We spend our days creating a safe and nurturing environment for our young children. We comfort them when they are upset. We celebrate their achievements, respond to their challenges, communicate with their caregivers, and support their needs every single day. It is rewarding work, but it can also be emotionally, mentally, and physically draining.
Over time, these ongoing demands of our job can lead to educator burnout.
Reflect on it:
- What situations at work have been causing you the most stress recently?
- Are you feeling tired even when you have had the opportunity to rest?
- What are some signs that tell you that you may be reaching your limit?
What is Educator Burnout?
Burnout is more than just having a bad day or feeling tired after a busy week. It is the result of consistent stress that extends over a period of time. This physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion can be caused by prolonged stress on an educator, such as working long hours, having a lack of control, unmanageable workload, lack of support, or a lack of clarity in role responsibilities (ECEHRC 2023).
On a larger level, research indicates that systemic concerns related to low pay, limited resources, difficult classroom dynamics, and overall stressful environments were all factors that linked closely to ECE stress and burnout (Stein et al., 2022). With these systemic and personal factors in mind, early childhood educators can experience significant levels of burnout, as they navigate these challenges. Recognizing these factors is an important first step towards supporting one's needs, and creating healthier, more sustainable lifestyle changes to adapt to the burnout.
What are some common signs of educator burnout?
- Chronic fatigue or emotional exhaustion: We often feel drained or tired all the time, even after weekends or breaks.
- Irritability or mood changes: We may become impatient or frustrated more easily than usual, feel resentful or negative towards other staff, children, or parents.
- Physical symptoms: Stress-related physical issues might include frequent headaches, stomach pains, sleep disturbances, or getting sick more often.
- Lack of personal satisfaction at work: We might feel like they are not making a difference and feel that their work is not impactful and meaningful to them.
- Withdrawal from social situations: We might remove or isolate themselves from collaborative or social opportunities. This might include avoiding staff meetings, not engaging in school activities, or not wanting to spend time with family, friends, or loved ones.
We should consider these signs of burnout and regularly check in on how we are feeling. Experiencing one difficult day or feeling tired after a busy week does not necessarily mean it's burnout. However, ongoing patterns of these symptoms should be taken seriously and should not be ignored. Taking time to recognize these signs can help us identify what we might need to change how we feel. Listen to what your mind and body are telling you.
How Burnout Affects Program Quality
Educator burnout can not only impact an educator's overall health and wellbeing, but it significantly impacts the children in their care, as well as the quality of education being provided. Early childhood education is a relationship based profession. The quality of children's experiences depend on our ability to be present, responsive, patient, engaged and emotionally supportive to their needs. When we experience ongoing burnout, it becomes much harder to sustain these qualities, ultimately impacting the overall quality of the program.
High levels of stress and exhaustion can make it harder for us to maintain the energy needed to provide the warm, responsive interactions that young children need. It can also make it challenging for us to engage deeply with children's interests, extend learning, and respond thoughtfully. (Gardner et al., 2023)
Practical Strategies: What Educators Can Do to Protect Their Wellbeing
Protecting your own wellbeing does not mean that you care less about the children in your class or your responsibilities. The work we do is demanding. We spend a lot of our days caring for the needs of others, which can make it easy to put our own needs last. The following strategies can help manage stress, maintain healthier routines, and reduce the risk of burnout:
Set Strict and Clear Boundaries
One of the most important ways educators can protect their wellbeing is by establishing clear and healthy boundaries between work and personal life. Setting these boundaries is essential for protecting your time, energy, and mental health to avoid burnout.
Some examples include:
- When possible, take your scheduled breaks and use them to actually rest, eat, and breathe. If possible, try leaving the building to step outside for some fresh air or for a quick walk!
