After the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan ended Feb. 22, the excitement has started to fade and, if you’re like me, you may be left wondering what happened to the athletes we followed so closely throughout February. The answer is simple: they’re taking time to rest, recharge and spend time with family before moving on to their next challenge.
Like Olympians, students can face the exhaustion that comes with dealing with difficult or demanding situations. But when facing these challenges, all students need to do is look toward these world-class athletes for lessons in recovery and avoiding burnout.
One Olympian who stood out to me regarding dealing with burnout was American figure skater and UCLA student Alysa Liu, who understands what it means to balance responsibilities with having a full personal life.
Liu retired at just 16 after her first Olympic games in 2022, citing both burnout and a desire to spend more time with her family. But in 2024, she returned to skating on her own terms, ultimately competing in the 2026 games and earning gold in the team event and individual women’s competition.
Her attitude toward skating and burnout has been refreshing to watch. In an interview with KCRA 3, Liu said that “breaks can do wonders.” She emphasized that rest isn’t just for athletes, but that anybody who's in a cycle of pressure can benefit from stepping back to gain perspective.
For students, Liu’s journey is a reminder that pausing is not the same as falling behind.
In a culture constantly focused on productivity, she shows there is a difference between working hard and pushing yourself to exhaustion. Taking a break, whether that means a lighter course load, a mental health day or just unplugging, can provide clarity and help prevent long-term burnout.
Liu isn’t the only athlete showing us how to avoid burnout. Chinese-American freestyle skier and Olympic multi-medalist, Eileen Gu made an appearance at Milan Fashion Week just four days after the Olympics. She has long expressed an interest in fashion and worked as a model alongside her skiing career.
Gu shows that sometimes rest can be active and rooted in something you enjoy. The lesson here is that making time for a hobby or passion outside of schoolwork can help reduce stress, create balance and support a healthier lifestyle overall.
Another athlete that stood out was hockey player Jake Guentzel, a gold medalist with the U.S. men’s team, who was one of five members of the team that chose not to attend the White House celebratory visit after the Olympics. Instead, he returned home to rest, recover and spend time with his family before returning to his regular season with his NHL team, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
During times of stress or recovery, it’s important that, like Guentzel, students prioritize relationships and spend time with family and friends. Taking the time to connect with loved ones provides emotional support and can ease the burden of responsibility.
Together, these athletes show that recovery takes many forms. Liu reminds us to step back and take breaks, Gu demonstrates that finding joy in your passions is a form of self-care and Guentzel emphasizes the importance of leaning on those close to us.
Students can learn from these lessons by making time for themselves, pursuing interests and staying connected to others, all of which can help prevent stress and maintain balance during the waves of pressure that come with college life.
