In today's fast-paced, hyper-connected culture, burnout has become a serious concern—not just in high-pressure corporate environments, but right here in our schools. Educators, support staff, and administrators are often expected to give endlessly, adapt constantly, and cope quietly. As a result, burnout symptoms like exhaustion, detachment, and reduced job satisfaction are becoming the norm in school environments.
Coined in the 1970s by psychologist Herbert Freudenberger. Burnout refers to a state of chronic physical and emotional exhaustion, often accompanied by cynicism and a sense of reduced personal accomplishment. While it is often discussed in the context of the workplace, burnout can affect anyone exposed to prolonged stress—students, caregivers, health professionals, and more.
Understanding Burnout Through a Psychological Lens
From a psychological standpoint, burnout is not sufficiently explained by "tiredness" or feeling overworked. Although these are main characteristics, burnout is a complex, multidimensional syndrome rooted in emotional dysregulation (or fragility), sustained stress, and a breakdown in the alignment between a person’s values, expectations, and reality. Our window of tolerance narrows, and our general healthy habits decline. Where self-care becomes a luxury.
Three hallmarks of burnout, as defined by Maslach and Jackson, are:
- Emotional Exhaustion: Feeling emotionally drained and depleted of emotional resources.
- Depersonalization: Developing a detached, cynical attitude toward one’s job, clients, or coworkers.
- Reduced Personal Accomplishment: A perceived decline in competency and productivity, often accompanied by feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and low self-esteem.
According to the Black Dog Institute, common factors affecting people experiencing burnout include; irritability/anger, decreased life satisfaction, procrastination, sleep disturbances, lack of motivation or passion, difficulties with concentration, and somatic complaints (e.g., headaches, body aches, low libido).
Psychological Causes of Burnout
Burnout is not a clinical diagnosis although it is associated with major depressive episodes, anxiety, and higher levels of distress. Furthermore, burnout does not develop overnight. Instead, burnout develops gradually as a result of prolonged exposure to stress without adequate psychological recovery.
Why Are School Staff Especially Vulnerable?
- Perfectionism & Overcommitment: Many in education are high-achievers, often setting unreasonably high expectations for themselves.
- Lack of Control: Education policies, curriculum changes, and system decisions are often made without input from classroom staff.
- Value Conflicts: When what you believe is best for students is at odds with what you’re required to do.
- Inadequate Support: A lack of emotional or practical support from leadership or peers.
- Heavy Workloads & Emotional Labour: Teaching isn’t just about content delivery—it involves ongoing emotional regulation and care for others.
Other psychological factors that contribute to burnout are:
Chronic Stress: Repeated activation of the stress response system wears down mental and physical resilience. This can be likened to the body’s emergency button being held down, releasing a constant alarm signal. The body continually responds to the alarm by releasing cortisol activating the sympathetic nervous system and disrupting regulatory mechanisms (parasympathetic system) such as digestion, immune response, and mood.
Environmental causes include feeling unrecognised, under stimulating work, unmanageable workloads, deadline pressures, or poor communication with line managers.
Recognising the Warning Signs
You may be experiencing burnout if you notice:
- Irritability or emotional outbursts
- Trouble sleeping
- Dreading going to work
- Difficulty concentrating
- Frequent headaches or body aches
- Feeling detached from students or your role
The Neuroscience of Burnout
Burnout is associated with measurable changes in brain function. Chronic stress can lead to:
Dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis impairs the body’s ability to manage stress and disrupts the release of hormones.
Decreased levels of dopamine and serotonin, contributing to low mood and motivation.
Structural and functional changes in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, affecting decision-making and emotional regulation. This is often experienced as ‘decision fatigue’ where we may find ourselves staring at the grocery shelf unable to decide what to make for dinner, or which movie to watch.