- Set a hard cut off time and avoid work related emails or messages outside of your working hours, unless there is an urgent need to respond
- Create a transition routine between work and home, such as taking a short walk, listening to your favorite music, changing clothes or showering when you arrive home
- Practice saying "no" when you need to
- Remind yourself of your worth. Reframe your mindset to prioritize balance as a professional asset.
You might ask yourself: What boundary do I need to set or strengthen to protect my time and energy?
Prioritize Self-Care
Self-care involves "incorporating activities aimed at restoring and improving your physical and emotional well-being into your daily life," (Erdman et al., 2020). It involves consistently paying attention to your physical, social, emotional and mental health needs, and attending to those needs the best you can as a way of respecting yourself. You deserve to be your healthiest and best self!
Some examples include: (Erdman et al., 2020)
- Physical Needs: Aim for a consistent sleep routine with an adequate number of hours of sleep each night. Eat regular, balanced meals and snacks to help maintain your energy and nutrition. Regularly exercise or move your body to stay physically active.
- Social Needs: Make time for relationships that help you feel supported and connected, such as having a meal with a friend, visiting family, spending time with loved ones, or participating in a community activity.
- Emotional and Mental Health Needs: Participate in hobbies or activities that you enjoy to help relieve stress, such as journaling, mindfulness or breathing exercises, reading, listening to music, or spending time with loved ones.
Self-care is about developing healthy ways to respond to stress. It should be an ongoing practice of recognizing your needs, setting healthy boundaries, and making time to rest and recharge. When educators care for themselves, they create more space to be present, patient, and responsive to the children and families that they support.
Seek Support
A part of avoiding educator burnout is recognizing that you do not need to handle everything on your own. Your colleagues and teaching partners can be a valuable source of support because they understand the realities of the classroom. Lean on them, ask for help, or simply talk or share what you are experiencing or feeling.
Your supervisor or director can also be an important source of support. If you feel consistently overwhelmed, or notice other signs of burnout, consider having an honest conversation with your supervisor. Let them know what you are experiencing. This is an important first step in getting additional support where needed. For example, this might include discussing scheduling, staffing, workload, planning time, challenging behaviors, or other concerns you might be facing.
Remember, asking for help or support does NOT mean you are incapable of doing your job. Recognizing when you need support is an important part of professional self-awareness. It also reminds you to put your health and wellbeing first.
Reflect on it
Reflective practice helps educators refine their approach and continuously improve the quality of their teaching.
You might consider the following self-reflection questions as you think about how your own well-being, stress levels, and workplace experiences may be affecting you as an educator:
- Am I simply having a difficult week, or have I noticed a continuing pattern of exhaustion, detachment, frustration, and feeling less effective at work?
- Am I taking my breaks, eating regularly, getting enough sleep, and making time for physical activity?
- Do I feel comfortable communicating my concerns to someone I trust, like a friend, coworker, or supervisor?
- If I continue at my current pace, how might I feel six months from now, and what could I change today to support my own well-being?
Conclusion
Working in early childhood education means giving so much of yourself every day. You comfort children when they are upset, celebrate their little victories and wins, support families, and do your best to create a safe and loving environment, where every child feels that they belong. But you are human too, and you deserve the same patience, care, and compassion that you give to the children in your care.
Experiencing stress or feeling overwhelmed does not make you a bad educator or that you are not doing enough, it means that you might need a break, some extra support, or a chance to step back and reflect on what you need. Setting boundaries, making time for yourself, and leaning on others are not signs of weakness. They are important steps towards protecting your own well-being and continue to do work that matters to you.
Further Learning with Lillio
For educators seeking to further their understanding of nature-based education in the classroom, Lillio Academy offers the course "Managing Staff Burnout in Early Childhood Care Setting". Educators may also consider watching the free Lillio Learning webinar called "Addressing staff burnout in your childcare centre" to learn more about the biggest factors that are impacting staff burnout today, and how to make lasting changes at our childcare centers.
Whether you're new to this method or looking to refine your skills, these learning offerings are excellent resources for your professional growth!