Teacher Burnout
Teacher burnout has recently emerged as a significant issue within education. Over the last five years or so, educators have been experiencing an increase in emotional exhaustion, depersonalization from work, and a reduced sense of accomplishment. This condition is frequently exacerbated by compassion fatigue and classroom management stress, ultimately impacting educators' overall wellness.
What does Teacher Burnout look like?
What signs and symptoms should you watch for? How do you know when it's time to seek therapeutic help?
Burnout is sneaky and creeps up on us. It's very easy to convince yourself that you're ok, you can tough it out, only five more months until the end of the school year (that countdown we do is a double-edged sword). One day, it's a small feeling of dread or butterflies in the stomach. A few weeks later, it can become sleepless nights and crying at the slightest triggers. Sleep disruption, overstimulation to the point of functional freeze (e.g., staring at something with an inability to even consider what needs to get done), loss of interest in work, decision paralysis, intense negativity, headaches, stomach aches, and more are all signs that it's time to seek support.
How can RHP help?
With educator wellbeing, it's not as simple as learning about negative thought patterns or using mindfulness. It takes a teacher to truly understand what another teacher is going through. We help by using our understanding of educator experiences that can only come from also living it day-to-day. We offer a listening ear for you to express frustrations, strategies to cope at work, and support as you choose the next steps for your career. Together, we develop strategies that will help you get through each day: learning what you can let go of, or learning to cope with the expectations that you had for your career when the reality is so different. Perhaps there are other, underlying needs that aren't even job-related but are still impacting your ability to cope.
You spend all day pouring into your students; now it's time for you to fill your own bucket.
