Build Self-Care Routines from the Start to Prevent Burnout
Many sources, including a recent NBC news report, share staggering statistics–that due to the pandemic, more than 50% of educators plan to leave the profession. Any glance at social media will provide countless stories of teachers who have left or plan to leave the profession due to teacher burnout. It’s heart-breaking.
It’s not just because of Covid, although that certainly has made it far worse. There are demands coming from everywhere, every day…administrators, parents, districts, and state departments.
Teaching demands a great deal of time, often outside of contract hours. On top of all that, each subject area we teach–which is a lot for an elementary teacher–requires its own, highly-developed skill set. It takes a while to really feel comfortable with all the content we teach, juggle our limited time, and do all the “things” each day entails.
It can be exhausting.
Reading, just ONE of many subjects–is especially complex. Dr. Louisa Moats, science of reading crusader, says that “teaching reading IS rocket science.”
I couldn’t agree more. There is SO MUCH involved with reading instruction it’s pretty mind-boggling. And that’s just one part of a packed day!
Many people have asked me what’s kept me in the profession for over 20 years, and whether I’d make a different decision if I could. The answer to the second question is always “ABSOLUTELY NOT.” I would truly do it all over again, even the really, really hard parts. I love this work, and count myself insanely blessed that I get to work in classrooms every day, alongside kids and teachers. There is no better place to be!
The first part of the question–what’s kept me in it–is all about self-care and productivity routines. I didn’t realize this right away, but once I did, it made all the difference. Here are some tips I’ve learned that have helped me for years, and I’m certain they’ll help you, too. They’re all important, but really pay attention to tip #8!
- Don’t forget to eat breakfast. No matter how early you have to leave the house, have more than a large Starbucks latte. Eat something good for you that will give you energy.
- Speaking of mornings, going through the coffee shop line is a HUGE time-waster (not to mention pricey). Starting the day off with a rushed feeling just causes anxiety, meaning you start your day under stress. Not good! Save this for occasional treat days.
- Eat lunch! And sit down to do it. Try to not wolf it down. It’s probably going to be a while before you have a chance to have a snack, so skipping lunch will just make you hangry later.
- There are tons of ways you can make your prep times super productive. One way–consider staying late just one day a week to get most of the prep work and copying done for next week (Thursdays were always my favorite day for this). If you are laser-focused and productive, you won’t have to spend much time at all on these things the other days.
- Set boundaries on your time. This includes really leaving at the time you said you would. It’s too easy to add “just 15 more minutes” over and over again. I am super guilty of this! It causes a domino effect–you end up getting home later than you wanted and can cause you to rush through your evening responsibilities. This leaves you even more exhausted, and is where resentment really sets in.
- Boundaries part 2: close your classroom door during the times you’ve allotted yourself to get things done. Let your coworkers know ahead of time that this signal means that you are focused on prep work, and it’s important to have that quiet time. This of course won’t be all the time every day, but you do need to protect some time. Your open door means you’re available. And I promise you, an open door is an invitation for chit chatting. Don’t get me wrong. It’s absolutely important that you do build relationships with your coworkers, and this chit chatting makes the day to day even more enjoyable.
But these conversations can totally derail your time, and you will not get things done. Then you’ll feel like you have to take it home with you, which infringes on your down time at home with friends or family. And your workload piles up…which leads to stress and anxiety.
Protect your time. You cannot get it back!
- Don’t leave for the day until you’ve done the prep work needed for tomorrow, including on Fridays to be sure you’re ready on Monday. Make sure your lessons are ready, copies are made, supplies for students are filled, and your schedule (and objectives, if needed) are posted. Be SURE you have that read aloud you need. Assign or schedule anything you need for your LMS so you don’t have to keep thinking about it. If you’ve also followed tip #4, this will be a pretty quick process.
- My final–and absolute most important tip: make time for exercise. Everyone knows the tremendous health benefits of exercise. Bonus points if you can also get outside for this. Being outside for just a short time can clear your head and re-energize you like nothing else. It doesn’t have to be every day, and it can be as small as a 10-minute walk.
Regular exercise the key. It’s critical for clearing your mind, reducing stress, and keeping up with it actually increases your energy level. You will feel so much better after exercising. Do something you enjoy, and switch it up for novelty.
It also helps you to stick to time boundaries from #5. Make time for exercise like you do appointments. If your calendar says that you are taking a walk or going to the gym at 4:00, that means you have to leave the building in time to make it happen. It might mean something at school doesn’t quite get finished, but you’ll never regret this decision. This is where having an accountability partner is really helpful.
Summer is a GREAT time to get into an exercise routine. I love to work out in the mornings, but can’t do that during the school year. Since I’m back in school by early August, I make sure around mid-July to start moving my summer fitness schedule closer to the times that I’ll be able to do it during the school year. By the time school starts, I’ve built a routine that I can stick to, and I start the year off on the right foot–feeling energized and happy.
Which tips do you think you will try this school year? Do you have more to add? I’d love to hear about it!
Want some help reducing classroom stress? Contact me to set up a coaching call, so we can think it through together! And, join my private FB group for immediate support from like-minded educators!
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