The Complete Guide to Self-Care for Educators

When you think of jobs that have high burnout rates, you may think of law enforcement or firefighters. But a 2022 Gallup poll found that K-12 teachers are the most burned out profession in the U.S.

In fact, teachers have higher-than-average stress levels compared to other client-facing professionals. This kind of stress can lead to physical and mental health concerns for teachers and negatively affect students’ well-being and achievement.

“Being an educator requires so much of us,” says Carol Laman, faculty member at Purdue Global. “It is emotionally, physically, and mentally demanding.”

Self-care practices can help. According to the National Comprehensive Center, self-care can aid educators in both improving their overall wellness and being more effective for their students.

In this article, we look at the elements of self-care, why teachers experience burnout, and several strategies educators can use to help maintain their overall wellness.

What Is Self-Care?

The term self-care can hold negative connotations for some people. It’s often conflated with self-pampering, which by itself may not be enough to alleviate the effects of stress from work and everyday life.

“I think there’s a lot of confusion around self-care and pampering,” Laman says. “But self-care involves wellness in many different areas of our lives.”

Wellness is a delicate system, and focusing on just one area will not help you maintain the true balance that is required. According to the National Wellness Institute, there are six dimensions of wellness, and addressing them all “enables us to thrive amidst [life’s] challenges.”

Emotional: Emotional wellness refers to regulating your emotions with the goal of engendering a positive view of the self and life in general. Emotional self-care may include going to therapy, talking to your family or friends, or finding leisure activities that help you better process your emotions.

Physical: Physical wellness involves all aspects of the body, including exercise, diet, sleep patterns, etc. Physical self-care may include getting eight hours of sleep each night, starting a workout program, or changing your eating habits to include healthier food choices.

Intellectual: Intellectual wellness is all about lifelong learning. Intellectual self-care may include taking a class on a new topic of interest, doing crossword puzzles, or reading books.

Occupational: Occupational wellness is achieved through finding meaningful work  — a career that promotes growth and aligns with your values. Occupational self-care requires that you ask yourself if your current job is rewarding and fulfilling. If not, you may need to find a new one that meets your goals and needs.

Spiritual: Spiritual wellness is about finding meaning in life, whether through religion or your own belief system. Spiritual self-care can include meditating, reading a self-help book, or attending a service.

Social: Social wellness involves developing positive relationships with others — not only with your friends and family but also with your community. Social self-care may include inviting friends to your home for dinner, volunteering for a local charity, or attending a community gathering.

Why Teachers Experience Burnout

Burnout does not happen overnight. It develops gradually as the work environment becomes more and more unrewarding and unpleasant.

Unfortunately, over the last few years, it’s reached global epidemic proportions for teachers. An article in the journal Teaching and Teacher Education described several factors linked to teacher burnout.

Teacher and student characteristics: Teacher-student relationships affect teachers’ stress levels, with negative relationships creating higher levels of stress and an increased chance of burnout.

Time pressure: “An American Federation of Teachers survey indicated that teachers worked more hours per week during the school year than all working adults — 53 hours compared to 46,” says Laman. “Many of those hours are uncompensated. That's a recipe for burnout.”

Relationships with fellow teachers: If a teacher feels that their colleagues do not hear and support them, it can cause feelings of isolation and higher stress levels.

Understaffed schools: “The burnout crisis in teaching has been exacerbated by a national educator shortage,” says Laman. “Enrollment in teacher preparation programs has decreased, which causes a shrinkage in the pool of qualified teachers.”

Availability of support: When teachers do not get support — whether from principals and students’ parents or from district-provided support services — it can lead to a higher rate of job dissatisfaction and burnout.

With teachers facing these and other challenges, some educators may get frustrated at the idea of self-care as a solution.

“I think those criticisms are valid, but it can’t be either/or,” says Laman. “I think that self-care is critical, and looking at the bigger picture of the education system in the U.S. is also really important.”

Strategies for Self-Care as a Teacher

To maintain the six dimensions of wellness, self-care needs to go beyond activities such as enjoying a spa day. What you do for self-care, of course, depends on your situation and needs, but here are some approaches you can take:

• At least once a day, take 10 or 20 minutes to decompress by yourself.
• Keep a journal. Writing about difficult teaching days can help you learn to recognize and process your emotions. Record moments of gratitude or joy, too; the benefits of gratitude are well-known.
• Get adequate sleep.
• Exercise regularly.
• Foster social support. Connect with loved ones, have a family dinner, or call a friend.
• Practice mindfulness, deep breathing, or meditation.
• Seek professional counseling, if necessary.

Additionally, you can also seek guidance and support from colleagues. While asking for help when needed could be beneficial, Laman says an official, school-backed mentorship program is even better.

“Encourage your school administration to set up a mentoring program for teachers — and not just for new teachers,” she says. “It allows you to have someone to talk to if you're stressed and overwhelmed. Ideally, that individual should be someone who can relate to your challenges. This type of support is crucial for emotional and mental health.”

Build Your Teaching Community and Skills With Online Education Programs

“A lot of research [that I’ve seen] has indicated that a sense of community is one of the main factors contributing to personal well-being,” Laman says. “This community could include the colleagues at your school or those fellow teachers you’ve met through your journey to become an educator.”

If you want to grow your teaching skills and your own teaching community, Purdue Global offers several online degree programs in education. Find out more about these programs by contacting us today.