Emotional Fatigue

8/13/2019 Emotional Fatigue

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Emotional Fatigue:Coping With Academic Pressure

Nick Repak

Director, Grad Resources

Introduction: Recognizing the Problem on the University Campus

In the classic film, Catch-22,from the novel by Joseph Heller, Alan Arkin walks with a doctor at

the military base, amidst smoke and plane engines roaring for takeoff, and says "I don't want to

fly anymore because it's too dangerous and it's made me crazy." The doctor, in sympathy yet

with sterness, states, "I can't ground you just because you ask me; I can only ground crazy

people." Arkin replies, "Let me get this straight. I must be crazy to keep flying combat missions,

but if I asked to be grounded because I'm crazy, then I must not be crazy and therefore I can't

be grounded." The doctor confirms, "That's right; that's Catch 22."

It seems that the same logic is prevalent today at the major universities of America in

describing the hoops and hurdles thrust in the way of the average graduate student. Many are

told, "We value teaching, and you will teach (though you may receive little or no training as you

become a TA), but if you excel at teaching we may reward you with a special grant that allows

you notto teach." Also, "The demands will be so great that you will need a unique support

system to help you through your academic quest," but the environment will allow little time to

establish relationships, and the department may be so competitive that it hinders relationships

from forming. Again, "You might want to take advantage of your advisor as a mentor, and they

will enjoy that also," however, their research demands force them to commit their time and


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energy in the direction of research and publishing and may force you to do the same. You

might desire coherence in your life, and that would assist you in your personal wholeness and

integration of your studies, but again, there is no time for such things. Facing these academic

"catches" may require some critical reflection on your personal lifestyle and environment to

avoid emotional fatigue.

The problem of burnout, with its accompanying emotional exhaustion and feeling of low

personal accomplishment, has prompted much study as it relates to management and business.

However, the academic community, which seems to accept fatigue as part of student life, is just

beginning to seriously take notice.

An undergraduate study done by Neumann, Neumann and Reichel, professors at Boston and

Ben Gurion Universities, is the only research that has attempted to define the problem on the

college campus. The authors conclude:

College students may in fact experience the burnout phenomenon due to learning conditions

that demand excessively high levels of effort and do not provide supportive mechanisms that

would facilitate effective coping.{1}

The Neumann study found emotional exhaustion and lack of felt accomplishment as ingredients

of the burnout process. The conclusion: Emotional fatigue greatly influences student

performance and affects personal commitment. On the other hand, the degree to which the

student experiences emotional exhaustion is dependent on his individual flexibility,

involvement, and student-faculty contact.

Grad Resources projected these same findings to be true for graduate students who face an

increased work load and have little involvement outside their department. Grad Resources


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commissioned the Barna Research Group of Glendale, California, to conduct a survey of those

enrolled in upper level programs. Using telephone surveys with a representative sample of 404

students, stratified by degree program and type of school, Barna evaluated their interests,

lifestyles, and felt needs.

The survey revealed that graduate students do feel a great amount of pressure. Fifty-five

percent of the students surveyed considered dealing with stress and burnout a major challenge.

In addition, 70 percent of the grads responding to a broad list of anxiety producers declaredthat their major concern was the achievement of the elusive balanced life, i.e. finding ampletime for family, self, and others and feeling that their life is under control.

The majority of graduate students also expressed a desire to deepen personal involvement in

their field of study. For instance, 51 percent indicated interest in attending a panel discussion

comparing ethical issues in their field of study. One third desired a deeper relationship with a

faculty member.

With what was uncovered in the Barna study, it became apparent that the majority of graduatestudents struggle with emotional fatigue. Some are even in danger of abandoning the callingthey have chosen. To help understand the pressures and how to deal with them, we incorporate

our findings to present a description of the environment in which this burnout takes place. We

also emphasize the traits and symptoms of emotional exhaustion, discuss possible results from

poor coping strategies in the life of the graduate student, and conclude by exploring possible

solutions to the cycle of fatigue.

The Environment


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The Barna Study revealed the potentially oppressive environment of graduate students and

some ingredients that contribute to emotional fatigue.

