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Burnout Advice?
Does anyone else have a difficult time dealing with burnout/mental health while studying? I have been studying everyday for the past two months in quarantine. I have pretty much isolated myself from all my friends, and I've probably been spending around 8+ hours a day studying. I know this is the wrong way to go, but I feel like if I study less and start doing other things, I'll become easily distracted. I've only taken two or three days off these past two months, because I always convince myself that I can handle this amount of work. I was planning on taking July, but I had to cancel because a couple weeks before the exam, my PT scores were dropping significantly. My lifestyle at home is ok, but I find myself getting agitated by the exam around family sometimes, which worsens the situation. I'm very result oriented, so I tend to expect quick improvements, but I know the LSAT requires a ton of patience. I've tried yoga, and it's truly helped, but at the end of the day I can't tell if all this work and mental stress is worth it. I've wanted to become a lawyer since the 5th grade, but now I feel like this amount of stress and work just isn't healthy. I keep reminding myself that there are ways to manage this type of stress, but for some reason, I can't seem to get myself to improve my work-life balance. I've come to a breaking point about two times in these past couple months where I absolutely needed to take a break, and I find it difficult to judge when I really need to take a day off. I've dealt with some difficult emotions, and I reconsider going to law school when I feel burnt out. After a day off, I definitely feel ready to get back into studying, but I don't feel like this type of lifestyle is good for anyone. I want this studying process to be a more positive, and healthy experience, and I know everyone is capable of making it one. I would appreciate any advice on how to deal with burning out and anxiety. I'm sure this is a difficulty for a lot of us, but if anyone has had similar experiences with trying to overcome these setbacks, feel free to leave a comment. Thank you
Comments
Hi @jegosi215,
I'm sorry it's been a difficult couple of months. I relate so much to your anxiety and not wanting to be distracted. Because with other classes and study materials, more time spent studying does mean a higher score, I also found myself trying to book as many hours a day as possible. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I came upon this article (https://news.berkeley.edu/2012/08/22/intense-prep-for-law-school-admissions-test-alters-brain-structure/) that I changed how I prepared for the test. With the LSAT, the amount of time we take off matters as much as the amount of time we spend studying. Your break time helps the new information you acquired to settle in. It also mentions it in the LSAT Loophole book.
Some things you can do to ease burnout could be to cut back on time (for example, five hours a day), while staying consistent. You could designate the hours you will study for each day and make sure nothing will interrupt your study session.
Meditation- there's this free meditation app that I've been using for over two years now (https://insighttimer.com/) and it's really helped my anxiety.
Pick one day (preferably your favorite day of the week, if you have one) to have a break. Don't do anything LSAT related that day and book as many fun activities as possible.
Lastly, at the end of the day, have a favorite activity to look forward to. For me it's watching kdramas, and it's small consistent way to keep my cup full.
I know implementing these things can be hard with a time constraint, but it's awesome that you are open to new ways of approaching your study time.
I was you!!!
I urge you to take a break. I had the same mindset; that improving on this test couldn't possibly come from a break. However, once you take some time away and allow the material to actually absorb - I promise you will come back with a MUCH clearer and more focused perspective.
I am also results oriented and it absolutely destroyed me not seeing them quickly. You truly have to trust the process, however if you are not seeing results in a significant amount of time, I would recommend taking a step back to consider: are you studying hard or studying smart? I was studying hard for 2 months but that didn't mean I was studying in the most efficient way (ie: not blind reviewing, skipping LR questions if I 'kind of' understood them during BR). Ensure you are spending time in the RIGHT areas.
Please message me if you have any questions or just need to chat! I was studying 8 hours a day for months and as soon as I took some time off my score was consistently 5 points higher. I would love to help you in any way that I can, as I have been there!
8 hours a day seems counter productive. This is not a brute memorization test. That would be a good place to start by cutting that back to 4 or 5 good hours. I won't comment on how you should go about making this experience less horrible. I have never heard of somebody enjoying studying for the LSAT. There are enjoyable aspects sure, but don't be too upset that you are struggling to find joy.
I TOTALLY relate to you feeling anxious being at home and studying there and wanting results STAT. But your brain needs a break. I take off 1 full day each week to devote to anything except for the LSAT. Seriously, on your day off don't do ANYTHING LSAT related. You'll feel unproductive at first, but your brain will thank you for it! You need to take time to let information absorb into your brain. The LSAT sucks for everyone but will be so worth it in the end!!
You should also consider switching up your study space. I'm not sure where you're from, but if your state is slowly lifting quarantine measures, I'd do some research and see if there are any local or university libraries you can utilize. It seems like a small change but it drastically can make a difference for people and their motivation. I've been stuck in my house's basement for the past 3 months trying to study. At first it was okay, but then I started hitting a wall and couldn't focus at all -- there are too many distractions at home. Luckily my local library opened up this week and I feel like a new person lol.
