Mya Recinos

Student leaders pour out energy to help younger peers. This can be an significant issue for student leaders because they may endure social burnout. This illustration represents how a student “filling up their peers’ cups” can lead to detrimental effects of losing their own energy.

On a quiet weeknight in the dorms, a knock on the door can mean anything—from a homesick classmate, a friend fresh from an argument or someone simply looking for a listener. For Masters students in leadership roles, whether it be peer leaders, dorm proctors or club presidents, those knocks arrive often and without warning. Their reputation for empathy draws people in, but it also carries a cost: emotional fatigue that can slide into burnout.

Burnout is more than everyday stress. The World Health Organization classifies it as an “occupational phenomenon,” of mental, emotional and sometimes physical exhaustion. Research by Arnold Mascarenhas identifies five stages: a honeymoon phase of excitement, mounting stress, chronic stress, full burnout and “habitual burnout,” when exhaustion becomes the default. Symptoms range from headaches and fatigue to isolation, pessimism and a sense of helplessness. 

At first glance, students with high emotional intelligence who have skills such as self-awareness, empathy and relationship management may seem less vulnerable to burnout. They, in theory, are equipped with more skills to protect themselves. However, the same qualities that make them strong leaders can make them more vulnerable.

 John Price, a counselor at Masters, said, “When we’re worried about meeting other people’s needs before we take care of ourselves, that will lead to burnout pretty consistently.” He further explained that this behavior “also leads to a little bit of resentment towards others because they’re annoyed, but they’re doing it.” 

Emotional intelligence can help people recognize their limits, but it can also increase their exposure to others’stress. Without clear boundaries, that heightened sensitivity easily moves from stress to burnout. 

Junior Gabriela Heredia, a dorm proctor of Cole Dorm, described the pressure as “casual but constant,” noting that conversations about other people’s problems can surface between classes or late at night. She admits that the responsibilities as a proctor can be difficult as it can be unpredictable.

 Over time, even small demands add up, blurring the line between friendship and unpaid counseling. Heredia said, “When you’re someone, [people] may look up to, if you’re an upperclassman, if you’re a proctor, whatever it may be, you want to be someone who they can genuinely trust in.”

In 2014, a CBS News article noted that from survey results by the American Psychological Association, 31% of teens reported feeling overwhelmed. Burnout is real and is everywhere, though recognizing early signs and treating self-care as an important factor may be one of the simplest ways Masters students can keep their mental health thriving.

 As Price reminded, “If we don’t fill our own cup up, we’re not going to be able to help other people fill theirs.”