Personal Development
• Loss of Creativity . Teachers are some of the most creative people on the earth , so when you begin to lose your creativity , you need to pay attention . Just wanting to complete a task for the sake of ticking a box and not putting anything creative or special into it is a sure indication that you might be burnt-out .
• You Stop Enjoying the Students . Let ’ s face it , we became teachers because we wanted to make a difference in children ’ s lives . When you get to a point in your career where you can ’ t stand being around the children , then it is time to really evaluate your career choice . Burn out can cause you to stop enjoying the very reason you entered the profession .
Below are some suggestions on how to get back in control of yourself and your career . They are by no means a cure-all for teacher burnout but they are simply suggestions to get you on a path to healing and loving your profession again .
Find harmony . We hear a lot about work-life balance but that may not be possible to attain . Motivational speaker , Lisa Nichols suggests that instead of striving to find work-life balance , we need to find work- life harmony , that is where all the areas of our lives work to support each other . I think that is more feasible . If you have some amount of harmony in your life you should be able to work on not only your job but yourself . It means that there will be time when the job will take precedence and other times when you focus more on yourself and your family . Try to find work-life harmony .
Take care of you first . Whenever I tell people to take care of themselves , I often remind them of the fact that on planes they advise us to put on our oxygen masks first before we assist others . It therefore means that we need to take care of ourselves first before we can give to others . Our students deserve a happy , well rested teacher and that is what we should strive to give them , no matter what .
Relationships . Faith , family and friends are vital . Take time to re-charge your “ batteries ”. Do not neglect any spiritual practices that you choose to follow . Always make time for family and friends , as they keep you grounded . Humans are social beings and when we neglect our relationships and become isolated we suffer , emotionally and physically .
Practice Gratitude . It may seem hard to find things to be grateful for when you are having a hard time , but practicing gratitude everyday will do wonders for your mood and mind-set . Get a journal and write down five or more things that you are grateful for everyday . Try to remain in the present as much as possible . Find ways to enjoy the simple things around you and seek joy in even the most mundane of tasks .
Do not suffer alone . This might be my biggest takeaway . Whenever you start feeling like you may be experiencing teacher burnout , you need to talk to someone . This could be a trusted colleague , your line manager , your spouse or a friend . The value in talking to someone else is that , they can help you to see things from a different perspective . They can be more objective about the issues . Many teachers feel isolated when this happens to them , talking to someone may make you aware that this is a more common occurrence than you think and that you are certainly not alone .