Teacher Burnout and How to Prevent It

Being a teacher is a rewarding, yet highly demanding profession. Teachers have a crucial role in children’s development, which means that there’s a big responsibility and pressure put over their shoulders. Over time, this burden might become too much to bear. And, this is exactly what we’re seeing in practice. According to the Alliance for Excellent Education, 15% of teachers in the U.S leave their profession every year, while more than 40% leave in the first five years of employment. 

The high teacher turnover rate, along with reduced equity in education, high school costs, and impaired teacher’s mental health, are some of the consequences of the phenomenon we’re going to discuss today called teacher burnout!

We usually write about the need of discussing mental health with kids, sharing tips on how to recognize the onset of mental issues, and help students. However, it’s equally important for us to have a conversation about teachers’ mental health as well. 

Teacher burnout is a real problem that can take the will out of even the best and most motivated educators. If you’re a teacher who’s reading this, we’re here to tell you teacher burnout is a normal reaction of the organism to prolonged stress and other factors, which we’ll discuss in great detail below. Homeschooling parents are also susceptible to this common problem, which is why recognizing the early signs,  as well as prevention and therapeutic measures are crucial for anyone involved in education. 

Keep reading to learn more, so you can help yourself or someone else who might be struggling to keep up with the workload. 

What Exactly Is Teacher Burnout?

Burnout In General

The concept of burnout was first introduced by Freudenberger in 1974 as “to fail, wear out, or become exhausted by making excessive demands on energy, strength, or resources.” Many other authors since then have made a contribution in defining this concept that became quite popular nowadays. 

Burnout is a physical and psychological reaction to prolonged and intense work-related stress characterized by exhaustion (physical and psychological), cynicism (less identification with the job), and feelings of reduced professional competence. 

People also use the term colloquially when they want to indicate that the job makes them feel irritated, tired, and apathetic, and have aversion toward their daily assignments. And, they’re not far from the official definitions. 

Today, we know that burnout is a broad concept that can also apply to relationships and other aspects of one’s life. This is why there’s a need for us to further define and narrow the concept.  

Teacher Burnout 

Teacher burnout is a subtype of burnout in general. It refers to the psychosomatic reactions that teachers experience as a result of intense and prolonged stress at the job. This can manifest in a variety of ways, including being easily irritated, no desire to attend social gatherings or participate in school events outside of classes, increased complaints of teacher’s behavior, chronic fatigue, insomnia, and other physical symptoms. 

Unfortunately, teacher burnout is considered a modern-day epidemic in education, as most surveys show that around 60% of teachers consider their job always or often stressful. Also, 60% of teachers said they experience mental health issues as a direct result of the stress. 

Considering these findings, it’s urgent that we raise awareness of the nature, causes, and prevention measures of teacher burnout. The question that floats around in most people’s heads right now is “Can we protect ourselves by building resilience to stress and burnout?” 

Yes, we can, and we’ll get to this in a while, but first, we must discuss the nature, causes, and symptoms of teacher burnout. This is the first step in protecting against teacher burnout since we can’t protect ourselves from something that we don’t fully understand. 

The Nature of Teacher Burnout

In scientific literature, attempts are made to distinguish burnout from similar conditions like chronic stress and depression. After all, what makes burnout a unique phenomenon? Understanding this can help professionals to identify specific prevention and therapeutic techniques. 

Chronic Stress vs Burnout

It’s difficult to say when typical stress reactions end and burnout begins, as burnout is seen as the final and most extreme reaction of prolonged stress. We all experience stress on a daily basis and some of us cope better than others. However, if we find ourselves in a stressful environment from where we can’t escape or eliminate the stress triggers, sooner or later, we’ll reach the point of burnout. Think of these two concepts as a normal reaction versus a syndrome. Burnout is the latter. 

Depression vs Burnout

So, if burnout is a syndrome induced primarily by prolonged stress, what makes it different from depression, considering that both exhibit similar symptoms?

