As a high school senior, I’ve been consistently working on my college applications since July. And while I’m very happy with the system I’ve got – I’ve avoided a lot of deadline stress by getting ahead – there have been a few moments during this 5-month process that I’ve found myself completely sick and tired of college altogether.

I learned pretty early on that it’s not very efficient to force myself to work when I’m not feeling it. It leads to subpar essay-writing on my end, and all it does is delay the eventual burnout and prolong the burnout once it does hit. So I’ve been very liberal with allowing myself time to recharge. For me, this means working on college applications 5-days a week, but disconnecting on the weekends and doing zero work then. And on a larger scale, this means finishing about one college application per week – but allowing myself weeks where I don’t do any college apps at all.

The key here is to fully commit to whatever your goal is. During the weeks where I’m working hard, I’m focused on writing my essays. But if I realize that it’s just not my week – if it’s one of those times when I’m really burned out and don’t want to work at all – then I’ll commit to relaxing and recharging. Here are some of my favorite self-care activities to combat burnout or just to recharge in general:

1. Drink water, get sleep.

This is more of a prerequisite to everything after. The most immediate things you can do to feel better are to stay hydrated and to get rest.

2. Take a long walk outside.

I usually listen to a podcast while I walk, but it’s good to get outside and moving regardless. I find that the cold air outside clears my head and helps me refocus. This might not work as well in the middle of a sweltering summer.

3. Cook and eat a healthy meal.

Eating healthy food makes me feel better than eating greasy fast-food. And it’s just fun to take the time to cook something nice.

4. Journal.

Reflection and introspection are a useful way for me to slow down and gain some perspective on where I am in life.

5. Read a book or do something else you like.

Reading helps me slow down and get lost in a story. But beyond that, most hobbies are excellent in helping you recharge from working on whatever goal you’ve got. For me, it’s usually playing video games, playing horn, and rollerblading that I fall back on.