The Road to Burnout is Paved with Good Intentions

It lurks out there somewhere. Hiding in the shadows. It waits for you. Sometimes, when it’s quiet, you can hear it whispering to you. Like a phantom, we can catch glimpses of it out of the corners of our eyes. And maybe, just maybe, if you run fast enough or hide well enough, it won’t come to find you.

Burnout. It’s out there. Somewhere. And like a bad flu, it’s coming to get you.

Or is it?

Actually, no. It’s not coming at you. You might be moving toward it, but burnout isn’t something that lurks in shadows waiting to grab you. It’s really rather passive. It sits in front of you like a potted plant. In fact, it’s not scary at all. It might cast a large shadow over the conversations we have about teaching and educators, but it is quite frankly a rather benign little thing in some ways. Let me explain.

Burnout isn’t a mysterious, undefined thing we hope we don’t catch. It’s a well-defined and studied condition that we can daily and constantly guard against with relatively little effort. It’s simply a hot pan on the stove. Don’t touch it! And if you do, put on some oven mitts. (Not sure how many metaphors to sprinkle in here, but I’m on a roll and I’m not going to stop.)

Here’s how burnout is defined by Herbert Freudenberger, a researcher who coined the term “burnout” in 1974:

Burnout is a state of exhaustion that results from working too intensely and without concern for one’s own needs.

So there. That’s what burnout is. It’s out there, but we can avoid it.

Researchers have gone on to define three primary traits of burnout. They are as follows:
Emotional exhaustion: Teachers feel that they can no longer give of themselves to students as they did earlier in their careers.

Depersonalization: Teachers develop negative, cynical, and sometimes callous attitudes towards students, parents, and/or colleagues.

Diminished Personal Accomplishment: Teachers perceive themselves as ineffective in helping students learn, and unmotivated in fulfilling their other school responsibilities.

So there you have it. Burnout defined, broken down, and explained. Once we name something and identify it, it sort of loses its mystique. Notice that the traits of burnout are almost entirely within our control. No federal mandate or district policy or misguided legislation has control over these traits. You do. We do together as colleagues. While mandates and policies might tell us what we have to do, they rarely dictate how we do the work. That’s our decision.

Then that leaves the big question: “How do I, as an individual and a colleague, help to avoid burnout?” There is no simple answer, but the keys to success rely on how we set our priorities, both as individuals and organizations. Remember in the definition of burnout, Freudenberger notes that at the core of burnout is a failure to recognize adequately our own needs. Pause on that idea for a moment. Rewind your life about six months into the middle of summer. What were you doing? Exercising? Reading for pleasure? Pursuing an interest? Spending time with family and friends? Getting enough sleep?

And how about now as the school year nears the midway point? Are you still mindful daily about your own needs, expectations, and boundaries? Or has something occurred in the past few months where that is no longer the case?

Looking back at the traits that define burnout, here are the three strands you need to address to remain that better version of yourself that maybe existed just a few short months back:

1. Purposeful and high-priority care of yourself so that you’re able to give of yourself to teaching in a sustainable and healthy manner.
2. Positive relationships with students, parents, and peers so that your best self shows up to work.
3. Finding daily opportunities to do what you do best so that each day has an air of success.

To these ends, here are 10 steps you can take to make this come true:

1. Keep exercising!
   Chances are good you spent time working out in the summer. You had the time to do it, the days were beautiful, and you weren’t squeezing a run or walk or swim in amongst 50 other things you had to get done. Now that school has started, the time might be a little tighter, but those good feelings will feel just as good! Schedule it. Find a partner. Go for department meeting walks!
2. Read for pleasure.
   It’s wonderful to sit outside with a good book and devour some literature for pleasure. But once school starts, that time might get eaten away. Don’t let it. Find time to read for pleasure, giving your brain that wonderful escape it needs to stay fresh. Even better yet: start a book club with colleagues. You’ll build camaraderie while you read!
3. Keep going outside.
   Even for those of you who live in fluctuating weather patterns like I do (I live in Minnesota), keep getting that fresh air you need. In fact, do it during the workday. Go for a walk during part of your planning hour. Take your classes outside on warm days. And don’t forget to breathe!
4. Keep learning.
   Whether it was a trip to a museum or reading some interesting book, summers are a great time for you play the part of a student and do some wonderful learning. That doesn’t need to stop when the school year starts. Learn alongside your students. Share your newfound interests with them and colleagues. Just don’t stop learning!
5. Spend time with your family.
   Just because you might not be up at the lake or sitting around the backyard doesn’t mean you can’t slow down and relax with your family. Sometimes it takes work to not work. Work hard at creating space and time with your family so that you can rejuvenate with those you love the most.
6. Spend time with your friends.
   Friends of teachers probably say, “See you in June!” when the school year starts. Nonsense! Keep etching out time to hang out with your friends and try really hard to not talk about work!
7. Get plenty of sleep.
   Commit to it. You know you’re your best when you’ve had enough sleep. That shouldn’t be seasonal!
8. Keep exploring your hobbies and interests.
   Summer might be your time for knitting or woodworking or gardening. These activities bring you pleasure, focus, relaxation, and escape. These are the very things you need more of during the school year. Don’t let them fade.
9. Reflect on your work.
   During the summer and vacations, you have time to think about your work, your life, your students, and the BIG questions that might surround you. Don’t let the intensity and chaos of a school year take away your time to reflect about your life as a teacher. Pause often. Remain mindful of yourself.
10. Check in on your goals.
    Chances are good you started a new year with goals and hopes that came from reflection and learning. Check in on your personal progress towards these goals often. If you’re not being the teacher you wanted to be or there are things you want to improve, then do it! There’s nothing in your way but a little effort.

There’s nothing mythical or mysterious then about burnout. Don’t worry. It’s not coming to get you, but it does exist. It’s up to you and your colleagues whether or not you experience it.

As for me, I’m going to go for a run.