Many researchers have argued that the true nature of burnout is a job induced depression. Two authors published a study in the Journal of Clinical Psychology where they found significant overlap between burnout and depression. This means that people who have burnout symptoms also have depressive symptoms and they correlate positively (more severe symptoms in one condition lead to more severe symptoms in the other). Mood swings, fatigue, and loss of interest were identified as key characteristics. 

However, the contemporary scientific consensus tells us that the relationship between burnout and depression is best viewed as burnout being a depressive syndrome. What this means is that burnout can be part of the depression, but it’s not a necessary condition. 

To summarize, prolonged stress can sometimes lead to burnout, which may or may not be part of an even more severe disorder, such as depression.  

Signs and Symptoms of Teacher Burnout

As we have seen by now, burnout is much more than simply feeling stressed or tired, and it can lead to more serious disorders if it’s not recognized early or it’s left untreated. Here’s everything we know about the warning signs and symptoms.

Just like the symptoms of burnout in general, teacher burnout symptoms can be divided in three main categories: (1) exhaustion – physical and mental fatigue; (2) depersonalization – cynicism and no identification with the job; (3) reduced professional confidence. 

Another way to talk about teacher burnout symptoms is by dividing them into physical, mental, and emotional categories. 

Physical Symptoms

• Fatigue 
• Sleeping problems
• Changes in appetite
• High blood pressure 
• Vulnerability to illnesses 
• Depleted energy levels

Mental Symptoms

• Forgetfulness 
• Lack of concentration
• Reduced cognitive performance
• Irritability 
• Anxiety and panic attacks 

Emotional Symptoms

• Sadness 
• Apathy
• Aggression
• Prone to depression
• Detachment in personal relationships
• Escape fantasies

It’s worth noting that you can experience teacher burnout without exhibiting all of the symptoms, and sometimes one aspect of your life can be more severely affected than the others. Every person is different, copes with stressful situations differently, and will be more resilient or susceptible to different factors in accordance with their character and temperament. 

Stages of Teacher Burnout

To make the phenomenon a bit more clearer, let’s also examine the evolution and common stages in the development of teacher burnout. How does it all begin? 

In literature, we can find different classifications. For example, psychologists Herbert Freudenberger and Gail North have identified 12 stages of burnout, while Winona State University’s burnout study identified 5 stages. So, if you’re a little different, don’t worry. The research field for burnout is relative and these stages are not set in stone. However, they’re useful for therapists as they can use them to identify behavioral patterns in their patients.

According to Freudenberger and North, the burnout progression looks something like this: 

↓ Excessive commitment and ambition – compulsion to prove yourself;

↓ Working harder;

↓ Neglecting one’s own needs; 

↓ Displacement of conflicts and needs – bursting out on close friends and family for no reason; 

↓ Neglecting personal relationships and every other aspect that’s not related to work; 

↓ Denying the problem; 

↓ Withdrawal and cynicism; 

↓ Changes in behavior – evident physical, mental, and emotional symptoms;

↓ Depersonalization – losing contact with one’s needs and self-identity; 

↓ Apathy, anxiety, and/or addictive behavior; 

↓ Increased feeling of meaninglessness and lack of interest; 

↓ Severe physical exhaustion that can be life-threatening. 

According to Winona State University, burnout progresses in five stages. 

Stage 1: Honeymoon

The honeymoon stage is a period where the individual experiences high job satisfaction, commitment, creativity, and energy. The authors believe that issues begin when the individual is faced with the inevitable stresses of the job. Individuals who have a positive coping mechanism for managing stress (character resilience and good prevention techniques) will remain in this stage forever (in theory), while other individuals without effective coping mechanisms will start to get overwhelmed and develop symptoms. 

Stage 2: Balancing Act

During the second stage, individuals become aware that because of the job, they experience stress and bad days, which usually leads to job dissatisfaction, work inefficiency due to avoidance of tasks, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and withdrawal from reality. 

Stage 3: Chronic Symptoms

During the chronic symptoms stage, the symptoms that initially developed in stage two are now intensified and persistent. People can also develop some physical illnesses due to a weaker immunity (as a result of prolonged stress) and experience aversion or anger toward their daily assignments. 

