How to find your "why" during academic overload?

May can be one of the most paradoxical months of the academic year. On the one hand, there's more sunshine, longer days, a need to get out of the house, rest, slow down, and "reclaim life" after winter. On the other, there are upcoming tests, projects, finals, and the upcoming exam period.
Many people experience internal conflict during this time, with thoughts like:
"I want to rest, but I can't."
"I should focus, but I'm having a hard time focusing on the material."
"Others are managing somehow, but I'm exhausted."
"The more I try to motivate myself, the more I avoid studying."
This doesn't have to mean laziness or a lack of ambition. It's often the body's natural reaction to long-term overload, stress, and constant efficiency. During this time, it's worth considering learning and development not only through the lens of results, but also through the lens of meaning, balance, and mental well-being. We write and speak extensively about this topic throughout the year. Today, let's examine these issues through the lens of the Japanese concept of Ikigai.

What is Ikigai?

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that refers to a sense of meaning, purpose, and intrinsic motivation in daily life. The word itself comes from two Japanese terms:
iki — "to live," and
gai — "value," "reason," "something worthwhile."
Simply put, Ikigai can be understood as "what makes us want to get up in the morning."
The concept originates from Japanese culture, particularly strongly associated with Okinawa—a region known for its high number of long-lived individuals. Traditionally, Ikigai doesn't just mean a professional career or great personal success. It can be related to work, relationships, daily rituals, helping others, developing skills, a sense of belonging, peace, and balance.
In Western culture, Ikigai is often presented as a diagram connecting:

• what we like,
• what we are good at,
• what the world needs,
• what we can be rewarded for.

In Japan, however, this approach is sometimes understood more broadly. Daily commitment, the meaning of small actions, and building a life aligned with one's values ​​rather than solely achievements are emphasized.
In academic life, however, it's easy to lose track of these elements under the pressure of grades, deadlines, and social comparisons. Studying then becomes associated solely with duty and stress, rather than growth or curiosity.

Why is May so difficult?

Spring affects not only the weather but also mental and physical functioning. The body often: needs more exercise and regeneration, is less tolerant of prolonged sitting, reacts more strongly to cognitive overload, demands social contact and rest.
At the same time, students and academics operate under increasing time pressure. This creates a conflict between the biological need to breathe and the requirement for high concentration. The more we ignore the need for regeneration, the more often we experience: procrastination, difficulty concentrating, irritability, guilt, emotional fatigue, and decreased motivation.
Paradoxically, rest is not always about "escaping from responsibilities." Sometimes it becomes a prerequisite for regaining effectiveness.

Student Ikigai — how to find meaning in learning?

In academic practice, Ikigai doesn't mean that every subject will be fascinating. Rather, it means trying to answer the questions:

• Why am I learning?
• What do I want to understand or be able to do with it?
• What values ​​underlie my effort?
• What is important to me beyond just the grade?

For some, it will be the development of professional skills.
For others, it will be the ability to help people, financial independence, curiosity about the world, or building a future aligned with one's values.
When learning becomes solely about "getting a grade," motivation often relies solely on stress. And stress is only effective in the short term.

How to implement elements of Ikigai in student life?

1. Combining learning with personal meaning
   Instead of simply asking, "How much more material?" it's worth asking, "Why was this course important to me?"
   "What do I want to know in a few years?"
   "What skills am I already developing?"
   Even a small sense of meaning helps increase perseverance and mental resilience.
2. Planning rest without guilt
   Regeneration isn't a reward for "perfect productivity." It's part of effective learning. A short walk, contact with nature, exercise, conversation with loved ones, or sleep: improve concentration,support memory, and reduce nervous system stress. In spring, the body particularly strongly signals the need for a balance between effort and rest.
3. Letting go of perfectionism
   Many students operate according to the pattern: "I have to do everything perfectly or not do it at all." 
   Meanwhile, effective learning is often based on: regularity, good enough performance, tolerance for errors, gradual progress. Perfectionism can temporarily increaseIt can improve results, but in the long run, it increases the risk of burnout and chronic stress.
4. Building micro-motivation
   Ikigai doesn't have to be a major life discovery. Sometimes it helps: a favorite place to study, studying together with friends, a sense of agency, marking small progress, awareness of one's own development. Small sources of meaning are psychologically more stable than constant motivation through anxiety.

Ikigai at University — the role of instructors and the academic community

The Ikigai concept can also be an inspiration for those who teach classes and organize the academic community. What can instructors do?
1. Demonstrate the meaning of the material
Students engage more easily in learning when they know: what the knowledge is for, what its practical application looks like, why the topic is important. A sense of meaning increases engagement more than the pressure of grades alone.
2. Support autonomy instead of just control
Excessive focus on mistakes and grades can reinforce anxiety and avoidance. The following can be helpful: clear expectations, predictability, the opportunity to ask questions, constructive feedback, noticing effort, not just the result.
3. Normalize fatigue and overload
Students often assume that: "If I can't cope, it means I'm weak." However, difficulties concentrating at the end of the semester are very common and don't indicate a lack of potential. Normalization doesn't lower expectations—it does reduce feelings of isolation and shame.
4. Create a culture of balance
The academic environment can support: development, curiosity, collaboration, rest, mental health, not just constant competition and overload.

A few questions for the end of May

During periods of intense study, it's worth pausing for a moment and asking yourself:
What gives me a sense of purpose?
What's been weighing me down lately?
What kind of rest do I really need?
What am I trying to prove to myself?
How can I take care of myself without sacrificing my goals?
Ikigai isn't about living a life without effort. Rather, it's about finding a balance between responsibilities, values, growth, and daily well-being. And sometimes, it's also about recognizing that a person needs both focus and the May sun.