First, lack of time. Graduate students indicated that their total available free time averages toabout 15 hours per week. For many, those hours are consumed by family or job responsibilities,

leaving little time for personal needs, refreshment by exercise or leisure pursuits, or even for

ordering priorities.

Second, financial pressure. Forty-six percent of students surveyed listed finances as an anxiety.Dealing with the financial pressures which result from an extended period of study and

pursuing future job prospects may raise graduate students' anxiety levels. Many are already in

the work force, at least on a part-time basis and face the tensions of the working world as well

as those of intensive study.

Third, lack of faculty contact. The Neumann study revealed that faculty involvement was animportant ingredient in academic success. One third of those surveyed in the Barna Study said

they desired a deeper personal relationship with their supervising professor. Yet the need for

individual support and affirmation often goes unmet due to a lack of faculty availability. This

situation contributes to the sense of helplessness that graduates feel as they strive to shape

their academic environment. One Ph.D. student explained, "Having come from a smaller

undergraduate experience to a major research institute, I felt stressed over the department

politics for which I had no game plan."

However, it is unreasonable to expect graduate students to shut down, take time out, or

demand that their supervisors lessen requirements to help them cope with fatigue. In thepresent academic system, the life of the graduate student is so clearly defined with built-inpressures that there is little room for escape and recovery.


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Excessive workload, lack of balance, inadequate free time, and little opportunity to influence

the environment make up only part of the fatigue syndrome. Most graduate students possess

distinctive inner qualities and traits that help them persevere in academic goals but which may

also accentuate the cycle of burnout.

The Traits

Traits exhibited by a majority of graduate students set up an emotional cycle of perfectionism

that easily leads to exhaustion (see chart detailing the self-description of grads from the Barna

study). The Barna survey revealed that most (54%) take life very seriously. Eighty-seven percent

said they wanted to be known for integrity. Many graduate students also exhibited

perfectionistic tendencies -- placing high expectations on themselves and allowing no room for

failure. Consequently, the average student refuses to acknowledge the internal alarms that

signal a need for help.

Evenif support were available, most probably would not accept it. An overwhelming majority ofgraduate students surveyed (86%) said their primary source of strength during times of need orcrisis was their inner self. As self-reliant individuals, they feel they must face their externalenvironment and any accompanying sense of hopelessness and helplessness or feelings of

isolation and frustration alone. The internal qualities which keep them pushing, pursuing,

seeking, and reaching out of their realm of skill and familiarity, also make them hesitant to seek

external help.

Why do graduate students persevere so persistently? They have a dream that drives them.Themajority (68% ) indicated a tendency to lean away from the practical, tangible rewards towards


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achieving ideals for their own sake and the potential to influence others through an academic

career.

Graduate students are usually classical examples of the over-achiever. The Barna datapresents the profile of an individual who sets lofty (often unrealistic) goals, allowing no room

for flexibility or adjustment to the barrage of new challenges. Many feel inadequately prepared

for the tasks that they face -- such as being a teaching assistant. Although some colleges offer

seminars in learning teaching techniques, many still do not. Despite lack of guidance, grads still

sense internal pressure to push themselves until they master these skills independently.

Suffering occasional feelings of bondage to a faculty member does not deter them because they

know that their future in academics is partly determined by a positive report from their

professor.


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Below is a listing of typical traits characterizing a high achiever (compiled from David Fontana,

Managing Stress{2}):

Does several things at once (i.e. telephoning. holding a conversation, jotting notes on a

pad and swiveling back and forth on your chair all at the same time).

Often feels guilty when relaxing. Quickly bores with other people's conversations, wants to interrupt, finish sentences for

others or hurry them up.

Tries to steer conversations towards his/her own interests instead of wanting to bearabout those of others.

Usually feels anxious when engaged in a task, wanting to finish it and get on to the nextone.

Is unobservant about anything that isn't immediately connected with what he/she isdoing.

Prefers to haverather than to be(i.e. to experience possessions rather than toexperience himself or herself).

Does most things (eating, talking, walking) at top speed. Finds people like himself/herself challenging and people who dawdle infuriating. Is physically tense and assertive. Is more interested in winning than in simply taking part and enjoying himself/herself. Finds it hard to laugh at himself/herself. Finds it hard to delegate. Finds it almost impossible to attend meetings without speaking up. Prefers active holidays to dreamy relaxing ones.


