Recognising the Emotional Aspects of Burnout and Work-Related Stress

Burnout is often viewed as a result of heavy workloads or stressful work environments. Traditionally, people thought burnout meant running out of physical energy and resources. What we often forget is that there is an emotional component to burnout. 

Key to understanding and resolving burnout before it reaches a critical level is the concept of emotional investment. It is as true for work as it is for personal relationships that a return on your emotional investment is essential to staying engaged and replenishing your energy. For teachers, understanding the emotional investment required in education roles is crucial because the demands of teaching are not just physical or mental.

Signs and Symptoms of Work-Related Stress

Stress at work affects everyone, no matter their experience or role. While some pressure can push us to perform better, too much stress harms our wellbeing and productivity. Teachers often face unique challenges that can lead to emotional burnout if not addressed.

Emotional signs to watch for include:

• Feeling withdrawn or isolated from colleagues and students 

• Losing motivation and drive to teach 

• Decreased self-confidence in your abilities 

• Intense emotional reactions such as tearfulness, irritability, or frustration 

Changes in thinking patterns also signal stress:

• Jumping to conclusions without full information 

• Focusing only on problems and ignoring successes 

• Expecting the worst outcomes automatically

• A feeling of futility 

These emotional and cognitive shifts make it harder to stay engaged and effective in teaching. Recognising these signs early can help prevent burnout from worsening.

Common Causes of Stress in Teaching

Teaching is a demanding profession with many sources of stress that can drain emotional energy:

• High workload with lesson planning, marking load, and administrative tasks 

• Managing classroom behaviour and diverse student needs 

• Pressure to meet performance targets and standards 

• Lack of support or recognition from leadership 

• Balancing work and personal life, especially during challenging times 

Understanding these causes helps teachers identify what triggers their stress and burnout. For example, a teacher overwhelmed by constant deadlines may feel emotionally exhausted even if physically they seem fine.

How to Manage Stress and Avoid Burnout

Managing work-related stress requires practical steps that address both emotional and physical needs. Here are some strategies teachers can try, to refill the well:

• Set clear boundaries between work and personal time to recharge 

• Prioritise tasks and break large projects into smaller steps 

• Seek support from colleagues, mentors, or professional groups 

• Practice mindfulness or relaxation techniques 

• Celebrate small successes to counterbalance negative thoughts 

• Ask for help when stress feels overwhelming or persistent

Focus on the WHY?

Most importantly, we need to create opportunities for a return on the emotional investment we have made. This can look different for each person, but a common theme is to identify why you do the job you do - what drew you to become a teacher? Be as honest as you can - Is it status, being the most important person in the room, supporting young people to achieve something, being inspirational, love of the subject you teach, being respected or valued, or something else? Look for opportunities to experience those things - almost everyone has a story of a teacher who made them feel noticed, or believed in them, or made a difference in their lives. If we pay attention to the right things, the reasons why, then we can stay engaged indefinitely.

You don't have to do it alone though. If stress continues to affect daily life or causes significant distress, seeking professional support is important. Talking to a counsellor or mental health professional can provide tools to cope better.

ISA members have access to a professional counselling service that operates remotely and discretely through Atrium HR Consulting. Contact us HERE to access the support you deserve.