Have you ever heard of the term burnout? Academic burnout is an important phenomenon that explains the Donguibogam concept of consumptive disease through the language of modern science. The brain is the control center managing all functions of our body. When various psychological factors such as a constant influx of information, pressure over test scores, anxiety about the future, and perfectionist tendencies place excessive stress on the brain, the brain gradually becomes exhausted, much like a computer overloaded by running too many programs at the same time.
When such stressful situations continue for a long period, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis that regulates the body's stress response becomes disrupted. As stress hormones like cortisol continue to be secreted excessively, they negatively affect brain function. In particular, damage or atrophy of neurons in the hippocampus, which is responsible for learning and memory, can occur, leading to impaired concentration, memory impairment, and a decreased ability to acquire new information. That experience where your head feels foggy and you cannot retain what you read can stem directly from these brain changes.
In addition, chronic stress and sleep deprivation disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain. As the secretion of serotonin, known as the happiness hormone, and dopamine, involved in motivation and reward, decreases, depression, lethargy, and anhedonia can appear. This is why studying or activities that used to be engaging start to feel dull, and it becomes difficult even to get out of bed. Furthermore, decreased sleep quality is a major factor exacerbating burnout. Sleep is an important period when the brain clears out waste products accumulated during the day, organizes learned material, and recharges energy. When stress prevents proper sleep, the brain loses this recovery time. Ultimately, this leads to cognitive decline and difficulty with emotional regulation, maximizing test anxiety and plunging you into a cycle of avoiding academics altogether. The decline in brain function also appears as physical fatigue, which is closely related to autonomic nervous system imbalance. As sympathetic nerves become excessively active and parasympathetic nerves decline, physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, indigestion, and decreased immunity follow. It is not simply a lack of willpower; it is time to listen to your brain and body signaling that they can no longer endure.
