Protecting Your Peace

Aiden Buchanan | 3m read

Debate is stressful. Like, very stressful. It’s a barrage of research, writing, work, work, and (did I mention?) work! As I write this, I have two subs, an outline, and edits due tomorrow, and that's very little compared to some days. All this to say, debate can be extremely stressful. Sometimes it gets so stressful that things like burnout start to develop. The Debate Hotline just did a podcast with some other ideas about burnout (which I recommend you go watch after this), but in the meantime, here are my takes on keeping your peace. 

First and foremost, what do I mean by peace? Well, it can mean a lot of things, but the peace I am referring to is “peace of mind,” which, according to the Oxford dictionary, simply means “freedom from disturbance; tranquility.” With that in mind, how in the heck are we supposed to be tranquil when the prep load is so high? Well, here are a couple of tips.

To begin, don’t procrastinate. I’m guilty of this just as much as the next person, but it’s extremely important to stay on task when you can. The best way I have found is to make a plan. So when you have a LOT to do, section it off and say, “I’ll do this tonight, this next section tomorrow, and the last section the next day.” Using this has massively helped me stay on task, and I hope it can for you as well. Additionally, making your work fun is a great way to avoid procrastinating doing it. You could play some music, reward yourself with a sweet treat, or treat completing your assignments like finishing challenges in a mini video game—whatever helps you enjoy doing your prep!

Sadly, however, procrastination isn’t the main reason most people find themselves stressing out over debate. I know I have always had troubles in getting my work done, not because I wasn’t productive, but because my teammates and coach are always throwing new stuff at me all the time, one time I had to rewrite a speech 4 separate times because I got so much feedback, and although this may be a fringe case, many people face very similar instances. So how do you fix this issue? My advice is to communicate. If debate has taught me anything, it’s that using your voice is important. So, speak. Tell your coach or teammates, “Hey, this isn’t something I can handle right now,” or “this kind of workload isn’t sustainable.” This is much easier said than done, of course. What most people are worried about here is that they are letting their team down. There are two reasons you shouldn’t have to worry about that: first, your team will understand, and second, your peace is more important than winning a debate tournament.

Finally, it’s critical to realize that a burnt-out debater is a worse debater. Taking care of yourself will only benefit you and your debate success in the long run. I hope that by employing these strategies, you are better equipped to protect your peace from the madness of debate.