I know, you’ve heard every trick in the book regarding teacher burnout. The truth is: there is no magic pill or instant trick to beat it. Avoiding teacher burnout involves a series of purposeful decisions. Below are some tips that help me avoid feeling like I want to quit every five minutes.
ARRIVE EARLY OR STAY LATE IN MODERATION
Are you a morning person? If so, this tip is for YOU. Get to work an hour earlier than you’re required to. You’re less likely to get interrupted as you work, and you will eliminate the guilt of (gasp) leaving school on time. Anyone else get those judgmental looks from coworkers when you decide to head home ON TIME? I mean, the nerve! How dare you?! 🙂
As for me, well, every year I’m “highly effective,” despite the fact that I leave work on time MOST days. So if I can do it, then so can you! But, I’m also a morning person who reports to work at 6:15 am even though I’m not required to be there until 7:30. Truthfully, I love this rule I made for myself this year, and I’ve only stayed late a handful of times – which means this tip WORKS!
OK, but what if you’re not a morning person? Well, I have a tip for you, too! If you need more time outside of school hours to get organized and/or caught up, pick ONE day of the week to stay late. This only works if you FULLY commit to staying late on that day every week without staying late any other day. I know, I know, it’s hard to do but you must – if you want to avoid the burnout. Don’t forget to make a realistic list of all the things you want to accomplish on your late day to increase your productivity.
WORK NEVER GOES HOME
Don’t take work home. I mean it! Don’t take papers home to grade because chances are they’ll never make it past the back seat of your car. Also, you need to create a separation between work and home.
For example, don’t talk about work over dinner. Don’t answer text messages or phone calls regarding work. I find myself ignoring text messages when I’m at home, and I reply once I’m back at work the following day. Is it rude? Is it extreme? Maybe. But I’ll tell you that it has created unspoken rules about when I’m available to my coworkers. It will take willpower (on your part) and time (on their part) to begin respecting your boundaries regarding work and home. I love my husband and my dog more than my job. Sorry not sorry!
ENJOY YOUR TIME OFF
Anytime you’re on a long holiday break you should practice relaxing and being as unproductive as humanely possible during the first few days. If as soon as you get home you’re thinking about all the things you have to do, then it’s not really a break, is it? By continuing to “work” or going 100 mph, you’ll easily ignore the rest that your body and mind desperately deserve.
If you’re a goal-oriented person who has too much going on and stopping seems like an impossibility, then try this: when you’re on break for 7 days, take two or three days “off” for yourself. How’s that?
During your “off days” do things that are relaxing to YOU. Above all, listen to your body. It will tell you when it’s time for a break. But chances are, if you wait until your body shows signs of burnout, it’s probably too late. So remember, it’s never too late to relax!
PRACTICE SELF-CARE WITHOUT BEING SELFISH
Self-care is super important! It looks different for each person. What do you consider to be self-care?
For me, it means getting a manicure and pedicure every two weeks. It also means ordering Uber Eats once a week and binge watching a show on Netflix. I enjoy taking my dog on super long walks two or three times per week. Sometimes it’s even unplugging from social media for a few days. But lately, I’ve been noticing another form of self-care: taking days off from work.
I’ll start by saying that I’m a firm believer in calling in sick when you are, IN FACT, sick. I also think mental health days are important. We’ve all been there! However, I do think there’s a fine line between self-care and selfish. And sadly, I find this line being crossed more often than not. Aside from family medical leaves and emergency circumstances, I don’t think it’s responsible for a teacher to call in sick two or three times a month.
I’ve had two absences this school year to close on our home and move in. (Two missed days is a BIG DEAL for me!) Do you know how many days I’ve actually called in sick in the past 10 years? Four. Every time I think about that I laugh at myself for being so dedicated to my job, especially when I hear someone say they’ve missed four days just in one semester. For me, I think I value work ethic so much, and I understand the consequences of being absent. But if you are someone who is chronically calling in sick/taking personal days, I urge you to find ways to remedy that – for the sake of your students.
Self-care is important, but selfishness is not.
SAY “NO” MORE OFTEN TO SAY “YES” WHEN IT COUNTS
Teachers (especially new teachers) are always being asked to join committees or clubs, right? I get asked all of the time. I find myself saying no a lot. That’s OK. I’ve learned to say yes only to the things that matter to me or the things that I’m really passionate about.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t join ANY committees at your campus because the last thing you want is to isolate yourself. Don’t be an island! It is important to volunteer your time and collaborate with others. However, to avoid burnout don’t bite off more than you can chew.
Be purposeful with the committees/clubs you join at your campus, and whenever it becomes too much, it’s OK to take a step back.
Well, that’s it! I’m sure I left out so many other good tips on how to avoid teacher burnout, but it’s no big deal! Start off with these, and let me know how it goes. A new year is upon us. This is the perfect time to start fresh!
Remember to be purposeful in your decisions to help you put YOU first. Happy 2019!