Here's how my study schedule (for Oct. LSAT) has looked over the course of the past 6 months-ish in case you were curious:
- Feb. to March 1-2 hours a day + 3-5 days a week with school
- April to May intermittently 2-3 hours a day + 4-5 days a week (not working)
- May to now 4-5 hours a day + 5-6 days a week (not working, but planning on getting PT job)
It's okay to be a little flexible with your studying!! For instance, if you sit down to study one day and are starting to feel burnt out (cloudy brain, can't focus), it might be best to take that day off and come back to your studies the next day. I hope this kinda helps... WE GOT THIS!
I have been experiencing the exact same thing! Just know that you're not alone in that constant thought process of "am I doing enough?"
As people have said above, find something to look forward to at the end of each day. I started waking up at 6:30, starting at 7 am and ending my days around 4 pm to treat it like a work day so that I get time in the evenings to myself and to enjoy Netflix, or time with friends and my family. I tend to be a very anxious person so the regimented schedule has helped me find control over the LSAT prep and give me the time that I need to relax without feeling guilt. In terms of studying, guilt is a wasted emotion because no matter what, there could always be more prep done so don't beat yourself up for taking the very necessary time that you need in order to stay mentally healthy and happy
I've found that exercise has helped A LOT to manage the stress and keep my head clear. I would highly recommend taking 1 hour a day to yourself to de-stress and stimulate that release of serotonin and dopamine (it really does make a difference)
Good luck!
Best thing I ever did for my LSAT study bandwidth: bought a new bike and started riding everyday for a few hours. I am in better shape and I have a lot of fun biking.
Something I have noticed about the best lawyers is that they are sensational at their profession and typically obsessed with some miscellaneous hobby. You have to have time away from work. If you don't, you're not going to be okay.
there is no reason for you to be spending so much time in a day studying!! spend at most 4 hours in the morning and spend the afternoon recharging through exercise, socializing (safely), etc!!!
seriously. if you read JY's lessons on the psychology of the test and studying, he legit recommends 2 hours max a day (this is what I do). please take more time for yourself-- theres no way to learn with such a high level of intensity. your brain needs to rest, and once it does, it will retain information much faster
Thank you all so much. Your comments are bringing me back some hope, but I'm still unsure about how feasible it would be for me to stay healthy in the future as a lawyer. I really wish I could speak to some lawyers about how their day to day lives are, and if they have enough time for physical activity and family. I'm the type of person who needs to be outdoors, and often exercising. I've never been one to think that the idea of a 9-5 job would be the right decision for me, but I put that aside during this journey because I loved the idea of becoming a lawyer. Now, I just don't know if I would be able to have a work-life balance that would satisfy me. I've been going through a very tough time lately, because I'm realizing that I definitely prioritize my health over this amount of work. I've pretty much decided that law probably won't be a good decision for me, and it's really upsetting because I've been so passionate about this journey for a long time. I just feel like I'm not the kind of person who can live a sedentary lifestyle without being miserable. I know that being more active throughout the day is very manageable, but I still don't see much time available for being outdoors, or spending time with friends and family. I'm honestly pretty lost, and unsure whether all these lawyer stereotypes I find on the internet are really the harsh reality. I'm starting to think I would be better off getting my MBA, and doing something else, but I would really hate to give up just because of burn out, or any of my preconceived notions. I just want to make sure that I don't end up living an unhappy, and sedentary lifestyle, while constantly trying to please people. I know that I can control all of these things, but I feel like it would be a major challenge as a lawyer.
I totally agree about the sedentary lifestyle and stress. It sucks pretty badly. Unfortunately most grad degrees require an entrance exam that requires full on studying such as the GRE, Business exam whatever its called, etc.
Goodluck in all u do ur clearly a hard worker.
A piece of advice my tutor gave to me recently and was the reminder I needed was that burnout is more about the amount of LSAT you're inundating yourself with rather than lack of sleep. There is no mind over matter in regards to burnout. If there is, the mind part is about resting your mind and disassociating yourself with the thing causing the matter. Not so much about powering through it.
I feel pretty much the same way like you. I found exercise really helpful to release stress. Now I go jogging for one hour after a day's study and I feel energetic and happy after exercise! Plus I lost tons of weight because of this! Hope this helps!
@reneeayetin Yeah I understand. I know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel with all studying processes, but I'm concerned that even after the LSAT, it might just be a ridiculous amount of work to handle. I don't want to be miserable in law school, and definitely not as a lawyer from not having a life outside of work. I'm hoping to hear that it's not like that and I'm exaggerating, but I honestly don't know who to ask. All I see on the internet about lawyers is about how stressed out, and overworked they are. I keep trying to convince myself that there's no way it could be that bad. I feel like trying to maintain a work-life balance will be a struggle in most business related jobs. I wish I could talk to lawyers to see if it's really as bad as I'm making it out to be.
same boat ^^^ idk wat to do