Banish Burnout: Tune into What You Really Want

Sometimes teacher burnout gradually builds up over time, other times it sneaks up on you suddenly and knocks you out. Feeling burnout is often a sign that you need to make a change. But how? The first step sounds obvious, but it can be harder than it seems. In order to banish burnout, you have to start by getting clear on what you really want. Follow this five-step process to find clarity and plan your next step. 

Step 1: Think About What You Love and Don’t Love Doing 

First, think about what you love and don’t love about teaching, or about life in general. Journal your ideas. If you’re feeling frustrated, you might want to start by thinking about what you don’t like doing. Writing everything down can be therapeutic and give you clarity. But don’t forget to also focus on what you enjoy! List all the things that bring you joy about teaching and life. After doing a brain dump about what you love/don’t love doing, look over your list and circle the things that stand out to you. 

Step 2: Fill in the Sentence Starter “I Want…” Over and Over 

Now that you’ve gotten some clarity around your feelings, you’re one step closer to getting clear on what you really want. This next step can be done in writing or verbally. Try to fill in the sentence starter “I want…” as quickly as you can. Don’t perseverate, just write down what comes to mind. You might be surprised at where your mind goes, but that’s okay! Being surprised can give you great insight. 

Step 3: Get Rid of Judgement 

Here’s the thing: When we tune into our intuition and let ourselves say what we really want without judgement, a lot can be revealed. When we get clear on what we want, it can bring up a lot of feelings. Maybe you want to take a break from teaching and feel super guilty about potentially leaving the classroom. It’s okay to feel however you’re feeling, but it’s also important to let yourself go after what you want. Your guilt should not overshadow your dreams. Feeling scared should not stop you from taking the next step. Try to approach what you want without judgement, or at least compartmentalize the judgement and realize that it shouldn’t stop you from exploring what you want. 

Step 4: Make a Plan 

From steps 1-3, you hopefully have gained some clarity about what you want. Now it’s time to make a plan! Start with baby steps. What could you investigate or learn more about? What action could you take to get closer to what you want? For example, if what you want is a calmer classroom, maybe you could spend time learning about mindfulness in the classroom or ask for coaching around classroom management. If what you want is more flexibility, maybe your next step is to learn about flexible work you can do in education. Whatever it is that you want, try to break down the first steps you can take to get there. 

Step 5: Revisit Your Feelings 

Just because you’ve made a plan to get closer to what you want right now, that doesn’t mean you’ll never need to do this activity again. We are always learning, changing, and wanting new things. Be tuned into what you want right now, but come back to this activity whenever you feel burned out or need clarity on your next step. You’ve got this!