This is a hard post for me to write.  I am sharing something that I haven’t really discussed publicly. I have been working through teacher burnout.  I truly love what I do, but I think any teacher would tell you post-Covid, that teaching is just different.  The needs are different.  The work is different.  The expectations are different.  The behaviors are different.  And it’s taken its toll on many of us.  In this post, I’m sharing some of the things I’ve done to work through and manage teacher burnout.

What is Burnout?

Simply put, burnout is a form of stress or exhaustion caused by your job.  It can leave you feeling emotionally, physically, and mentally drained.  There are many reasons you might experience burnout and talking with a mental health expert or therapist is a good place to start.  It’s also helpful in sorting out whether what you are experiencing is truly burnout or depression.

Acknowledging the Issue

One of the first things I had to do was acknowledge that burnout was affecting both my teaching and personal life.  I have always loved teaching. I love planning fun, engaging lessons for them. But in the last few years, something began to change.  I started dreading going to work.  I came home each evening and disassociated.  I was tired and cranky and it was affecting my personal life. I was completely drained and knew I had to do something about it.  I began journaling as my own way of therapy and discovered themes that came up time and time again.  Naming what was causing me stress and knowing I had control over my choices gave me the a lifeline to start dealing with my burnout head on.

Letting Go of Perfection (and control)

I am a type A teacher.  Everything is planned.  Everything has a place.  Everything has to be done a certain way.  That pressure to control and maintain a level of “perceived perfection” was adding fuel to my already stressful job.  I had to let it go.  Did my room need to be Pinterest perfect at the end of each day?  No.  Did I have to be the one to make copies so they turned out a certain way?  No.  Did I need to be the one who folded the programs or set the stage for a performance so it would be perfect?  No.  I had to let go of this idea of perfection in my head and in doing so, lessen the pressure and stress I was putting on myself each day.  Instead, I started asking for help with small tasks.  Could a volunteer run copies for me?  Could parents be in charge of the stage set-up?  Could I leave a messy desk at the end of the day?  Yes to all of it.  Letting go of the idea of perfection (and control) was a great first step to dealing with my burn out.

Setting Boundaries

The next step for me was to set healthy boundaries around work.  I began working my contract hours.  No more staying late, or coming in extra early.  No more coming in on the weekend to get something copied or set up for the week.  No more lesson planning or prepping in the evenings.  No more checking email after school hours.  It sounds extreme, but here’s what I learned – I could get most of my work done during the school day.  I stopped socializing before school, during my prep, or at lunch.  Instead, I used that time to plan, prep, and respond to emails.  Did I get everything done every day?  Nope.   Did the world end because I didn’t finish a task?  Nope.  Setting a boundary around work helped me create time for myself and helped reduce the stress and pressure I was adding to an already demanding job.

Saying No (and meaning it)

I am a certified people pleaser and this was probably the hardest thing I had to learn.  No is a complete sentence.  No does not require an explanation.  No does not need an apology.  No allows you to set healthy boundaries and honors what you need in the moment.  I stopped saying yes to after school events.  I stopped saying yes to extra committee work and meetings.  I stopped saying yes to things that did not align with my goal of reducing my emotional, mental and physical stress.

Reconnecting with Myself

As I began to set those healthy boundaries and said no, I found myself coming home each night with a little less exhaustion and a bit more energy.  This created space for me to reconnect with myself.  I had time to do the things that brought me immense joy like taking a walk, meditating, working in my garden, talking with a friend, going to yoga class, or crafting.  All of these activities directly helped combat my emotional, mental, and physical stress.  And the more I engaged in those activities that brought me joy, my stress reduced!

Being Kind to Myself

The last thing I had to realize was that I needed to be kind to myself.  It was a process that led me to this level of burnout and it would be a process to unlearn all of the habits that played into that.  Some weeks felt easy, while others felt heavy and impossible.  There is an ebb & flow to the responsibilities required of elementary teachers.  Conference and concert weeks are always a bit more stressful, so I had to be more intentional in attending to my emotional, mental, and physical needs. And if I had a rough day or week, I had to forgive myself and realign my commitment to myself.  I had to learn to be kind and extend grace to myself.

Have you found yourself struggling with teacher burnout?  What strategies worked to help alleviate the mental, emotional, and physical stress of teaching?