As students of NYU Abu Dhabi, we have often heard the term “burnout.” It is a point of physical and emotional exhaustion that can also involve a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.

Last month, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unexpectedly resigned from office. “I’m leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility — the responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It’s that simple,” she said at the party’s first caucus meeting this year.

One of the youngest people in the world to hold public office, Ardern was a global example attempting work-life balance, especially as a woman holding a position of authority. She famously held her newborn in the UN General Assembly after giving birth during her tenure and has gotten engaged while in power. It is important for us to question what led someone who seemingly held it all together for the past few years to feel the need to leave one of the highest positions in her field.

On a similar note, last week, First Minister of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, resigned for reasons similar to Ardern’s. “Giving absolutely everything of yourself to this job is the only way to do it. The country deserves nothing less. But in truth that can only be done, by anyone, for so long.” While her time as the longest-serving First Minister was not free of scandal and controversy, which could have influenced her decision to step down, she added how she knew in her head and heart that it was time.

While both were very different politicians, what unites the two women are their reasons for stepping down. It is the radical act of a woman fitting into what is more often than not traditionally perceived to be a masculine job, while not only balancing their personal life but also cultivating a sense of emotional awareness. Both their resignations reinforced what we and politicians both know but rarely practice.

When is the right time to let go? What is the right reason to do so?

Ardern and Sturgeon stepped down because they knew they did not have enough in their “tank,” and that one needs a “full tank” that can not only carry them through a journey but also have a spare left for unplanned circumstances. How often do we see this elsewhere?

I can discuss best the political situation in my own country, Pakistan. We have had the same political dynasties for decades. By political dynasties, not only do I mean the same families circulating power between each other, but also the same people — the same men. Political stances and opinions aside, these men, and the occasional woman, have been working non-stop, as politicians do, since at least the 1980s. If Ardern and Sturgeon resigned after roughly six and nine years respectively, what is the Pakistani leaderships’ limit? What happens when they cross it and do not realize it? While most of the controversies surrounding Pakistani politicians can be classified as objectively right or wrong, good or bad, what if the reason behind them is burnout? If there is anything the Great Resignation Wave has taught us, it is that it is a very real possibility that these politicians are no longer capable of running a country because of how burnt out they probably are.

A new research paper by Development Dimensions International revealed that leaders and workers are burning out at record rates. If those working jobs in offices, which are arguably less stressful than that of a head of state, are burning out quickly, how efficient is it for one person to run a country for decades, with no break? Would we have the problems we do today, including war, economic recessions, and leadership incompetence, if it were not for perpetually exhausted individuals refusing to recognize the right time to give up? Ardern’s decision, albeit disheartening for her supporters, reinforced the reason why people run for office, and stay in power — it is to work in the best interests of the country. Part of that is recognizing when it is no longer sustainable or efficient, or in the country’s best interests, for them to run the country. What the two women did was a selfless act, one that serves to remind politicians what is important, if they choose to see it.

If we step outside of politics, Ardern has set an example for all of us. At NYUAD, or any college for that matter, it is very easy to experience burnout symptoms when approaching the middle or end of a semester. Or at any point in time, really. While academics and jobs definitely play an important role in it, I believe it is also caused by the amount of work that may pile up on our shoulders, some of which may not even be our own.

A recent podcast by Shankar Vedantham taught me a crucial lesson to reduce, or prevent burnout. We have heard of the infamous improv prompt “Yes, and” where you agree to something said and add on to it. Vedantham talks about the phrase “No, but” encouraging people to learn to say no while making sure they still help out. It is the ability to maintain boundaries respectfully. For example, “I’d really love to help, but I just don’t have the time right now with everything else going on. Can we check back in maybe X months and I’ll see if I can lend a hand?” The key is to decline the request while still offering a concession.

As a BBC article headlines, burnout might just finally be recognized “high profile” enough for leaders to act on. It might finally begin conversations around mental health and remove the stigma around it that is still prevalent in a large part of the world today. While the NYUAD community is privileged enough to have fostered an environment where such topics are not (as) taboo — in fact, people are often encouraged to speak up, ask for extensions, etc. — we still have a long way to go.

It is normal to be tired after a long day, but it is not normal to be tired for weeks or months on end. If you feel overwhelmed, cynical, and/or helpless, you are most likely burnt out, or starting to burn out. This is the time to reach out, be it to a friend, a family member, or a counselor at the Health Center. Talking about it, and actively working towards preventing and reducing not only the symptoms but the root causes of burnout can help improve the quality of your life more than you may have imagined. If Jacinda Ardern, with all the resources she had, could not continue in her role after a certain point, consider the possibility that you, too, may have a limit. A threshold. Just like she created and enforced her boundaries by stepping down, consider doing the same for yourself, whatever that may look like, from submitting an assignment late to saying no to editing a friend’s essay when you barely have time to write your own.