . it’s a great reminder,” she said.
Weeramantry emphasized that a lot of the stress related to theater comes from balancing his time with academics. He said, “As school has ramped up over the years I’ve had to focus more on advocating for myself to teachers and prioritizing my time efficiently.” Especially at a high-performing school like Head-Royce, teachers “can be super lenient and understanding” regarding students’ other commitments, so communication is crucial.
To restore his love for fencing, Woo took a “step back from the sport.” Taking a break allowed him to reevaluate his situation and understand his feelings. “It took a little bit, but after recognizing that an obsession with victories was actually detrimental to my performance, I tried to let go of the results,” he said. This change in perspective allowed Woo to “focus on things within [his] control, like how [he] used his practice time.” Deriving satisfaction from his efforts rather than results enabled him to return to fencing and cherish it once again. “[It] helped me rediscover the original passion I had for the sport,” he concluded.
Activities students pursue outside of school should be challenging and meaningful, but also fun and exciting. Once students no longer look forward to them, extracurriculars become an additional burden in an already stressful high school environment instead of the escape that students need.