Brittani Gosh, an associate marriage and family therapist, said that motivation and burnout are not opposites, but points along a spectrum. Gosh said stress is not inherently harmful. In fact, Gosh said that a certain level of stress can be productive: it motivates students to prepare for tests, participate in activities and meet deadlines. However, when that stress begins to affect multiple areas of a student’s life, it may signal something more serious.

“If it’s impacting school, relationships or a student’s ability to enjoy things they once liked, that’s when we start to see a shift into burnout,” Gosh said. “We could see a lack of interest into things that were maybe very interesting before, and they’re not finding time to kind of reset and readjust, and I think that’s when we kind of move into that place of ‘I think I’m entering a burnout phase.'”

When she begins to feel the effects of burnout, Oakwood School ninth grader Mika Testa said simple tasks can feel exhausting. Testa said that her schedule starts to feel overwhelming rather than just busy when she is juggling school sports, club sports, classwork and friends.

“It happens a lot during volleyball season for school because you’re balancing so many things,” Testa said. “You have the club stuff, where you have to show your face at least twice a week, you’ve got so many school games, and because of that, you miss so much school, and it becomes really complicated.”

According to Harvard Graduate School of Education, students often fail to notice the beginnings of burnout. Burnout develops gradually as students continue to add more activities to their routine while not taking time for themselves.

Gosh said one of the most significant contributors to burnout is comparison, especially in environments where students are surrounded by high-achieving peers. Students frequently measure their success against others, both in person and online, Gosh said, which can lead to internalizing failure and tying self-worth to performance.

Junior Charlotte Joe said social media intensifies that pressure, especially around academic achievement and extracurricular expectations.

“I feel like I always see the people online who’ve gotten into this college with all of these stats and all these extracurriculars,” Joe said, “and then I think I start getting stressed that, ‘Oh maybe I should have eight extracurriculars like these other girls getting into Harvard’, and I think that’s definitely one way it stresses me out.”

In contrast to Joe, Testa said social media doesn’t usually affect her; however, when students show off their grades at school or in extracurricular activities, it becomes intimidating.

“The only time it affects me is when people are shoving their grades in my face, or when people try to compare schedules,” Testa said, “and not in a nice, ‘Oh, what are you doing after school?’ kind of way, more like, ‘I bet I do more stuff than you.'”

According to Harvard Graduate School of Education, this tendency is amplified by social media, where students are exposed to curated versions of others’ lives. Achievements, celebrations and “perfect” moments are constantly visible, while the stress and setbacks behind them remain hidden. Joe said that as a result of social media, students may feel that they are falling behind, even when they are meeting expectations.

Ivan Hauck, director of college guidance, said external expectations from peers, parents and the college application process encourage perfectionism and high self-standards.

“Students think they need to be doing everything, and more than everyone else. Sometimes there can be external pressure from adults, and students could interpret that they have to do more,” Hauck said. “I always hope that college is not one of those motivators or influencers, but I do think that sometimes it unfortunately is. And what students perceive as what they ‘need’ to be doing for college is sometimes inaccurate, but it’s perception.”

This constant drive for productivity can come at a cost, particularly when it comes to sleep. Joe said rest constantly feels necessary yet out of reach.

“I’m someone that needs to go to bed at 10:30 at least, maybe 11:00, but I think it definitely plays a part,” Joe said. “Sometimes it can disrupt my work because I won’t finish my work for the night, but then I’ll end up having to wake up early in the morning. But also, I think it’s really good for me that I make sure to have a boundary with myself to go to sleep by a certain time because then I’ll just be up all night.”

Beyond sleep, the emotional toll of constant productivity is equally concerning, Joe said. Without time to rest or recharge, students may begin to feel swamped with work. Joe said that even short breaks can make a difference, especially on days that are particularly overscheduled.

“I think it’s so important, especially as a musician. I love taking a 30-minute break, even just to play guitar and not think about anything stressful,” Joe said. “I think it’s really good for your brain to take breaks.”

A lack of unstructured time also affects students’ ability to build meaningful relationships. When schedules are packed with commitments, there is little room for genuine connection. Conversations become rushed, and opportunities for vulnerability and deeper friendships are limited. Over time, Testa said, this can lead to isolation, even in a highly social environment, because academic pressure often forces her to choose work over social time.

“I don’t hang out with my friends as much on weekdays because I’ll have so much work. If I have a test on Monday, I’ll be stressed. I’m not going to get my studying done, so I’ll say I can’t hang out Friday night,” Testa said, “but then I’m in bed Friday night, and I see other girls out, and I’m like, ‘Dang, maybe I should just let myself hang out and then just make sure I have something structured on the weekend.'”

Gosh suggested that regular self-reflection can help students identify patterns in their stress levels. By taking time to evaluate what feels overwhelming and why, students can begin to make more intentional choices about how they spend their time and energy.

Similarly, Gosh emphasized the importance of support systems. Whether through friends, family or school resources, Gosh said having trusted people to talk to can make a significant difference. Testa said rather than immediately trying to fix problems, adults can help by listening and encouraging students to find their own solutions. This not only addresses immediate stress but also builds long-term resilience. Joe said that true downtime matters more than students often realize because, without it, students reach burnout faster.

“Spring break and breaks in general are really important because it’s one of the few times in the year when we actually get to relax and rest our brains,” Joe said. “Teachers really shouldn’t be assigning work over breaks because it takes away from students’ mental health.”

Gosh said leaning on support systems and not being afraid to ask for help can be crucial when going through periods of stress.

“Leaning on your support systems, your friends and your family, can be really helpful in managing that typical stress that we have to go through as students,” Gosh said, “but when we need a little extra help, finding time to connect and also knowing when to ask is really important.”

To hear more from Gosh about the importance of weekly reflections and taking time for oneself, listen to the audio clip below.