Frazier on Feelings of Fatigue

Many students across the country have been voicing feelings of fatigue and monotony about school. Pat Frazier, PhD, professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, alongside fellow psychology researchers Liza Meredith, PhD, at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and Viann Nguyen-Feng, PhD, at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, has collected data on stressors experienced by students and the efficacy of virtual stress management interventions.

Reported in a Minnesota Daily article titled, “Feeling fatigued? You aren’t alone,”

Frazier and her colleagues found that the most common concerns of students this semester were about grades, missing friends, lack of motivation, virtual class difficulty, and uncertainty around the pandemic.

So, what can students do to manage these feelings? Through their stress management intervention, Frazier and her colleagues encourage students to remind themselves of what they do have control over instead of what they can’t control. Frazier also recommends getting enough sleep, avoiding the news, and taking breaks throughout the day. Other suggestions include focusing on things that bring us joy, getting out into nature, and exercising.