One day while returning to work from lunch, I was having a random discussion with some teacher friends. We were having a conversation about how tired, stressed out, and burnout we were feeling. In an attempt to lighten up our chat, one teacher said, “Well we are only feeling this way because we are going through a pandemic.”
I quickly responded, “No.” Then took a brief pause before continuing. “Even if we were not living through a pandemic, we would still feel just as tired, stressed out, and burnt out.” After thinking about it, all my friends agreed.
Many times, teachers are so focused on our students that we ignore our self-care. We may try to downplay our health symptoms to stay positive or we dismiss those symptoms and remember them only as occasional inconveniences. This does not make the symptoms go away, this may cause the conditions to worsen.
It is very important to listen to our bodies. Our body’s behaviors have positive intentions. When our bodies ache or hurt it is trying to tell us that it needs something. If we ignore the subtle warnings, brushing them off as unimportant or not a priority, the warnings become stronger and more uncomfortable.
If we were to listen to these subtle warnings today, we may be able to prevent some doctor’s visits, medication usage, procedures, surgeries, or other life-changing setbacks in the future.
Stress and burnout are conditions that many teachers often ignore. Here are 5 signs that you may have overlooked stress in your life and now it may be leading to burnout.
Exhaustion
Have you ever gotten 7 to 8 hours of sleep at night in the hopes of being recharged and ready for the work day ahead, but you wake up feeling like you still need 2 or 3 more hours of sleep? Have you ever felt that a Tuesday at work feels more like you have been working enough for it to be a Wednesday or Thursday?
Sometimes we just need some extra rest. Maybe a 3-day weekend is what we need to recharge and all will be well. However, we get those 3 days off and when we return to work, it seems that this shorter week is more exhausting than the week before.
When no amount of rest or relaxation refuels your energy you may be experiencing exhaustion.
Exhaustion can lead to irritability.
If this student keeps tapping that pencil I’m gonna break it in half!
Do these girls have to talk so much while they are working together?
That was funny, but not that funny. These students need to get back to work.
Are you constantly getting agitated over things that are not important?
Are you allowing the little things to irritate you?
When we are exhausted, little nuisances that would not otherwise bother us now annoy us. Our feelings may go well beyond being bothered and slightly displeased to anxiety and rage. When your responses constantly reach the higher end of that spectrum, that exhaustion and irritability can be a sign of burnout.
Depression
Have you constantly held yourself to standards that you could not control, then blamed yourself for the outcome?
Have you ever felt sad for extended periods and did not know why?
Have you ever had the constant feeling that you are not making a difference in the lives of your students?
Have you ever lost an extended interest in teaching and felt so guilty about it that you live in shame?
If so, you may be experiencing depression. Depression can lead to burnout. As teachers, we want to do it all, but we physically cannot. We may internalize these feelings and replay them over and over again in our heads. We want to learn from our mistakes and life circumstances so we do not repeat them, but with no new ideas or strategies and a lack of support, all we accomplish is reliving the problem over and over again and feeling defeated.
If I would have worked with that student a little longer, he would have passed.
I’m so disappointed with myself. My class did horribly on this test.
I don’t know what else to do with Johnny.
I’m just trying to make it til Friday.
I’m just trying to make it til the end of the day.
I’m just trying to make it to the end of this class period.
When you feel as if you are not in control of many decisions or events in your life, it can cause depression. Feelings of hopelessness or helplessness can flood your mind, making you feel powerless or invaluable.
Other actions can trigger depression such as:
- Looking at your paycheck knowing that you work so much harder than what is reflected by the listed amount.
- Listening to those who have never been teachers give you their expertise on what teachers should and should not be doing.
- Hearing administrative decisions that will drastically affect teachers but the decisions go against your values or best interest.
Everyone makes mistakes. Many people feel invisible, unimportant, and helpless concerning circumstances in their lives at times. Of course, this does not mean that we are expected to be perfect, our best interest was not considered, or that we are unimportant, or helpless. We must admit that those feelings still come and are valid. Many people can healthily manage those emotions and move forward. These feelings may come back, but do not stop or hinder you from day-to-day activities. In these situations, it is still important to deal with the negative feelings through coping strategies.
However, if these and similarly negative feelings occur often or you start to experience extreme feelings of the following:
Operating in survival mode
Magnifying small mistakes or negative situations in your life
Having little enjoyment for things that once gave you joy
Suicidal thoughts
Having little to no hope for the future
You may be experiencing depression that is leading to burnout.
Insomnia
Have you ever had trouble sleeping for an extended period?
