Have any of you all every felt so mentally exhausted? Whether it be from school or work, mental exhaustion can truly bring you down. But what can you do to stop yourself from falling down the rabbit hole of stress?
As a teacher and graduate student, I often find myself stuck behind piles of papers, constantly checking my planner, and running around like a chicken with his head cut off. As of late, I have been struggling to find motivation to get myself and my work together. When I started having the thoughts to quit my job or started second guessing graduate school, I knew I had to do something about this negativity I was creating. I preach hard work on a daily basis, and if I did not follow my own lesson, how much did I really believe it? Here are a few of the things I did to overcome the haze of mental exhaustion.
Take a Break
I have a bad habit of not knowing when to quit. I can continue to work and work knowing the strain that it is having on me. I took a day off, for my own sanity, and just rested. I did my daily things here and there and took time to reflect and regroup. Sometimes, we need that time—it is important to recharge ourselves to be better in all that we do.
Exercise
This is a tip I am more than sure that you have seen or heard millions of times before. But it really does help! When I would come home from work, I would fall on my recliner, exhausted, and would fall asleep or sink into the negative thoughts. I started to attend a group fitness class and it gave me an outlet to push out my frustration and clear my head (honestly, the only things I think about are how much I want the squat portion to be over!).
Planning & Following Through
Since the start of my undergraduate career, I have used a planner, but not effectively. This time around, I have started jotting everything down. As life gets more hectic for me, my self-proclaimed good memory just goes to the trash. Mark down everything as soon as you get a deadline or an appointment—it will give you the extra memory reinforcement since you wrote it down. Also, check it and keep it open to the current day or week in a place you often stop. I keep mine in my office as I start my day there. Follow through with your appointments and avoid cancelling if possible. Pushing back that dentist appointment will only add more stress to your later days.
These are just a few of the things that I have been implementing in my life to keep myself balanced and prevent the mental exhaustion from overcoming me. I hope these can help you too!

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Vanessa Rodriguez
Vanessa is a Masters student in the Curriculum & Instruction (STEM Emphasis) program.