School Wellbeing and Culture Expert I Keynote Speaker I Workshop Facilitator I Consultant I Author I Leadership Coach I Researcher
Since I posted the graphic on the Burnout Continuum a few days ago, many of you have asked me about the signs of burnout - what to watch out for in yourself and others that may indicate you are moving along the continuum from Engaged to Burnout. I have created this graphic in response. Please share it with others if you think they will benefit from this information. Remember that Burnout is Exhaustion+Detachment+Ineffectiveness. One or two of these give cause for concern. If we reach a situation where we experience all three then we can be in trouble. We need to take action before we get to this point. When I burnt out, I had been exhausted for around 10 years. I took a year out in 2015-16 to travel around the USA and Central America on a motorbike but within a month of being back at work I was exhausted again. I experienced many of the signs of exhaustion - chronic fatigue, insomnia (made worse by hot flushes at night), anxiety (I described it as a sense of being hunted), increased infections and finally chest pain (that prompted me to seek medical help). Apart from the chest pain, the sign for me that something really bad was happening was the growing sense of detachment, manifested in an erosion of my belief in what we were trying to achieve as a school. There was also a lot of frustration that I was not making the progress I wanted to make and this made me feel ineffective. If I am honest, I became quite belligerent with senior colleagues as my frustration spilled over and our relationships deteriorated. I was convinced I was right but I realise now how difficult I must have been to work with. Then it all came crashing down in the space of a few short weeks and I was never able to return to the person I was, handling the level of stress and responsibility and constant interactions that had been the norm for 15 years. Don't let this happen to you. Don't ignore the inner voice that tells you something is wrong like I did. Take action to gain some perspective and prioritise your wellbeing before it is too late. #teachers #headteachers #principals #schools #EduChat #education
Such a helpful overview Dr. Helen Kelly and I think it is hard for people to spot the signs themself so really important we share this with others and raise awareness in schools and other workplaces so people better support each other.
I think many of us ignore the low level signs as "oh it's just xxx" but it builds to full on burnout. Great reminder to recognise the early signs and take action before it escalates.
Thank you for this post and infographic. I will be sharing with teachers at my school as we are dealing with several issues all at once related to working conditions that greatly impact teaching and learning. And for the naysayers out there who may be reading this, I’m not talking just about the lack of time for bathroom breaks that often lead to UTI, especially in women. So much more.
When you are on that hamster wheel, it is very difficult to detach yourself from reality and reflect. Senior colleagues should be trained in identifying early signs that a colleague is facing the brickwall.
Advocate of teacher wellbeing | Advising teachers in their careers & wellbeing | Learning & development | Compassionate leader #GarethsWorkplaceSkills **All comments/views are my own**
2wHi Dr. Helen Kelly. Can I use this on my teacher wellbeing Facebook page? Thanks for sharing.