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Pushes to achieve his/her own standards without showing much interest in what he/shereally wants out of life.

A person who possesses many of the traits is a primary candidate for stress-related emotional

fatigue. A serious disposition, an attitude of self-reliance, a driven personality, and tendenciesto overachieve are some of the contributors to a cycle that leads to burnout in graduatestudents.

The Indications

We can identify basic physical and cognitive components that are good indicators of an

approaching fatigue problem. Physiological components concern actual physical changes that

occur. The following are several signs and symptoms of burnout:

Decreased stamina Sleep problems increased need for sleep or insomnia Weight loss or gain; decreased or increased appetite Accident proneness Increased susceptibility to illness Psychosomatic complaints headaches, migraines, u1cers or backaches Substance abuse -- excessive drinking or drug use Cardiopulmonary problems increased blood pressure or heart disease

Obviously, a person may not display all of these symptoms nor is this list comprehensive. One

symptom may be enough to necessitate personal lifestyle change.


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Cognitive components also make up some of the primary manifestations of stress and

emotional fatigue. Listed below are some of these factors{3}:

Depression: mood changes or cries easily

Isolation: lack of desire to socialize, or simply isolates self from others either physicallyor emotionally

Marital/family/roommate conflicts Cynicism Rigidity or passivity Aggression Mental illness Self esteem problems: sense of despair, emptiness or sense of meaninglessness

Physiological and cognitive changes associated with stress and emotional fatigue interact. A

sample case study below provides a picture of how the two types of elements might present

themselves and interact with one another:

Brian is a first year graduate student in chemistry. After moving across the country to a new

school, he quickly becomes immersed in his work. He develops a few close friends but just does

not have time to cultivate relationships outside of the few people he sees every day. Thus, at

times, he feels alone and depressed.

These feelings are further complicated by the enormous workload thrust upon him. He

confesses feeling angry with himself for not staying on top of his work and guilty for all the

things he leaves undone. At times, he gets nervous and panicky thinking about all he needs to

accomplish and the limited amount of time he has to complete everything. Some nights, even


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after a long exhausting day, he can't get to sleep. Sometimes he forgets to eat because he is

too busy; other times, he grabs a doughnut or candy bar.

Brian realizes things need to change but just does not know how to go about it.

In Brian's case, some of both the physiological and mental symptoms associated with emotional

fatigue are seen. Fortunately, Brian recognizes that he cannot keep going at the same pace and

that he needs to deal with his emotional fatigue.

However, many graduate students refuse to acknowledge their need to slow their pace or toaccept outside help. They allow their condition to proceed to advanced stages before dealingwith symptoms like those listed above. Soon they melt down from fatigue and reap devastatingresults.

The Results

But what, then, are the possible results of the cycle of environmental and personal stresses that

lead to burnout? Here are several areas that may have lasting repercussions:

1. Quality of work affected.The quality of work produced in the course of a graduate career can

be severely affected by poor coping strategies. First, stress may produce a focus on short term

completion versus long term learning. For instance, a fatigued student may cram for an exam

rather than master the content, or he may throw together material for a paper instead of

thoroughly researching his subject. The result is that his work suffers, and he will not get the

maximum value from his education.


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Second, many pressured students attempt to minimize other interests and limit their efforts to

what is required within their field of study This causes an unhealthy isolation.

Dr Ernest Boyer, President of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching says,

"Graduate study is all too often a period of withdrawal -- a time when students are almost

totally preoccupied with academic work and regulatory hurdles.{4}" This detachment not only

isolates the grad from a potential support network but also limits the degree to which the

assimilation of ideas can be processed and applied to the complexities of ethical and social

issues in real life.

Dr. Boyer presents the need for interdisciplinary involvement: "The real danger is that graduate

students will become specialists without perspective, that they will have technical competence,

but lack larger insights.{5}" This narrow view will directly affect the student's ability to deal with

issues later in his career field.

2. Degree plans halted.Without change the graduate student may succumb to overwhelming

fatigue which may lead to the halt of his/her degree plans. Dreams of teaching researching and

publishing are shattered. Despite investment of years in academic training the grad will fall

short of his/her perceived goals.

