Tips for dealing with burn out after every SAC?

[8dy89]

Every time after I finish a SAC, I always go through the same unhealthy cycle of feeling sad, disappointed, stressed and unmotivated. It usually lasts until I get my SAC results, but it can stay even longer if I don't get the score that I want

 I know that I can't do anything to change how I performed on my last SAC, but I can't help but feel sad knowing that I could've done better. I think this is partly because I set high standards for myself and the pressure to do well. All I did in the past few days was sleep without doing anything productive, which makes me feel like I've burned out.

It's a tiring and unhealthy process and I really don't think I can handle this feeling for the whole year . Especially for my mental health and for the many SACs I have coming up which I need to prepare for.

How can I stop stressing and burning out during the period after doing my SAC and before receiving my SAC scores? (it's a 2 week period usually). Please give me tips on how to stop caring and obsessing over a percentage/letter grade.

Thanks

[Shadowxo]

I'm sorry if I'm not much help but I remember going through a similar thing, always obsessing over every little mistake.
What I usually did was obsess over it for a day or two (you're allowed to spend some time worrying about it) and then I thought:
Did I try my best?
Could I have done anything different in preparing? Did I work hard?
How much will the mistake/s I've made count towards my final mark? (Not much, as each SAC is only worth a small amount)
Will stressing about it change anything? (No)

After that, I try to not focus on it, because I tried my best and couldn't have done anything to change the outcome, either good or bad.
For my end of year exams, I really struggled on the Methods 2 Exam (didn't end up doing as well on it as my other assessments) and it was a source of stress and worry, because I was expecting to find it easy and it wasn't. I had 2 exams the next day, so what I did was spent an hour or two thinking about it, stressing and worrying, then I put it behind me because there's nothing I could do to change it. What I had to do was move past it, and prepare for the other 2 exams which were arguably more important (they were my literature and specialist exam).

It's easy to get sad, depressed, stressed and unmotivated but you need to put things in perspective. What's happened has happened and there's nothing that can be done to change it - you tried your best and you couldn't have done anything to do any better. The best thing to do is put it behind you and prepare for the next thing, as that's what will help you the most. Also, it's a good idea to have a mini celebration after finishing a SAC! Go out for a treat now that it's over (or at least that one is). One of my favourites was choc chip waffles with froyo.

Hope this helped a bit, good luck for all your SACs!

[jamonwindeyer]

Hey hey! Not a Victorian - But just wanted to drop by and say that what you are experiencing is a really common thing - You aren't alone. Lots of students set high standards of themselves (which is generally a great thing), but then get disappointed when they don't think they've met those standards.

First, know that you could always have done another practice exam, another hour of study, or whatever. But it's about balance - You can't give up sleep or family time or extracurriculars. So, while you might never be 100% satisfied with your preparation - The trick is to get to the stage where you are 90% satisfied, 95% satisfied, 99% satisfied - Then just look at the 10/5/1% left over and go, "Hey, that's the way it goes." Be happy with what you have done, don't stress over the little bits you didn't.

Of course you need to figure out what's causing this mindset. Maybe you are having issues doing appropriate prep in the lead up to the exam, maybe you are procrastinating in the lead up and that's what's causing these burnouts. Maybe you are setting unrealistically high goals of yourself - That's a common thing too. Over these last few days of the holidays, try hitting the refresh button and doing a bit of self reflection. Where are the issues coming from, why do you feel like you could have done better, why do you feel you haven't met your goals. It could be any number of things, and figuring out what it is will be your first step

Nick wrote an awesome guide on burnout - You should definitely give it a read

[Quantum44]

Every time after I finish a SAC, I always go through the same unhealthy cycle of feeling sad, disappointed, stressed and unmotivated. It usually lasts until I get my SAC results, but it can stay even longer if I don't get the score that I want

 I know that I can't do anything to change how I performed on my last SAC, but I can't help but feel sad knowing that I could've done better. I think this is partly because I set high standards for myself and the pressure to do well. All I did in the past few days was sleep without doing anything productive, which makes me feel like I've burned out.

It's a tiring and unhealthy process and I really don't think I can handle this feeling for the whole year . Especially for my mental health and for the many SACs I have coming up which I need to prepare for.

How can I stop stressing and burning out during the period after doing my SAC and before receiving my SAC scores? (it's a 2 week period usually). Please give me tips on how to stop caring and obsessing over a percentage/letter grade.

Thanks

I find it is easy to got bogged down in stress and worry over SAC results but you have to think rationally. Stressing over how well you did in a SAC is not going to make you do better in that SAC and it may hamper your ability to perform in the next SAC. You just have to accept you worked as hard as possible for that SAC and move on.

If you did well in the SAC, continue the hard work. If you are disappointed, realise that it's better to refine your study techniques after a SAC than after an exam and try to find ways to improve your study habits so you can do better in the next SAC. The difference between and the master and the beginner is that the master has failed more times than the beginner has ever tried.

The other thing to remember is that SACs don't even count for that much. The exam is the defining part of your study score and SACs are more of a checkpoint so you know what know, and you know what you don't know. Just think of SACs as a way to prevent going into the exams not knowing what you don't know.

I think in the end, if you worked the hardest you possibly could, you will achieve the best possible ATAR for yourself so there is simply no need to worry about SACs.

[zhen]

Basically what I do after SACs is get home as quickly as I can after school, rather than the usual routine of going to the library and relax for the rest of the day and maybe only do 1 hour of study. I try to mentally block anything to do with my SACs by either relaxing or focussing on other subjects. So, I always keep myself occupied so I never have to think about it. I feel like stressing over something that's over will negatively affect my future grades in the subject. So, overall I deal with this SAC burnout by relaxing for a day, since after a SAC we all deserve a break, since we probably spent heaps of time before the SAC preparing. Then the days between doing the SAC and getting my result, I just keep myself preoccupied with work and relaxation, so I don't have to think about it and so thinking about it doesn't influence my other SACs or subjects.