Learning & Stress

A collaboration between Counseling & Psychological Services & the Academic Success Center 

Stress is a part of life. It isn’t always bad, but it can be challenging and can make concentration, focus, and learning difficult. If you find it difficult to learn while stressed, you’re not alone.  

Some of the common stressors we hear about from students are feelings of overwhelm, fatigue, and burnout.  

Overwhelm can make it difficult to focus and can impact motivation. Different factors can contribute to overwhelm, but a few common to the student experience are over-commitment, lack of sleep, and not knowing where to go or who to ask for help. Folks who identify as perfectionists may feel overwhelm, and imposter syndrome can fuel overwhelm, too.  

Whatever overwhelm stems from, it can lead to fatigue. Fatigue might materialize as difficulty finishing assignments, not having the energy to participate in class, and not feeling up to engaging with friends and peers, each of which can contribute to burnout.

Tired student lying on the floor with books and gadgets
Student experiencing burnout holding her arms and looking blankly forward while other people rush around her

“Burnout is a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress.” (Burnout, n.d.) It occurs when we feel overwhelmed, drained, and unable to meet constant needs.

Being a college student can be stressful! Juggling responsibilities, due dates, opportunities, and multiple expectations, all at once, is taxing. Add to that everything that might be happening outside of school, and one may experience cumulative stress, which is when multiple stressors take place for an extended period of time with little relief. (Haight et al., 2023) 

Another way to think about this is as amplification: amplification is the intensification of our stress due to additional stressors. These stressors can be local and global, such as political climate, war, the visibility of racialized violence and racism, food and housing insecurity, illness (yours or those you love), and more.  

Overwhelm, fatigue, burnout and amplification can all be challenging. It’s important to know that, while your experience is unique to you, you’re definitely not the only one feeling the impacts of stress, and there are a number of options to consider to support your wellbeing and health. 

When you’re experiencing overwhelm, fatigue and burnout, or the cumulative stress of multiple stressors happening for an extended time, it can be helpful to talk with someone, like a counselor, friend, or family member, or to write about what you’re feeling in a journal. Sharing can offer relief and be an opportunity to connect, which can reduce stress.

It can also be helpful to know when you’re most productive, most distracted, and most impacted by the feelings you experience. This information can help you create a schedule that reflects your energy levels and focus. When do you need a break? What activities bring you joy and replenishment?  

Student talking to a mental health professional in a library
Student with headphones laying on the couch doing a guided meditation

Sleep is an important tool too, which can be challenging when you feel pressured to study, prepare, and produce for a course. And yet, to do all that work, sleep needs to be a part of your process. This is when learning from the day is moved from short-term memory to long-term stores, and it’s when you get to rest and re-energize for the following days (Doyle et al., 2019). 

There are also breathing and grounding techniques that can be added to your practice if they feel supportive to you.

And that’s the thing: the strategies that help you reduce stress, overwhelm, and fatigue, may be different from those that work for your peers. That’s okay! It will be important to try things, reflect on how they impact your stress, adjust or adapt based on what you learn, and keep iterating as you gain data about yourself and what works or doesn’t. 

Looking for more coping strategies? Check out these Strategies for Learning During Times of Stress.

Want to meet with a counselor? Visit Counseling & Psychological Services to learn more about appointments. If you’re experiencing crisis: 

  • CAPS: 541-737-2131 (after hours, select option 1 from the phone menu); crisis walk-ins available during business hours 

  • Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or text 988 

  • Crisis Text Line: Text OREGON to 741741; HOME if outside Oregon; STEVE to connect with a BIPOC counselor