‘Burnout’ is defined by the World Health Organization (2020) as “a form of exhaustion caused by constantly feeling swamped. It’s a result of excessive and prolonged emotional, physical and mental stress … [and] happens when you’re overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to keep up with life’s incessant demands.” Over the past two years, I have seen more blogs, posts, articles, and memes about burnout than I ever have in my life. It is a phrase that so perfectly summed up my high school and undergraduate experience, where I often felt so exhausted and overwhelmed by my responsibilities that I struggled to get anything done. Over the past two years, I have also learned the things that I need to do to stop myself from burning out. Specifically, I have worked on learning my limits and understanding that it’s okay to ask for help when I need it instead of feeling like I need to do everything on my own. I have allowed myself to acknowledge the limits of my humanity and to admit that I feel deeply and easily become emotionally involved in my work, my schooling, and my volunteering, which can have detrimental effects on my psychology. In allowing myself to admit these things, I have thus let myself explore the ways that I can prioritize my well-being, such as through a ‘social recharge’ where I spend the day by myself reading a book on my ‘To Read’ list and burning my favorite candle. Knowing myself and my limits have been the most valuable lessons that I have learned, allowing me to stay the best version of myself so that I am then more able to serve others and accomplish the goals that I have set for myself.

Every night as a child my mom would sing me to sleep. Although she would be the first to admit that singing is not one of her strengths (her mother made her mouth the words to church songs on Sunday), I believe that I owe my singing talent to her. Music and song have been integral parts of my life for as long as I remember, and I am constantly humming, often without realizing, to some song stuck in my head. To say that I love singing would be an understatement. I began performing for audiences when I was eight, and what had started as singing in the shower, car, or with my mom before bed, became performing in talent shows and musicals throughout elementary and high school. Growing up, I had what was referred to as ‘raw talent,’ but in my junior year of high school, I was allowed to take vocal lessons, allowing me to hone my talent and understand how to not only use my voice but to care for and nurture it through diet and practice. I would start each day with vocal warmups and a spoonful of honey and carefully wrap my neck with a scarf during the winter. In my most intense moments, I even avoided dairy and chocolate which have been known to negatively impact the vocal cords. These days, I still use the vocal exercises and care tips that I was taught even though I am no longer performing on stages. Instead, I have turned to posting song covers on social media and performing private concerts in the car and the shower, although I still hold out hope that one day I might get lucky, be discovered, and transform the talent that I love into a livelihood.