How to Combat Burnout During Your Internship

How to Combat Burnout During Your Internship

Internships are great resume boosters, offering enriching experiences and practical training that will launch interns into the next level of their career. However, this exciting new journey will not take away the fact that it can also be demanding. Between juggling possible schoolwork and spending time with family and friends, mixed in with new and unfamiliar rules and surroundings at work, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed in your internship.

Obtaining the middle ground in work and life balance is a vital factor when avoiding stress and burnout. And you’ve got this! Don’t let obstacles deter you from pursuing your passion and completing your goals during an internship abroad. Whether you're getting ready to embark on a new journey or you’ve already started your internship experience, you can discover how to combat burnout during any internship abroad with our suggestions below.

Will my internship stress me out?

Balancing new responsibilities with self-care is essential to managing internship stress.

Whether you do an internship for school, you're looking to gain work experience, or you simply want to try out a new field; internships are an enticing opportunity to gain hands-on experience and build your professional network. While an internship is a great stepping stone into a successful career, it can also be stressful and challenging. Being immersed in a new environment with new rules and people, it's possible to develop an overwhelming sensation and experience the infamous ‘burnout’. Throughout these stressful moments, it's essential to prioritize your mental well-being and build a support system in and out of work in order to maintain a healthy work-life balance. While challenges are part of the process, being an intern still has its advantages. It provides a safe space to learn, improve your skills, and make an impact in your professional and personal development.

10 Tips for Combating Burnout During Your Internship

Combating burnout is no easy feat, especially given that it can happen just about anywhere including at an internship or new job. This phenomenon is usually caused by prolonged stress or overwork; and it often leaves people wondering what to do about it. Here are 10 useful tips that will help you prevent burnout, or get out of it!

1. Stay in touch with loved ones

Regular check-ins with loved ones provide vital emotional support.

It doesn't matter where you're interning, it's important to not get lost in your work 24/7 and save some time for loved ones. This is especially true if you're interning far from home in a new country since a little homesickness might kick in. When possible, prioritize meeting up with those closest to you. If you're interning abroad, schedule regular check-ins with your family and friends from back home. Be open and honest with them and tell them about how you're feeling during your internship. Far or near, they'll provide you with the emotional support you need to power through.

2. Avoid overworking

In some placements, interns may be provided with more responsibilities than initially anticipated, especially when joining startups or smaller organizations. But remember, your main goal during your internship is simply to learn! While it's always good to perform your best, don't be afraid to talk to your supervisor or mentor and say that your task load is too heavy and you’d like to discuss the timeline of your assignments.

Until you’ve found your feet and developed a solid routine, stick to working your regular hours, and don't feel pressured to agree to working extra hours if you’re not ready to take them on yet. This is especially important when it comes to remote internships. Since there's not a clear indicator of going in and out of work, it's important to set boundaries for yourself and work the hours you agreed to.

3. Ask for help

Don’t hesitate to seek guidance when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

There’s no need to combat burnout all on your own. Bottling all your worries inside won’t make the stress go away on its own, and it can lead to bigger problems later on, including mental and physical health issues. The moment you start feeling overwhelmed during your internship, whether it's because you feel lost, you have too much on your plate, you don't feel comfortable in your work environment, or something simply isn't sitting right with you, speak up and ask others for guidance and support.

4. Work with purpose

One of the reasons interns find themselves fighting burnout in their internship is that they realized that their work isn’t matching with what they want either professionally or personally. We recommend finding meaning and passion in your work. When evaluating internships, ask yourself what type of company or position you will find fulfillment in being part of.

To make it easier to find meaningful internships, you can check out organizations like Roots Interns, who are focused on placing interns with nonprofits and startups, with many of their missions working towards the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. You'll not only find purpose by contributing to a cause you’re passionate about, but you'll elevate your career and enhance your skills along the way.

5. Stay organized

Keep your workspace and tasks organized to stay focused and stress-free.

A cluttered space leads to a cluttered mind! Staying organized essentially facilitates managing stress at work. Use an agenda, calendar, to-do list, project management tool, or any other system to keep track of all of the important tasks that have to be done during your internship in order to reach your learning goals. Ask your mentors or supervisors which tasks have priority and which ones don’t to separate them and plan a timeline. Once you’ve got that written down, experiment in the first few days and see how long you take in each task. Sometimes one might think that a task will take 20 minutes that actually ends up taking 2 hours!

READ MORE: How to Turn an Internship Into a Career

6. Exercise

Probably one of the most effective methods to avoid burnout is exercise. It has been proven in countless studies that staying active has great physical and mental health benefits. Find a little time either before, during, or after your internship hours to do a bit of your favorite exercise. It could be anything from going on a quick jog, doing some yoga, playing a game of basketball, or even as simple as a few stretches midday; keeping your body active will help keep your mind focused and energized to be productive. Alternatively you can also try meditation. Meditating allows you to find your center and focus on the present and, unsurprisingly, has also been proven to have great health benefits.

7. Eat well

Maintain healthy eating habits to keep your energy and focus up.

This one might sound obvious, but one of the most common symptoms that people experience when feeling stressed out is changing their eating habits – for the worst. We know that at first you’ll need to adjust to your new work environment, but don’t forget to always eat your meals how you regularly do. Try to avoid skipping meals or eating many unhealthy snacks to make up for a meal that you missed while working. A great way to keep track of your meals is by creating meal preps for the week. Remember, your health should always go first, even during your internship.

8. Listen to your body

Take notice of any drastic changes that differ from your usual state of body and mind during your internship. Paying attention to how you feel is a crucial part of not getting burnout. Usually your body will give you signs that something is not right. If you ever start to feel fatigued, irritated, or simply not your normal self, it might just mean that you have the first signs of burnout. Be sure to check in with your body every so often and take action if you feel like it’s telling you something. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to those around you, whether in or or out work, to discuss if you’re not feeling well and ask for assistance. If you ever feel like you’re juggling too much and you’re unable to focus on the work - take a breather and step back to remember, it’s only a job! Then you can move forward with making a plan to reassess your situation.

9. Use a provider that can help you

Use placement services to find internships that match your passions and goals.

Finding an internship that aligns with both your true interests and professional goals can prove to be a challenge. However, in today’s modern age there are internship providers that are ready to help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Take a look at Roots Interns if you want to explore internships with nonprofits and NGOs around the world in a variety of focus areas. They create opportunities for interns to explore their talents and enhance their skills, while contributing to meaningful causes on a grassroots level. Using this type of service takes out the hassle and stress of contacting multiple organizations before landing the perfect internship, as they’ll matchmake you with the organization that aligns best with your passions and long term goals.

10. Find your circle

If you ever feel like you’re struggling with burnout alone, reach out! If it’s any comfort - there are plenty of others who are also trying to figure out how to transition into the workforce and combat burnout at work. We encourage you to find a support system of some kind, where you can express your feelings and concerns with others who might be able to relate to your situation. As an alternative, you can also join groups that share your same interests or ideologies. Connecting with other like-minded people that enjoy the same activities you do, helps battle the stress and worries that you might be going through at your internship.

Start Your Search for the Perfect Internship

Don’t let burnout or stress erase your passion for meaningful work

There are many ways to combat burnout during your internship. Don’t let stress or fear get in the way of having a joyful and productive experience; with the right tools, we have no doubt that you're prepared to succeed at your internship. This is a learning experience after all and you're still on your journey of professional development. Remember you’re not an expert – yet!