I can still recall the odd feeling I had towards the end of year 12. It was hitting November and I was studying for exams. I wasn’t stressed, but obviously I wanted to do well. As much as I tried to persevere, my heart just wasn’t in the work anymore. The day to day study was exhausting and repetitive. It’s hard to pin-point exactly what the feeling was, but life felt beige.

For the fourth year running, I’ve had that exact feeling towards the end of every year. After trying relentlessly to be at 100% throughout the year, I always seem to plummet to 20%. Enough in the tank to keep going, but certainly not enough to enjoy what I’m doing.

For me, the ‘slump’ is a culmination of two factors: not having regular breaks and working on the same projects for too long. Luckily, this year has introduced me to new opportunities to keep me interested and trying new things. On the other side of these exciting new projects is all the other mundane work I have left to the side. My assignment list may be getting shorter, but the work itself requires intense study and lengthy dedication.

My regular hobbies have a lacklustre feel to them, too. I haven’t painted in weeks because I haven’t had any creative ideas, nor have I had the time to dedicate to it. Well, this isn’t necessarily true. I have time, but that time is more precious than ever. It’s now dedicated to recharging my batteries and resting.

Basically, the slump is my brain saying, ‘You’re done with the year. Sit back and relax! You don’t need to work! You need to rest!’

My brain is a jerk. My brain is also smart. I should listen to my brain more.