Why do I feel burnout?

Ali Yaseen

Summary

This worksheet is going to be a helpful resource for college students who are feeling burnout or affected by imposter syndrome. This worksheet will have multiple questions and will ask you on a scale from 1-10 questions. It will also have questions that are made into polls as well. These questions will relate to the symptoms of imposter syndrome and will answer the questions, "Are you feeling burnout and why?"

Research

When I was creating these questions, I kept in mind the solutions of what college students could do to overcome imposter syndrome and based the questions off that. I added multiple questions in forms of polls and scale from 1-10. I also created solutions for each score that you get, if you get a lower score, it will be a different solution than if you were to get a higher score.

Imposter syndrome:

1= strongly disagree 5= strongly agree

I fear that others will eventually discover I’m not as capable as they think.
When I succeed, I assume it was due to luck or external factors rather than my ability.
I compare myself negatively to my peers, even when I’m performing well.
I downplay my achievements because I worry others will think I’m bragging.
I feel pressure to work twice as hard to prove myself.
I often feel like I don’t deserve my academic success.
I feel like an outsider in academic spaces.
Receiving positive feedback makes me uncomfortable.
I hesitate to ask questions or seek help because I don’t want to seem incompetent.
I worry that people made a mistake admitting me into this program/school.

Take the total score (1-50)

Burnout:

1= strongly disagree 5= strongly agree

I feel emotionally exhausted by academic demands.
I feel mentally drained most days of the week.
I often feel detached or disconnected from my studies.
I feel overwhelmed balancing school, life, and responsibilities.
I have difficulty motivating myself to complete assignments.
Stress from school affects my sleep, eating, or health.
I feel that no matter how much I do, it never feels like enough.
I no longer feel joy or interest in activities that used to energize me.
I feel like I’m always in survival mode.
I feel numb, irritable, or cynical about school.

Take the total score (1-50)

Score & solutions:

Imposter syndrome:

1-17 (Low Imposter Syndrome)

17-33 (Moderate Imposter Syndrome)

33-50 (High Imposter Syndrome)

Low imposter syndrome: Continue using grounding and self-reflection practices.

Celebrate achievements intentionally. Join study groups or peer mentorship to maintain support.

Moderate Imposter Syndrome: Reframe Negative Self-Talk Replace “I don’t belong here” with “Growth takes time. Track Achievements Keep a “wins list” . Normalize Imposterism Read or watch resources showing how common it is among marginalized students.

High Imposter Syndrome: Narrative Therapy. Help student rewrite their academic story from a strengths-based cultural perspective. Identity-Affirming Counseling Discuss how systems (not personal failure) shape imposter feelings.

Score & solution:

Burnout:

Low Burnout- Maintain good sleep & nutrition. Practice time-blocking. Schedule consistent downtime

Moderate Burnout- Time Management Audit. Identify energy drains & unnecessary perfectionism. Workload Reduction. Drop a class, reduce job hours, or adjust commitments.

High Burnout- Develop a Burnout Recovery Plan. Include rest days, assignment triage, faculty emails, reduced commitments. Create Boundaries around Schoolwork. Mind-Body Interventions. Yoga, mindfulness, grounding, somatic stress-release practices.

Citaitons

Faizan Siddiqui, Mohd, and Mouna Azaroual. “Combatting Burnout Culture and Imposter Syndrome in Medical Students and Healthcare Professionals: A Future Perspective.” Journal of medical education and curricular development, October 3, 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11456210/.

McClain, Shannon. (PDF) an examination of the impact of racial and ethnic identity, impostor feelings, and minority status stress on the mental health of Black College students. Accessed November 24, 2025. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/301234966_An_Examination_of_the_Impact_of_Racial_and_Ethnic_Identity_Impostor_Feelings_and_Minority_Status_Stress_on_the_Mental_Health_of_Black_College_Students.

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