{"id":15977,"date":"2018-07-10T17:21:10","date_gmt":"2018-07-10T17:21:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/?p=15977"},"modified":"2019-08-30T17:35:43","modified_gmt":"2019-08-30T17:35:43","slug":"overcoming-gmat-burnout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.manhattanprep.com\/gmat\/blog\/overcoming-gmat-burnout\/","title":{"rendered":"Overcoming GMAT Burnout"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Manhattan<\/p>\n

When you think about studying for the GMAT, how do you feel? Determined, excited, and curious? Or anxious, exhausted, and resentful? Do you avoid studying, then beat yourself up over it later? Are you getting less and less out of each study session? Are your practice test scores in a downwards spiral? You might be struggling with GMAT burnout. <\/span><\/p>\n

Your GMAT Burnout Brain<\/b><\/h4>\n

\u201cBurnout\u201d is a state of chronic stress. When you study for the GMAT, you\u2019re putting your brain under stress, and that stress accumulates over time. <\/span><\/p>\n

Studying for the GMAT is like training for a marathon. If you go for a brisk five-mile run, you might feel fantastic afterwards. But if you go for that same five-mile run every day for three weeks, you\u2019ll gradually become more and more fatigued. If you keep pushing yourself, you\u2019ll eventually reach a breaking point. Your muscles will fatigue and your pace will slow down, regardless of how determined you are. <\/span><\/p>\n

Burnout isn\u2019t just a bad mood. It\u2019s a complicated physical and mental state. Some of us are more susceptible to it than others, just like some of us would fatigue more quickly if we tried to run five miles every day. Being burned out doesn\u2019t mean you\u2019ve screwed up, and it doesn\u2019t mean that you\u2019re doomed to fail at the GMAT. But in order to recover, you\u2019re going to have to take a few steps backwards. <\/span><\/p>\n

Stress and Memory<\/b><\/h4>\n

Chronic stress keeps you from learning and remembering. (<\/span>Here\u2019s a great Wikipedia article, if you want more specifics.<\/span><\/a>) That implies something that might be tough to hear: you can\u2019t study your way out of GMAT burnout. If you study while you\u2019re already burned out, you aren\u2019t learning nearly as effectively as you would be otherwise. In short: <\/span>take a break<\/b>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Walk away from the GMAT completely for at least a couple of days. I don\u2019t care if you only have a few weeks to go until test day. If you\u2019re really burned out, forcing yourself to study is like continuing to run while injured. Sure, your marathon is in just a couple of weeks, and sure, you need the training. But training while hurt is much worse than taking a little time off to heal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe you\u2019re worried that you\u2019ll forget what you\u2019ve learned so far. That may be true! But the weird thing is, forgetting is actually good for your brain. If you forget something and then learn it again, you\u2019ll end up with a stronger memory the second time around. <\/span>There\u2019s even a whole study method based on this principle. <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Respect your Stress<\/b><\/h4>\n

Studying for the GMAT isn\u2019t solely about learning facts and rules. <\/span>Anything that helps you get a higher score on test day<\/span><\/i> counts as studying. You might already know that <\/span>perfecting your GMAT timing<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>building good guessing habits<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>learning alternative Quant strategies<\/span><\/a> are part of a strong study plan. Stress will hurt your score, and staying relaxed and positive will help it. So, managing stress and preparing yourself psychologically should be part of your study plan.<\/span><\/p>\n

How you approach this depends on what works for you. A lot of our students have had success with <\/span>mindfulness<\/span><\/a>. But you might prefer meditation, exercise, or a good bubble bath. I once had a student who used hypnosis to cure her GMAT burnout and anxiety. The takeaway is that you shouldn\u2019t just ignore the GMAT burnout and hope it goes away. Stress isn\u2019t \u201cfluffy stuff\u201d; it has serious and measurable effects on your cognitive abilities. Tackle it just like you would tackle any other weakness in your GMAT prep. <\/span><\/p>\n

Make a Change<\/b><\/h4>\n

When you\u2019re ready to tackle the GMAT again, bear in mind that burnout is easier to prevent than it is to recover from. Changing something about your study plan might be the key to avoiding a second episode. There isn\u2019t a single magic bullet that works for everyone, but here are some ideas you might try.<\/span><\/p>\n