Sue Allaire Shares Her Thoughts on Student Burnout

by Makayla Crowley

“Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion and occurs when you feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained, and unable to meet constant demands,” says Sue Allaire of

Cape Cod Community College’s Wellness Center. Being a college student has its perks, but juggling multiple responsibilities like classes, a job, personal lives, and more can make it easier to be burnt out.

But what else causes burnout? “Burnout results from excessive and prolonged stress that has not been successfully managed; taking on too much at once that feels overwhelming and/or intense activity without any rest,” says Allaire. As the end of the spring semester is creeping up on students, lots of additional stress can be put on students during these final weeks of classes.

Look out for these signs of burnout: “Reduced performance and productivity, anxiety, detachment, changes in appetite, low mood, difficulty concentrating, lack of creativity, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, and increased alcohol and other substance use can all be warning signs of becoming burnt out,” says Allaire.

Many students can be experiencing these symptoms, but do not know what to do. The Wellness Center at Cape Cod Community College is here to help. “Our programming focuses on helping students to explore and grow healthy habits in each dimension of the Wellness Wheel (emotional, physical, financial, spiritual, environmental, social, intellectual). When the stressors in your life are affecting your health, sense of well-being, relationships, and/or academic performance, we want you to reach out to us,” says Allaire.

Students can reach out to The Wellness Center by phone or email. Their phone number is 774-330-4857 and their email is [email protected]. The 24/7 support line: 855-612-2962. The Wellness Center is located in the Life Fitness Center, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The link to complete the Student Wellness Intake Form is found below. www.capecod.edu/studentwellness

From left to right: Nancy McIver, Dr. Maura Weir, Cheryl Kramer, and Sue Allaire of The Wellness Center. (Makayla Crowley)

Wellness frisbee. (Makayla Crowley)

Categories: Featured, Student Life