Stage 4: Crisis

In the fourth stage of burnout, individuals usually become desperate and pessimistic. Here, burnout can also lead to depression as the person begins to self-doubt, have a negative mindset about their life in general, loses interest, and their physical symptoms advance or they develop new ones. A common defense mechanism for escaping the grim reality is to turn to imaginations and fantasies through daydreaming or excessive sleep.

Stage 5: Enmeshment

In the final stage, the authors believe that the symptoms of burnout are so intense that the individual might be convinced they have a severe mental or physical problem. Even professionals might have a hard time diagnosing burnout as in this stage a lot of physical and mental issues are present. 

Going through the development of burnout symptoms might be scary but the silver lining is that with effective coping mechanisms, therapy, and changing one’s life habits, people can return to previous stages, get out of this helpless and destructive situation, and even prevent developing teacher burnout in the future. 

Preventing Teacher Burnout

Finally, we got to the section that’s going to answer the burning question – “How to prevent teacher burnout?” 

Unfortunately, the answer is not an easy one and requires us to analyze the causes and risk factors that play a crucial role in the development of teacher burnout and burnout in general.

Causes and Risk Factors

Burnout is caused by a complex interplay of internal factors (personality traits), also called risk factors, and external (environmental) factors. 

Internal factors (personality traits) that make someone more susceptible to burnout: 

• High expectations of self, perfectionism; 
• Strong need for recognition; 
• Putting other people’s needs before their own (wanting to please people);
• Hard work and commitment to the point of overburdening. 
• Being a workaholic – considering work as the most meaningful activity in one’s life. 

External (environmental) factors that can lead to burnout:

• High demands at work; 
• Negative working atmosphere and conflicts; 
• Time pressure; 
• Contradictory instructions due to poor leadership and management; 
• Lack of freedom or control for making decisions; 
• No influence on work organization; 
• Poor communication between staff members and parents; 
• Lack of resources for normal working conditions;
• No teamwork and bullying behavior from colleagues; 
• Being blamed or held accountable for outcomes that are out of one’s control; 

Having the internal or external factors only can still lead to burnout, although chances are much lower than being in a situation when both the internal and the external factors are present. In the latter, burnout is almost inevitable unless the individual asks for help and makes changes in the environment.

Both internal and external factors are hard to change, even though the internal factors depend only on the individual, while the external factors can sometimes be out of one’s control. 

To change the internal factors that might make someone susceptible to burnout, one must work on themselves through therapy by taking self-help actions. To change the external factors, one must work on their communication skills or find new solutions and negotiate them with others. However, when that’s not enough, the last resort is to change the environment in order to preserve one’s mental health. 

Therapeutic Practices 

The above-mentioned courses of action can be further explained by dividing them into three categories and taking a close look at their significance in the prevention and therapy of people affected by teacher burnout. 

These three categories of therapeutic practices include prevention strategies, internally-guided therapeutic techniques, and externally-guided solutions. 

Prevention Strategies

Increase your self-efficacy. 

Self-efficacy is when people believe in their own ability to control and accomplish professional goals. First, you must have clear goals built on realistic expectations about your professional life, and then create and follow a plan that will help accomplish those goals. The plan needs to be flexible, but your faith in yourself and in that plan must stay strong. 

Identify what you need from your work. 

This one builds upon the previous strategy. If you have a clear vision and plan for your goals, you’ll know exactly what you need from your work. Don’t be afraid to say no or leave something that doesn’t fit your character or plans. Being a teacher demands you to invest 110%, which means you can’t do a good job if you’re aware that your heart’s not in it. In the end, your mental health and your results will be poor. 

Take care of yourself.

To say no when something doesn’t work for you is one way to take care of yourself. Another way is to know your self-worth and demand respect in the workplace. Also, remember that being a teacher is just one role, not your whole identity! You must respect the other parts of yourself, which means tending to your personal relationships, hobbies, and other things that make you happy. 

Build a support network.

Don’t be afraid to reach out to other teachers who are in the same circumstances as you. Together, build a supportive community where you’ll feel safe to simply talk things through, share worries, experiences, advice, and help each other when needed. 

