Burnout Syndrome In Teachers: What You Should Know

Stress represents one of the most serious problems in today’s society. Almost everyone feels stressed on a regular basis. Although we have come to accept it as a common thing, it can actually cause many long-term problems. One of the most common is burnout syndrome in teachers.

This problem is particularly serious due to the high incidence and the consequences it has for our children’s education. In this article, we will tell you more about this syndrome, its characteristics and its causes. In addition, we also tell you what you can do to prevent it, whether you are a teacher or a parent of a school-age child.

What is burnout syndrome in teachers?

Teachers who have burnout syndrome have had high stress levels for a long time. These people accumulate increasing mental, emotional and steady physical exhaustion. Because of this, their work performance suffers. The individual who experiences it can feel very terrible.

Burnout syndrome in teachers is nothing more than a specific variant of burnout in professionals in the field of education. Due to new educational challenges, such as the teacher’s loss of authority or student rebellion, many teachers are dissatisfied with their work. They can present a large number of stress-related symptoms.

Most cases are caused by unfulfilled expectations. The teachers had an idea of ​​what their work would be, but the reality may have turned out to be different. This can cause cognitive dissonance that can lead to the manifestation of burnout in teachers.

The most common symptoms of burnout in teachers

1. Emotional exhaustion

One of the main indicators that this problem exists is feeling powerless. This feeling is intense and prolongs over a long period of time. As with most stress-related syndromes, a person’s emotions run high and they tend to feel sad, tired and unwilling to do anything.

This can even lead to some teachers developing physiological problems, such as insomnia, headaches or intestinal problems.

2. Make personal fulfillment

One of the main causes of burnout in teachers is the inability to do the job the teacher wants. Therefore, they tend to be very dissatisfied with the work they do. This dissatisfaction constitutes a feeling of failure or defeat, as well as the belief that one is powerless in the classroom.

This feeling of failure can even extend to other areas of the teacher’s life, generating problems in the teacher’s personal relationship, and in other aspects of their daily lives.

Depersonalization

Teachers suffering from this syndrome feel helpless and useless. In many cases, they tend to lose all interest in their work. Thus, their passion for what they do disappears. They begin to perform their tasks mechanically, which can lead to a vicious circle that makes them feel even worse about their teaching.

How to deal with the problem?

Burnout syndrome in teachers is a serious problem that can affect both the quality of children’s education and teachers’ personal lives. But what can we do to solve it?

• If you are a teacher and you notice that you have developed some of the symptoms described above, the best thing you can do is learn some stress management techniques. Some of the most effective include minfulness or progressive muscle relaxation. However, if you think your problem is out of control, it can be very helpful to see a psychologist.

• If you are a parent, you can also do your part to help your children’s teachers avoid this problem. Teach your children to put themselves in the teacher’s place. They should also try to facilitate their educational work as much as possible.

While it is still important to work with teachers who are already suffering from burnout, preventive measures may be even more important. This is where our responsibility as a society comes into play, whether we dedicate our lives to teaching or not.