We need to talk about the taboo teacher topic that no one wants to talk about: Teacher Burnout. If we were in any other profession, this would just be called “a rut.” But teaching can be so stressful, and it can take a toll on us emotionally, mentally, and physically. Luckily many strategies that you would apply to get yourself out of a rut can be applied when you are suffering from teacher burnout. Read on for real ways to prevent teacher burnout.
The silver lining of living through teacher burnout three years ago is that I can now recognize the signs and symptoms. This time around, I am able to stop myself from reaching full burnout. Read on because I am sharing my secrets to preventing teacher burnout.
#1: Change Your Environment
Clean out your desk. Rearrange your furniture. Organize your junk drawer. Refresh a space in your home. Re-imagine a space in your classroom that is not working. Is there a way that you could better organize your paperwork or supplies? Is there a space where you can add uplifting decor? Make something in your life work better for you.
Making changes in my home helps to lift my mood. I added decor to my downstairs bathroom a few months ago, but I still feel happier every time I walk past it. The same strategy applies in my classroom, but the results can be even greater.
First of all, students appreciate the changes, and if they are happier, I am happier. Secondly, if you so choose, you change the layout or the flow of your classroom. I will never forget how much better I felt when I moved the supplies that students needed closer to the door. It helped my classroom flow better. Students were all moving to the same direction, instead of every which way, and since students were returning supplies on their way out, they were more likely to put away their supplies correctly.
#2: Dress for Success
This one is simple, but may not be easy to execute. When we burnout and we’re not feeling our best, we are less likely to spend time on our appearance. The jeans, t-shirt, and sneaker combo becomes way more appealing than the slacks, button down, and flats option. I am a big believer in “when you look good, you feel good.” Dressing up for work is a way of practicing “fake it until you make it.” It adds a little extra confidence, energy, and spring in your step.
I find it very helpful to plan out my weekly wardrobe. I look up the weather for the week, and plan my outfits accordingly. I like to wear dresses or skirts on Mondays. I feel like it’s a strong start to the week, and to be honest, my legs are more likely to be shaved over the weekend, so Monday works best. I have a basic uniform of dress pants, top, and cardigan or blazer, so I like to mix and match these options.
#3: Re-evaluate Your Routines
Everything that we do repeatedly is part of our routines, even when we don’t realize it. Is your routine to keep hitting snooze until you can snooze no longer? Or is your routine to get out of bed the first time your alarm buzzes? Is your routine to tidy up before leaving school for the day? Or is it to leave the messes for the morning?
If you are feeling burned out, it is time to change up your routines. First, I thought about the times of day where a routine would make sense. Waking up and leaving for school, entering school, leaving school, returning home, and right before bed. Then, I thought about what I would like to accomplish during those times. Working on all of these things at once can be overwhelming. Right now I’m focusing on my routines at home – morning, coming home, and night. Once I feel good about these routines I will put more focus into my school routines.
For my morning routine, I am making it a habit to get out of bed once my alarm goes off, to exercise, and to not check my phone. A home-coming routine is completely new to me. I am working on getting my son settled when we return home, getting laundry started right away, taking care of my dishes from lunch, and packing lunch for the next day. For my night routine, I am working on incorporating 10 minutes of yoga before bed.
Advice: Start with your morning routine because “when you win your morning, you win your day.”
#4: Do One Small Thing
As teachers, especially as teacher-moms, our days are packed full of meeting everyone else’s needs. We may be printing out extra copies of paperwork for students, providing band-aids for paper cuts, preparing dinner for our families, or bathing our children. But where in our day do we fit?
This where self-care comes in. You can read more about self-care in a future blog post. Do one small thing for yourself every day. Make it a habit. Self-care cannot be a once-in-a-while thing. It needs to be part of your daily routine. Right now I fit my one small thing in every night before bed when I do yoga. I may only be taking 10 minutes for myself, but I feel great about it throughout the next day.
#5: Reconnect with Family & Friends
Teachers have a never-ending to do list. There is, and always will be, something more that we can be doing. While it is important that we get things done for school, we need to take a break at some point and spend time with our family and friends.
Every weekend I set aside time to do work. I’ve given myself a 3 hour window. Sometimes I need more time, sometimes I need less, but I save my weekends for family time. This helps keep me sane, and gives me a break from work. I like to go out to dinner with my husband, shop with my mom, host dinner for my family, and I cannot wait to take my son to the park when his big enough. I am lucky that my husband is a teacher, and understands where I am coming from. It can be hard to explain the demands of my job to my parents and other family members, so with them I focus on talking about other aspects of life.
#6: Seek Out Professional Development
Do you feel re-energized after attending a fantastic PD session? This may be the solution for you! There is always more to learn, and there is a ton of free PD available. The first time I experienced burnout, the primary factor was how difficult my classes were. I found professional development that targeted classroom management to be very helpful.
See what your school has to offer, but if you can’t find what you want there, there are so many free resources available. You can find free webinars online, search YouTube for teacher tubers, or observe your colleagues. Podcasts are an amazing source of PD. My favorites are Angela Watson’s “Truth for Teachers” and The Whimsical Teacher’s “Healthy Teacher, Happy Teacher.” I highly recommend these podcasts to teachers experiencing burnout.
These are just some of the strategies I am implementing to avoid a teacher burnout relapse. I share more mini tips in my recent video. As you try some of these strategies out, keep these two things in mind:
1) It took awhile to hit the burnout stage. It may take awhile to get out of it. Keep working at it, keep trying new strategies, and keep reminding yourself: This is temporary.
2) These are the strategies that helped me last time, and are making a difference now. We are all different, so some of these strategies may not work for you. Just keep trying new things until you find what makes you happy.
Self-care can also help you feel better when you’re feeling burned out. Try some of these free self-care strategies!
Did you find something helpful? Or a strategy that you want to try? Pin the strategy that resonates with you most!