Invest in personal development. 

Uncovering yourself and working to improve is not something that we should do only after things go bad. Mental hygiene is maybe the most important prevention technique that will help you become more aware of yourself. You’ll become aware of your weaknesses that might make you susceptible to burnout and learn how to turn them into strengths. 

Internally-Guided Therapeutic Techniques

Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to recognize the early signs of teacher burnout and prevent the development of this condition. Most of us seek help only after reaching the breaking point. So, how to help ourselves, or someone we know after they experience burnout?

Take action

Avoiding, withdrawing, and isolating yourself is a symptom of teacher burnout, which means that although it will take an incredible amount of will-power and energy to go out there, seek help or simply breaking the tedious daily routine will help. This is the first step. Break the magical circle by stopping the behavior that led you to this point. Take a break, re-evaluate your position, make new rules, take it slowly, and don’t pressure yourself to do more or achieve more. 

Seek professional help

The second step is to seek professional help. Talk to a psychotherapist and try different therapeutic approaches like cognitive-behavioral therapy or psychoanalysis to find something that works best for you. Sometimes, pharmacotherapy might be necessary in order to control the physical symptoms and consequences of burnout such as sleep disturbances and persistent panic attacks. 

Change destructive habits 

We have our weaknesses, whether that’s being impulsive, too emotional, reserved, or anything else, our character traits make us susceptible to certain mental health issues. Perfectionism is one of the internal factors that make teachers prone to burnout. Trying to please everyone and taking too much responsibility are the two other major risk factors. Identifying the personality traits that might have brought you to a state of burnout is necessary, so you can try to change them into a more balanced self-perception.

Seek emotional support

Take a break from your professional life and tend to your closest friends and family members. Spend some quality time with the important people in your life and leave the pressure and constant stress behind. This will help you realize that there are more important things in life than your job and you need those moments to rely on when things get tough. If you can’t afford to take a break, then simply taking fewer responsibilities and thinking or doing work only during work hours can also be of help. 

Externally-Guided Solutions

Unfortunately, sometimes changing our behavior and perception of the situation is not enough, We have to acknowledge that there are toxic or unbearable working environments where one must get away from or change the circumstances. 

The last resort would be to change the environment and find another school, but before you consider that, try to see whether there are other external solutions that might turn out to eliminate the job included stress. 

A few examples in the educational section might be applying for a grant or government-funded project if your school doesn’t have the necessary resources for teaching; you can also find online communities where you can share teaching resources, find help and support in general; take a seminar in communication skills if there’s a tension between staff; demand from the administrator to hire more staff if you’re overworked; set up consultations with parents or other creative communication-system if you have trouble with students behavior, and other similar solutions. 

Finding the right solution for specific situations is hard and most often the person who’s experiencing burnout doesn’t believe they have it, otherwise, they’d have applied them by now. This is another reason why it’s important to have a supportive community and not to isolate yourself. The people around you can help you find a solution that your condition isn’t allowing you to see it’s there. 

Before You Leave

Teacher burnout is a complex and lengthy subject that we can write a book about and it still may not be enough. The truth is that, while there’s a lot of research on the topic, the real danger lies in the lack of comfort to discuss this frequent condition with other colleagues and staff members. We must address the taboo surrounding teacher’s mental health issues if we want to change the tune and bring it into mainstream conversation. 

Hopefully, our extensive article will serve as a practical guide for teachers, homeschooling parents, parents in general, other caregivers, and staff members in the educational sector who might be responsible for the wellbeing of teachers. 

If you suspect that you or someone you know is dealing with teacher burnout, please reach out and ask for professional help. This article is intended to raise awareness of the condition and it’s NOT medical advice. The consequences of burnout can significantly lower the quality of life or even lead to potentially dangerous physical illnesses. 

Our team at KidsKonnect will continue to speak up about important issues for both teachers and children, which is why you should keep up with our blog content and reach out to us if there’s something you want to learn more about. 

Finally, we can also support your work by providing high-quality, hands-on, printable worksheets bundles which will significantly cut down your prep time for lessons and help you tackle any school topic with ease.