The one question students need to ask to avoid burnout

I am fortunate to get to work with hundreds of incredible students every year. Sometimes this is in a supervisory capacity for paid roles, and at other times is coordinating the incredible current UTS student volunteers in our Peer Network program.

One thing that stands out to me is how the impeccable t­ime management skills these students demonstrate – volunteering for more than 56 hours a year in addition to studying, other community building commitments and paid work is no small feat, however these students make it look easy.

I know that every single day I am working alongside the leaders of tomorrow. However, sometimes I do worry about burn out amongst students who try to do it all, as I know they have long careers ahead of them and will likely occupy senior leadership positions in the future.

How can today’s students skill up, contribute to a just society and study? For the answer to this I turn to a recent TikTok of Dr Kim Hires, a leadership coach and expert on leadership burnout.

Source: drkimhires

Dr Hires recommends keeping your eyes on the prize, or, phrased in a different way, to always keep in mind why you are doing what you do.

What drives you, and is the change you seek to create?

If you keep these guiding principles in mind and revisit them when making decision, this can help you stay true to yourself and your values. Ideally, students will be working within organisations whose values match their own, allowing them to remain true to themselves and avoid leadership burnout.

While you, as students, may not be experiencing leadership burnout just yet, this is still useful advice that can help you manage your time!

Featured image courtesy of Unsplash