Symptoms of Burnout according to a Tweet by Todoist:

• Persistent fatigue and exhaustion

• Inability to concentrate or focus

• Feeling defeated, detached, or demotivated

• Diminished productivity and performance

• Unexplained anger or irritability

As I read the list, I mentally checked off each box. If you feel like you’re possibly burning out but you don’t show these signs, that doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t. These are at least the base signs that you might be burnt out. But what do you do about it other than try not to fail the however many classes you’re taking this semester with so few weeks left and hope to still stay sane by the end of it all?

1. Sleep

Facebook and Snapchat can wait, but sleep is nature’s best healer and the quickest way to getting your mind back into a healthier shape. On average, you should be sleeping at least six to nine hours a night. For a better sleep, turn off those screens at least 30 minutes before bed, put your phone on silent or do not disturb mode, go easy on the caffeine and eating before bed, and you should be sleeping like a baby! I’ve also been using a “meditation” app to help me fall asleep most nights.

2. Find time to hang with your friends

I don’t avoid seeing my friends completely, but between personal life and school it can be difficult to balance everything and make time to see them. But it is healthy to take a break from the home front. I’ve been trying to make it a point to keep more on track of this myself, instead doing my homework in the earlier days of the week before they are due. This way, I can relax when the weekend comes and not have to constantly worry about my work, and enjoy the free time with my friends.

3. Done is better than perfect

This is just one of many motivational sticky-notes tacked up on the corkboard behind my laptop in my home office. I’m a perfectionist, so having this staring back at me in radioactive yellow is a must-have reminder for me, especially this late into the semester when I keep thinking everything has to be perfect if I want to find myself on the Dean’s List, or with at this point simply keeping me above a 3.0 GPA.

4. Keep in mind that having good grades are good, but they aren’t everything.

I know, I know. Given what I just said in No. 3, I am being a little ironic here, but it’s true. Yes, it’s acceptable to have a C in your transcript and pass the class per University of Massachusetts Boston standards, and while it’s not the best grade per goals and ideals, consider that knowledge also a reminder in itself. The Dean’s List is simply a bonus for those of us who so much as get a 3.5 (if you’re a College of Liberal Arts major like I am). At the end of the day, they’re just numbers like the rest of the numbers that society wants to associate us with, more or less. Yes, it’s awesome if you achieve the higher ones because they mean you worked that much harder for them, but you’re here for a reason, so don’t forget to also take advantage of the social life a university has to offer!