Up in Flames: How to deal with burnout

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Saba Nabaeighahroudi

BURNING OUT: If water is unavailable, emotionally distraught students can opt to put out fires with their own tears.

Erin Tsai, Staff Writer

With school firing up into its seventh month, it’s easy to feel burnt out. Before the next wildfire lights up Northwood, take these as a spark of insight to improve your life as you know it.

Have some water. When you’re mentally drained, it’s easy to fall out of taking care of yourself. It’s important to stay hydrated—after all, humans are made of over 70% water (or so they say). To treat minor burns, run the burned area under cool water and apply a cool compress—not too cold, as it may cause further damage. It may be a good idea to just hop in the shower to diffuse the whole situation. 

Take a break and go outside. If you’re feeling burnt out, you might be spending too much time indoors. It’s beneficial for your physical and mental health to spend time outside. In fact, getting some sunlight exposure will actually help your body produce vitamin D, which can improve feelings of fatigue and body aches. Go on a walk, have fun at the park or hang out in the middle of the Northwood football field with your friends. When you get to the field, line up in an orderly fashion in your TA’s designated spot. Make sure to listen to instructions. But don’t panic, it’s just a drill!

Stop, drop and roll. All of the aforementioned tips are only helpful if you are not on fire. If you, your hair or an article of clothing you’re wearing is on fire, this is the first thing you have to do: stop, drop and roll. Stop what you’re doing immediately, drop  ̶A̶P̶ ̶L̶i̶t̶  to the ground and roll to put out the flames that are burning you. If this is not possible, remember that there’s less than a month left until Spring Break. This is crucial to know in the case of you physically burning from fire.

I understand that there have been a lot of wildfires in the past few years, and I hope that by passing on this torch of knowledge will allow you to be safe in the case of an unfortunate event, such as a fire burning out. And remember, if all comes to fail, you can still put out fires with your own salty tears.