As the end of the school year and beginning of summer approaches, the issue of burnout can be prevalent in many people's lives. From working while also playing sports and being in school, I've faced burnout in my own life multiple times, and have had to learn how to properly pour into myself and manage my time correctly to draw myself out of that and heal my mind from overworking it. Many people may not even know that they have or are experiencing burnout. To help clear this up, let's start with defining it.

  Recently, I was sitting in my speech class listening to my classmates inform each other about topics that are intriguing to them. Topics that they decided to research intensely due to its importance in their lives. One speech in particular stood out to me. A young man talked about how video games changed his life. He struggled with anxiety and depression throughout his childhood and isolated himself as a result. He then went on to say that video games were a turning point in his mental health decline. They allowed him to speak freely, make friends, and be himself. This sparked interest in me and revealed the question: can video games be beneficial to a person's mental health?

  Have you ever wondered how you got to the place you're at? What did you see, hear, or experience that caused you to find interest in something? For me, it was reading.