After a stressful semester of constantly worrying about assignments, grades and a social life, summer is coming and we can finally take a break, soak up some sun and have some fun. Well, that’s not true for all of us.

Many students will be hard at work all summer trying to make some extra cash to pay for student loans or tuition. For those who will be working this summer, here’s a piece of advice- take a break before you burn out this summer.

According to the Psychology Dictionary, a burnout is a state of extreme physical, emotional and mental exhaustion.

Summer is supposed to be a time for you to take a break, not burnout even more after the semester is over.

Once the semester ends, I always end up working the whole summer with long shifts at my job. Actually, I worked during the whole spring break.

And working the whole spring break was not one of my best ideas. There was no time to relax, sit back and enjoy the day.

While I think it is a great idea to fill your summer with busy work whether that be work, summer classes or fun beach trips, it’s also a good idea for you to sit at home and take a break from a busy schedule.

Burnout can play a role in the summer too. By constantly being busy doing something, you go into the fall semester as tired as you were at the end of the spring semester.

And whether you have a stressful back-to-school job or a laid-back job, burnout can still happen.

In a study done by Gallup, 67 percent of employees reported feeling burnt out either very often or sometimes.

According to a study conducted by Yale University, one in five employees feel high engagement and high burnout.

Instead of having a miserable summer and wishing for it to be over because you are burnt out from trips, work and school, communicate with others about the burnout you feel.

Communicate with your manager about the break you need. They’ll understand and will most likely work with you to help you feel less burnt out.

Understand that you shouldn’t spread yourself thin. Burnout affects you mentally and physically. In 15 studies conducted by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 13 out of the 15 studies showed that burnout was associated with cognitive deficits.

Not only does burnout cause cognitive deficits, but also problems in the regulation of the body’s neuroendocrine system, according to Association for Psychological Science.

Take a break this summer and enjoy the simple things in life. Go hammocking and enjoy nature. Take a group of friends to the lake for a fun day trip. Sleep in as late as you want.

And I understand, some people have to work in the summer to be able to provide for themselves and pay for school. But you should also be able to have “you” time.

Since you may have to work every week, make sure you have one day off every week. Take that day to do whatever you feel like doing and don’t overwork yourself. Go get a snow cone. Enjoy a book on the couch. Go see a movie with your friends.

You are only young once so be free and do whatever you want to do this summer. You can be responsible at your work, but still have a great time this summer.

Enjoy your summer and don’t burn yourself  with work you’ll have. You have the rest of your life to work. College life is right now and you should be able to enjoy your summer to the fullest.