3. Interpersonal relationships stunted.The Barna study indicated that graduate students place a

high value on close personal friendships (81%) and family relationships (59%). Yet the data

suggests that when "push comes to shove" for time demands, the pursuit of academic goals

wins out.

While the Barna study shows a hearty agreement among graduate students concerning the

benefits of mutual respect, empathy, commitment, and camaraderie of close peer networks, it


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may be an agreement in principle only. The hindrances of time commitments, lack of social

involvement, and hesitancy toward self-disclosure prevent the natural development of

rewarding support networks. Typical coping mechanisms tend to move graduate students to

redouble their work efforts in an attempt to catch up and to guard their personal "academic

turf" from those perceived as potential competitors within their department, creating greater

isolation. These barriers to vulnerability virtually assure the fatigued graduate student that the

benefits of the close community relationships will not be part of their emotional fatigue release.

In addition, emotional exhaustion may disengage the student from family relationships. Harvard

professor, Dr. Armand Nicholi, in his paper "What Do We Really Know About Successful

Families?" emphasizes the devastating effect of an absent spouse or parent on the family.

Without spending time together, he says, family members fail to meet each other's emotional

needs. For the student who is married, this leads to low self-esteem and results in depression

for husband and wife.

The same is true for children of graduate students. Dr Nicholi describes the crippling impact of

an absent parent. "A child experiences an absent or emotionally absent parent as rejection, and

rejection inevitably breeds resentment and hostility.{6}" He cites numerous examples from case

studies on the long term results of parental inaccessibility on the child's development and the

family experiences, i.e. anger, rebelliousness and incapacitating emotional conflicts.

The consequences of poor coping strategies within the family have lasting effects on spouses

and children. The coping mechanism of isolation can also set patterns that affect future marital

and parental relationships.


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4. Future career jeopardized.The academic life holds pressures that remain prevalent

throughout graduate school and into an academic career. Yet, how often have so many

struggled for so long, through so much, only because they say to themselves, "soon things will

be different." Those pursuing Ph.D.'s to teach at the college level (51%) may be deceiving

themselves. A recent study of faculty by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of

Teaching reveals the intense pressures felt by professors. "Fifty-three percent of those (faculty)

under 40 years of age reported that 'my job is a source of considerable personal strain'."{7}

They also indicated that "the quality of their work is, in fact, diminished by competing

obligations." As one professor confided, the stresses became so unbearable that he was forced

to cease his work completely until he recovered from fatigue.

The pessimistic picture painted by the formal studies of the burnout phenomena and the

descriptions given by graduate students themselves have prompted the offering of various

methods of coping. These solutions furnish suggestions for dealing effectively with the burnout

phenomena, not with eliminating the situation.

The SolutionsIt is essential to develop effective coping skills while in graduate school to succeed in a healthy

manner, both while in graduate school and later in life. An individual's reaction to, and ability to

cope with stress may be more important than lessening the load.

The problem of burnout demands that the graduate student possess a strong ego identity.

Antonovsky, in Health, Stress, and Copingdefines a strong ego identity as "a sense of the inner

person, integrated and stable, yet dynamic and flexible; related to social and cultural reality, yet


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with independence, so that neither narcissism nor being a template of external reality is

needed."{8} This inner sense gives confidence to the individual and a coherence to life

experience which frees the student to cope with the pressures of academia.

Developing adequate methods of dealing with stress throughout a lifetime involves recognizing

weaknesses, utilizing strengths and employing outside sources. We have included a chart on

"The Salutogenic Model of Health" which shows the interaction of stressors that lead to a

healthy continuum (see appendix). By using the path from the model, coping strategies can be

delineated and used in forming effective methods for coping with burnout.

To aid in developing a strategy for coping, we have included the following practical

recommendations for dealing with the burnout syndrome.

1. Journal your progress Journaling your progress in dealing with stress and burnout willenable you to identify how this syndrome operates personally in your experience and to seek

solutions. Some possible suggestions are:

Begin to analyze your destructive "self-talk" -- identify the statements that you say toyourself that minimize your worth and are false statements of your progress and

accomplishments. Don't compare yourself to superperformers. Be aware of what you

require to remain refreshed and do not attempt to maintain the same pace as them.