Differentiating Burnout from Depression
While burnout shares symptoms with depression—such as fatigue, hopelessness, and withdrawal—they are distinct conditions. Burnout is typically context-specific (e.g., job-related) and improves with changes in that situation. Burnout may be recognised by disengagement and dissatisfaction within that situation, contrasted with uplifted mood outside that situation. Depression is more pervasive, affecting all aspects of life and often requiring more intensive clinical intervention.
That said, untreated burnout can evolve into clinical depression, making early recognition and intervention essential.
Try This!
Rest and Recovery
Psychological detachment from stressors, quality sleep, and restorative activities are crucial. This may seem obvious and impossible at the same time. If so, you’re in the right place. Read on for how to overcome the barriers to rest and recovery.
Cognitive Restructuring
Challenging perfectionistic thinking such as, “I must ….”, “I should [say yes]”, “If I can, I should…”, by asking questions such as, what would be the worst thing to happen if I say no? What has happened before when I have been unable to commit? Challenging thoughts can also be helpful in reappraising stress and setting realistic goals. Instead of “I should always be available,” ask: Is it okay to prioritise my health sometimes?
Create a Self-Care Plan
Reflect on what energises you—and what drains you. Use this insight to design a realistic plan that supports your mental health throughout the school term.
Job Crafting
Where possible, tailor your tasks or routines to better align with your strengths and values—whether that means shifting your lesson style, collaborating differently, or bringing creativity into mundane tasks.
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
These practices help individuals become more present, reduce rumination, and treat themselves with kindness rather than criticism. These practices do not need to happen in isolated still moments, we can be mindful on a walk, or eating food, sipping your morning tea or coffee, or listening to music. Mindfulness is about connecting with your body and only takes a few minutes for the nervous system to calm in response. Self-compassion sounds something fanciful, yet it is a simple practice that most of us show others.
Seek Support
Speak to a colleague, mentor, or professional help with a trained psychologist or counsellor through your professional EAP (Employee Assistance Program) service.
Boundary Setting
Learning to say no and establish personal limits can reduce overwhelming demands and promote autonomy. Many people find it difficult to set boundaries, due to ingrained thought processes. Therefore, cognitive restructuring is likely helpful/ required to overcome such barriers.
Make a habit of scheduling work recovery time
Instead of wanting for when you ‘really need it’ try scheduling opportunities to detach from your situational demands and actively unwind, recharge, and recover. This will interrupt the stress cycle, with research suggesting ‘micro-breaks’ during the day such as going for a walk, and having lunch away from the desk, can attenuate stress levels.
Resources
Self-Care Planning Guide – Black Dog Institute
Beyond Blue – Burnout in the Workplace
TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Service
https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Importance-of-selfcare-planning.pdf
Conclusion
Burnout is more than just feeling tired—it's a complex psychological response to prolonged stress that impacts our emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being. Rooted in both individual vulnerabilities and systemic challenges, burnout reflects a deeper misalignment between our values, environment, and sense of control. Recognising the signs early and implementing thoughtful recovery strategies can help you regain a sense of balance and purpose. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, know you’re not alone. It’s okay to pause, to rest, and to ask for help. The well-being of students depends on the well-being of those who support them.
References
Martínez-Díaz, A., Díaz-Fúnez, P. A., Salvador-Ferrer, C. M., Hernández-Sánchez, B. R., Sánchez-García, J. C., & Mañas-Rodríguez, M. Á. (2023). Mediating effect of job crafting dimensions on influence of burnout at self-efficacy and performance: revisiting health-impairment process of JD-R theory in public administration. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1137012–1137012. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1137012
Morse, G., Salyers, M. P., Rollins, A. L., Monroe-DeVita, M., & Pfahler, C. (2012). Burnout in mental health services: a review of the problem and its remediation. Administration and policy in mental health, 39(5), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-011-0352-1
WebMD Editorial Contributor. (n.d.). Burnout: Symptoms and Signs. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/burnout-symptoms-signs
Wiens, K. (2024, April 23). How burnout became normal - and how to push back against it. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2024/04/how-burnout-became-normal-and-how-to-push-back-against-it