Is it hard to shut down your “teacher brain” so you can get some sleep?
Do you stay awake at night trying to prevent problems that have not happened yet?
If so, it may be insomnia, which can be a sign of burnout.
I’m so tired I can’t sleep.
I may as well finish grading these papers since I can’t sleep.
I only get 3 to 4 hours of sleep each night.
Have you ever had any of the following thoughts while you should be sleeping:
What am I teaching tomorrow?
If he starts acting the same way he did yesterday, I’m calling his mom.
Maybe I should move her desk near the corner. No, then she will hide and not do her work. Maybe I’ll move her desk between Sally and Jake. Wait, she will talk to anyone. That won’t help.
What other job can I get with this degree?
When you start to experience regular sleep problems, it is important to acknowledge them and tend to them immediately. As teachers, being well-rested and alert is vital to our jobs. We are responsible for the well-being and safety of every student that walks into our classroom. The more vigilant we are, the safer our students will be. The more refreshed and energized we are from our sleep, the better prepared we are to take on the challenges that may come our way.
Sleep is so important that not getting enough of it can cause serious health consequences.
They may include:
Heart disease
Memory issues
Kidney disease
High blood pressure
Weakened immunity
Diabetes
Stroke
Weight gain
Adequate sleep is necessary for a healthy life. Proper sleep is needed to recover from burnout, therefore lack of sleep can lead to it.
Difficulties with Problem-Solving
Burnout can take on many forms. As a result of insufficient sleep or rest, your decision-making can be impaired. As teachers, we make on average 1,500 decisions each day. One study suggests that teachers make more decisions a day than brain surgeons. I believe it. Many of the decisions we make are important while others are not. However, making so many decisions every day can cause decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is the idea that after making many decisions, a person’s ability to make the best decisions is impaired.
In a classroom, every student believes that their problem is the most important. Teachers can have several questions and problems thrown directed at them all at once.
Ms. Lee, which sheet do I need to turn in?
Do I have to answer all of the questions?
Can I go to the bathroom?
Kerry hit me.
My nose is bleeding.
Hearing questions and problems such as these all day long would quickly tire out anyone!
It would be helpful if all students followed along and paid attention to instructions in class. Then teachers could answer questions and give directions once… However, that will never happen. Some students ask questions because they want to get the right answer, they are missing a step to the solution, or they don’t want to make a mistake. Unfortunately, teachers are overwhelmed with students continuing to ask the same questions because they are not paying attention, they may want to wear you down so that you will do the work for them, or they hope for a different answer. Continuing to answer questions or make decisions about the same things over and over again, or not feeling valued because you are being ignored can be very stressful.
I can’t believe she asked me which sheet to turn in. I just answered that 2 minutes ago.
My students KNOW they must answer all 5 questions on the quiz. We do this every week.
He knows he can’t go to the bathroom. We just had a class bathroom break 5 minutes ago.
Kerry wouldn’t have hit him if he would have left her alone by the 3rd time she asked him to stop.
When the question or problem could have been avoided in the first place, being a constant problem solver can be exhausting!
This is another reason why decision fatigue and constantly solving problems can lead to stress and burnout. If you are having trouble concentrating, it may cause difficulties with problem-solving. It is hard to concentrate when you are exhausted, irritated, depressed, or having problems sleeping.
After working with students during the day, teachers must prepare lessons, get materials, call parents, attend meetings, and grade papers. All of these tasks deserve our concentration. If we are not able to focus on the task at hand, it may cause our work to be prolonged or prevent us from operating at our best.
I have been working on these lesson plans for over 2 hours. I can’t seem to get them done.
This is the 3rd time I’m trying to grade these papers, but I’m just not interested in reading them.
I have been researching for an hour and I can’t find the right resources for this project.
If we find ourselves experiencing decision fatigue, wasting valuable time making decisions, or unable to concentrate to make the best decisions, all of these problems with decision-making can be a sign that we are experiencing burnout.
Burnout is a serious condition and can affect every area of our lives. Remember, the symptoms we are experiencing are the body’s best way to warn us that it needs attention. Let’s learn to listen and take care of our bodies when the symptoms are minor so that we are at our best and can avoid more serious health concerns.
Remember, when teachers are at their mental and physical best, their families, students, communities, and society all benefit. Teacher Care Now!
For information to help with stress so that it does not lead to burnout, check out, “3 Tips to Ease Teacher Stress Immediately”.
For more burnout support, check out, “5 Ways to Reduce Teacher Burnout”.