Identify your strengths and give yourself the opportunity to rebuild confidence through

utilizing them. Grad Resources offer aids to help in identifying personal strengths and

weaknesses. At particularly low times, list the top fifteen strengths and read them back

to yourself.

"Mark your trail" when exhaustion sets in. Begin describing the conditions that bring iton, the symptoms by which you identify it and the most efficient means to deal with the


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problem. Take note of your progress and remember that healthy change takes longer

than expected Use your stressful experiences to prepare yourself for the next

occurrence.

2. Manage time and set personal priorities Without good time management, burnout becomesa high probability. When attempting time management consider: First, conserving time-- be

wise with the hours in the day. Set a schedule, but don't be forced to follow it absolutely.

Second, controlling time-- learn to say "no" where possible and follow through. Third, making

time-- realize priorities, reorganize them, and stick to what is important. The following are

some suggestions for making use of your time:

Find privacy where the telephone can't ring and people can't interrupt.

Get an appropriate amount of sleep. Add one-half hour of sleep each day until you wakeup on your own to assess your biological need. You can go for a brief period of

shortened nights for extended study hours but do not sustain this schedule for long

periods of time.

Allow yourself leisure time and take vacations -- even if for a day. Include types ofleisure that refresh (alone and in a quiet atmosphere) and that give perspective ie

reading an article in another field, novels, listening to music, cooking (or even escaping

to the graduate coffee house).

Exercise regularly -- even regular walks will help.

Eat properly balanced meals. Plan menus for two weeks and freeze large dishes. Planmeals around for socializing to give more time for interpersonal relationships.


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3. Cultivate relationships To cope with burnout, acknowledge your need for interaction withother people. Although finding time for relationships is a challenge for graduate students,

social networks add a balance that is vital to alleviating stress. Here are some areas to appraise:

Assess your current friendships Which of these are at the acquaintance level thecompanionship level or the established-friendship level? How could these relationships

be cultivated with the goal of seeing them progress to a higher level than they are at the

present?

Develop interaction networks Consider exercising with a group of people to beaccountable to one another and maximize the aerobic benefits.

Find ways to get out of yourself and get your focus off your condition. Many faculty arehosting optional seminars that cross disciplines to provide greater depth for graduate

studies that would be missed by the student unable to think past this fatigue condition

Most importantly look for opportunities to serve your peers, the campus community,

and the less fortunate in your city.

4. Seek professional help If stress becomes overwhelming and coping strategies do not help,seek professional help early. By waiting problems can only be exacerbated. The key here is to

prevent mental illness. It should be noted the diathesis-stress model of mental illness{9} shows

that certain genetic combinations may lead to a predeposition toward a mental disorder and

that this genetic predisposition combined with environmental stress will result in abnormal

behavior. Many forms of mental illness appear to be brought on by "environmental stressors."

Therefore, there is no admission of failure in asking others to help manage stress. In fact, it

maybe necessary.


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5. Develop your world view Your philosophy of life is vital to achieving purpose and fulfillment.Acquiring a perspective on your place in society and contribution to life will help guard against

feelings of discouragement and meaninglessness that deepens emotional fatigue. In assessing

your world view, here are some essential questions to consider:

What is the highest priority of your life? What would you like the biggest priority of your life to be in 40 years? Is there a cause (or causes) for which you would sacrifice your personal standard of

living?

If someone asked you to describe the principles by which you live your life, what wouldyou say?

Are there any absolute rights or wrongs? What are they? How do you make decisions? For example: How will you decide upon your future job

placement? The person you decide to marry?

What is one question that you would most like answered about life? If you could change one thing about our wor1d what would it be?

