Educator Burnout: Why Burnout is Only the Symptom

By Debra Griffith • Executive Coaching Essay No. 2 • 7-minute read

How is it already 8:00 p.m.?

Why does it feel like this is the first moment I've had to breathe all day?

I don't even know where my day went.

When I woke up this morning, I had a completely different plan for how my day was going to go.

Instead, my day feels completely hijacked.

Meeting after meeting. Fire after fire.

Skipped lunch again.

I don't even know if I had a sip of water today.

All I hear is ping, ping, ping. Another email. Another interruption. Another person stopping by saying, "Hey, do you have ten minutes?"

My deadlines keep getting pushed back.

My to-do list keeps growing and growing.

Even though I'm sitting here wondering, Where did my day go? I actually know exactly where it went.

I know exactly how my day got eaten up.

If you're a woman educator, this probably isn't the first time you've ended your day like this.

If someone asked how you were doing, there's a good chance your answer would be simple.

"I'm burned out."

Burnout Is a Symptom, Not the Problem

We use the word burnout all the time.

"I'm burned out."

"I'm exhausted."

"I have nothing left."

We know what it feels like.

We're exhausted.

We have no energy.

We wake up after seven or eight hours of sleep, and we're still tired.

By Friday, we have nothing left to give, but part of the weekend still goes to work because we're behind.

Even though we're burned out, we keep working. We get home and work a second shift because everything we thought we'd finish during the day is still waiting for us.

It becomes a vicious cycle.

So yes, burnout is real.

The exhaustion is real.

The frustration is real.

What if burnout is telling you that all you're doing, all you're holding, and all you're carrying is no longer sustainable?

Our default is to look for the next planner, the next productivity app, the next task manager, or the next shiny solution. We ask other people for the hacks they use, hoping one more tool will finally help us get caught up.

But we're not really addressing what needs to be addressed.

We're going back to the same well we've always gone to because we think we know what the problem is.

What if, instead of doing what we've always done, we tried something different?

The planner isn't the solution.

The app isn't the solution.

The next shiny thing usually isn't the long-term solution.

What we really need to do is understand the conditions contributing to the burnout so we can stop solving for the symptom and start changing the conditions that need our attention.

Start by Asking Better Questions

Understanding what's contributing to your burnout starts with asking better questions.

How long have you been feeling this way?

When was the last time you didn't feel like this?

Do you remember what was different?

What were the conditions, both at work and at home, that allowed you to end your day with something left to give?

What do you want instead?

These aren't questions with right or wrong answers.

They're questions that help you understand what's contributing to your burnout.

Remember.

Burnout is the symptom.

What's underneath it is what we want to start addressing.

Five Places to Start

Understanding what's contributing to your burnout is something most people don't do. It's usually not where they start.

Once you identify what's contributing to the burnout, you can decide what needs to change first. Then you can begin taking actions that address what's contributing to the burnout instead of continuing to manage the symptoms.

Here are five places to start. These aren't the only places, but they can help you begin shifting the conditions contributing to your burnout so you can get back to how you want to feel, and maybe even how you used to feel.

1. Set One New Boundary

Choose one boundary you'll put in place this week.

Maybe it's no work calls after 6:00 p.m.

Maybe it's stopping email at a certain time each evening.

Start with one boundary and protect it.

2. Ask for a Classification Review

Compare your current job description to the work you're actually doing.

If they don't match, schedule a meeting with your supervisor. Walk them through what your role actually looks like today and ask whether it's time for a classification review.

You may discover you've been doing work well beyond the position you were originally hired to do.

3. Stop Carrying What Doesn't Belong to You

Write down everything you're responsible for.

Ask yourself:

What actually belongs to me?

Then choose one responsibility you can delegate, share, or stop carrying.

4. Identify What's Contributing to the Burnout

Don't settle for saying, "I'm burned out."

Get specific.

Is it constant interruptions?

Too many meetings?

Lack of boundaries?

Unrealistic expectations?

Trying to solve every problem yourself?

The more specific you are, the easier it becomes to address what really needs your attention.

5. Decide What You Want Instead

Don't just focus on what you want to stop.

Get clear about what you want instead.

What would a sustainable workweek look like?

What would it feel like to leave work at work?

The clearer you are about where you want to go, the easier it becomes to decide what needs to change.

One Last Thing

The next time you catch yourself saying,

"I'm burned out."

Don't stop there.

Ask yourself:

What's contributing to it?

Maybe it's setting one new boundary.

Maybe it's asking for a classification review.

Maybe it's deciding to stop carrying responsibilities that don't belong to you.

Maybe it's getting clear about what you want instead.

You don't have to change everything overnight.

Start with one thing.

One conversation.

One boundary.

One decision.

Burnout is the symptom.

The work begins when we start changing the conditions contributing to it.

Reflection

• What's contributing to your burnout right now?

• Which condition needs your attention first?

• What's one decision you can make this week?

About the Author

Dr. Debra Griffith is an executive coach, leadership strategist, and founder of Do Better Executive Coaching. She partners with women educators and women of color leaders to lead with greater clarity, confidence, and authenticity by helping them understand and change the conditions shaping their leadership.