Now, you may be thinking who would burnout abroad? You are in a foreign country surrounded by so much culture and incredible people, how would that tire you out? Well… it is not necessarily that the culture and the people are a burden, rather you could be emotionally, mentally, or physically depleted of energy. Maybe even tired of being abroad?
Let me clarify this by taking you through my days abroad. Waking up at 6:30AM to eat breakfast and walk to school by 8:00AM to visit clinics, meet community organizations, and attend classes until 5:00 or 6:00PM is what my summer days were like. Not only is this tiring, but you end the day with homework and the desire to relax and have fun! What ends up happening? You go out, explore the city, and enjoy your time, but end up losing sleep and feeling burnt out.
How do you prevent this?
First, there is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling like you need a break. Enjoying the city and being out every single day can be tiring. Taking classes, volunteering, and having commitments back home is a lot to balance while abroad. What helped me recover (besides naps) was continuing practicing forms of self-care that I have back in the US. For me this was still going to workout and reading and writing poetry. Even if it is 30 minutes before you go to bed, it is critical to recalibrate yourself at the end of each day to prepare for the next one.
It is easy to get caught up in your busy day and not want to spend time alone doing something you enjoy. But, if you constantly push yourself each day you may start to find people annoying, miss home, and even question why you went abroad. The more you care for yourself the more you will enjoy your time away from home.