Philosopher W. P. Alston emphasizes the importance of periodic reflection when he says:

It can be argued on the basis of facts concerning the nature of man and the conditions of

human life that human beings have a deep-seated need to form some general picture of thetotal universe in which they live, in order to be able to relate their own fragmentary activities tothe universe as a whole in a way meaningful to them; and that a fife in which this is not carriedthrough is a life impoverished in a most significant respect.{10}


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The graduate student's basic outlook toward his studies, his future career, and the meaning of

life is fundamental to the implementation of any solutions. Burton R. Clark in his book The

Academic Life,states:

Under all the strengths and weaknesses, the autonomies and vulnerabilities, of American

academic life, we can sense the problem of calling (italics ours). When academic work is just a

job and a routine career, then such material rewards as salary are front and center. ...A calling

transmutes narrow self interest into other regarding and ideal regarding interests: One is linked

to fellow workers and to a version of a larger common good. It has moral content, contributing

to civic virtue.{11}

The view that one's academic circumstances are a calling is paramount to maintaining

commitment and achieving success. A calling makes a graduate student's studies inseparable

from his personal ideals and integrates his work into his sense of coherence.

Conclusion

In this article, we have examined the fatigue syndrome and have presented a number of

practical solutions for coping with burnout. The question remains, can the graduate student

learn to have a balanced fife in the midst of such tremendous pressures?

By recognizing the role of the academic environment and its oppressive nature, byunderstanding the personal traits such as perfectionism and the tendency to over-achieve, andby identifying physiological and cognitive symptoms that indicate emotional exhaustion, thegraduate student can learn effective coping strategies to stop the destructive cycle of burnout.Internal approaches such as journaling, managing time and setting priorities relieve inner

pressure and stream-line activities. External techniques such as cultivating relationships and


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seeking professional help build support during stressful periods. Most importantly, developing

a life philosophy allows the student to maintain the direction he/she has chosen despite

immense pulls from every direction.

We believe the academic arena needs the new blood of those who are deepened in character

and integrity through just such a test as emotional fatigue. Those students who develop the

inner strength and wisdom to cope with the pressures they now face will bring tremendous gifts

into future leadership and personal commitments.

What do you perceive to be your calling, the ideals for which you work? Is it consistent with the

highest priorities of your life and with the principles by which you live? Are you living out these

views in your academic life? The answers you formulate for these questions reveal your

perception of life. In addition, by forming a realistic and accurate world view, you increase yourability to deal with burnout and fatigue in an effective way and forge an inner purpose uponwhich you can build for the rest of your life.

{1} Neumann, Y and E., and A. Reichel, "Determinants and Consequences of Students' Burnout in

Universities,"Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 61, No. 1 (January/February 1990).

{2} David Fontana, Managing Stress (London: British Psychological Study and Routeledge Ltd.,

1989) pp. 70-71.

{3} This list of cognitive symptoms was compiled from several sources; see reference list

included.

{4} Dr. Ernest Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered (Princeton, New Jersey: Carnegie Foundation for

the Advancement of Teaching, 1990) p. 69.

{5} Ibid.,p. 68.


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{6} A. Nicholi, "What Do We Know About Successful Families?" Harvard Medical School,

Massachusetts General Hospital, from pamphlet containing excerpts from papers delivered

during the past few years, p. 2.

{7} Boyer, Scholarship Reconsidered,p. 45.

{8} A. Antonovsky, Health, Stress and Coping (San Francisco: Jossey Bass, 1979) p. 109.

{9} D. Rosenthal, Genetic Theory and Abnormal Behavior (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970).

{10} W.P. Alston, "Problems of Philosophy of Religion," in The Encyclopedia of Philosophy,

reprinted ed. (New York: Macmillan, 1972), 6:286.

{11} Burton R. Clark, The Academic Life (Princeton, New Jersey: Carnegie Foundation for the

Advancement of Teaching, 1987) p. 274.

Additional References

Farber, B. A. (1983) Stress and Burnout in the Human Service Professions.Pergamon Press: New

York.

Golembiewski, R. T. & Munzenrider, R. F. (1988) Phases of Burnout: Developments in Concepts

and Applications.Praeger: New York.

Hockley, R., ed. (1983) Stress and Fatigue in Human Performance.John Wiley & Sons: New York.

Rigger, T. F. (1985) Stress Burnout. Southern Illinois University Press: Carbondale and

Edwardsville, Illinois.

Schuler R. S. (1979) Effective use of communicating to minimize employee stress. The Personnel

Administrator, 24.

Watkins, C. E. (1982) A new academic disease: Faculty "burnout." Chronicle of Higher Education.

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Emotional Fatigue

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