Burnout

Are you lacking? More specifically, are you lacking the following: energy, joy, enthusiasm, satisfaction, motivation, interest, zest, dreams for life, ideas, concentration, permission to play, self-confidence, humor. Do you find yourself to be exhausted, chronically fatigued, bored, cynical, impatient, and depressed? Do you call in sick when you’re not, over use alcohol or drugs, eat, too much, have too many headaches? Are you stubborn and resistant to change?

What may feel like depression may be burnout. One researcher described burnout as a physical, emotional, and attitudinal exhaustion that begins with a feeling of uneasiness and mounts as the joy of teaching begins to gradually slip away. Some researchers suggest that approximately three to four percent of teachers exhibit chronic symptoms of burnout. But it may be much higher than that. In 2001 Tennessee State University conducted a study with 356 elementary, middle, and high school teachers and found that 39.6 percent showed evidence of burnout. Interestingly, teachers who felt their salaries were adequate and those who taught the 10th, third, and second grades had a high level of burnout. Not surprisingly, teachers who felt unsupported by the principal, those who rated students as not being well behaved, who felt their principal did not allow teacher participation in decision making, and who felt unprepared also had high levels of burnout. There was no significant difference between teacher burnout and gender, school location, ethnicity, teacher age, school level, years of teaching experience, class size, or highest degree obtained by the teachers.

All of you are vulnerable at some point, but the good news is that you can develop strategies to cope with the tensions of school life. However, no one prescription for coping will fit the needs of everyone. Coping begins with an awareness of symptoms and causes and a commitment to change. Each of you will need to find the unique combination of strategies that will help you manage stress and maintain physical and psychological well being. Hopefully, schools recognize the needs for administrative support, teaming, decision making, mentoring and other safeguards against teacher stress and burnout that contribute to the well-being and longevity of staff members.

Here are a few tips that may be helpful for you to avoid and cope with burnout.

  • Think rationally. The first century philosopher Epicticus said, "We are disturbed not by what happens to us, but, our thoughts about what happens to us." Self-defeating, rigid, irrational assumptions about the things that happen to us invite feelings of despair, depression, and anger. Challenge illogical and rigid thought patterns. Change "I must..." to "I would prefer..." and "I should have..." to "Next time I will..." Google “cognitive distortions” or “stinking thinking” and find your favorites, then work on them.
     
  • Avoid the loneliness of teaching. Interact with a supportive group of colleagues and ask and allow others to help.
     
  •  Seek new challenges and break old routines. Change grade levels, plan a new unit, or try teaching a different subject. Experiment with
     different approaches: cooperative learning, independent study, peer tutoring, or teaming.
     
  • Learn something new. Learn something novel that you can incorporate into your teaching: magic tricks, storytelling, drama, graphic design, or public speaking. Take a graduate course, attend professional workshops, or commit yourself to learn everything you can about a new topic.
     
  • Set priorities and don’t sweat the small stuff. Decide which activities are truly both urgent and important and allocate your energies and time accordingly.
     
  • Take care of your body. Make exercise, rest, and play top priorities.
     
  • Seek a balance in your life. Develop interests beyond teaching. Save time for social activities, hobbies, and community service. Avoid talking only about school when you are with friends. And don’t be a teacher at home (you know what I mean).
     
  • Maintain a healthy sense of humor. Humor helps keep things in perspective.
     
  • Remember Why You Teach. Look past all of the annoyances and hassles, both big and small, and remember why you became a teacher in the first place.

 

John Holt
Cornerstone Psychological Services
12-15-2006
Feb 2007 GCS Insider