"I suffered many of these signs and symptoms to varying degrees each time I burned out. At the time, I honestly felt it was normal for a teacher to feel this way."

Do these facts surprise you?

42% of women in the workplace experience burnout, and it’s even higher for women in leadership roles with at least half experiencing burnout. 

Compare that to just 35% of men.

77% of women have considered quitting their jobs over work-related issues, compared to 66% of men. 

And 39% of women are more likely to say they quit because of stress and burnout vs only 25% of men.

If you’re surprised, let’s consider that women are more likely to be responsible for much of the unpaid work at home, such as caregiving, cooking, and cleaning. 

In addition, many high-achieving women work long hours, take on heavy workloads, and put enormous pressure on themselves to excel. 

Even as a single woman with no children, I struggled repeatedly with burnout due to my lifestyle choices and my personality. Prioritizing work, taking on too many responsibilities, and neglecting to ask for support. A need to be perfect and always in control didn’t do much to keep burnout at bay either. 

So what CAN we do to avoid burnout in the first place?

Burnout is insidious and doesn’t happen overnight. 

But by becoming more aware of the signs, symptoms, and underlying causes of burnout, we can recognize them in ourselves and take steps to prevent it from occurring. 

How often have you felt these physical, emotional, and behavioural signs and symptoms over the last month? Be honest with yourself!

Physical Signs & Symptoms

• Feeling tired, little to no energy

• Lowered immunity, often getting sick

• Frequent headaches and/or muscle pain

• Change in appetite (eating more or less than usual)

• Change in sleep habits (sleeping more or less than usual)

Emotional Signs & Symptoms 

• Loss of enjoyment

• Sense of failure and self-doubt

• Feeling trapped, helpless, and defeated

• Feeling detached, alone in the world

• Loss of motivation

• Increasingly cynical and negative outlook

• Decreased sense of accomplishment

Behavioural Signs & Symptoms

• Withdrawing from responsibilities

• Forgetfulness, lack of concentration and focus

• Isolating from others

• Procrastinating

• Using coping mechanisms (i.e. food, alcohol, drugs, etc.)

• Taking frustrations out on others

• Skipping work, or coming in late and leaving early

I suffered many of these signs and symptoms to varying degrees each time I burned out. At the time, I honestly felt it was normal for a teacher to feel this way. 

The school year is cyclical and it was usually during the exceptionally busy times that I’d be feeling physically and emotionally exhausted. I always thought that it would get easier as I became more experienced. 

It never did. 

Despite changing grades, schools, programs, and even while on exchange in Australia, I was always overwhelmed, exhausted, and burned out teaching. 

Not everyone who is a teacher suffers from burnout, however. Many teachers can beautifully balance their personal and professional lives. I just wasn’t one of them. 

Why?

Turns out there are underlying causes that, if left unaddressed, lead to burnout. Have a look at each of the three categories and see which ones apply to you. 

Work

• Feeling like you have little to no control over your work

• Lack of recognition or reward for good work

• Unclear or overly demanding job expectations

• Monotonous or unchallenging work

• High-pressure or chaotic work environment

Lifestyle

• Working too much, without enough time for socializing or relaxing

• Lack of close, supportive relationships

• Taking on too many responsibilities, without enough help from others

• Not getting enough sleep

Personality

• Being a perfectionist, feeling like nothing is ever good enough

• Having a high achieving, Type A personality

• Reluctant to delegate to others, a need to be in control

• Having a pessimistic view of yourself and the world

Looking back now, it’s easy to see how these underlying causes made me ripe for burnout. I had the lifestyle factors and personality traits in spades, and certain aspects of my work environment certainly contributed to my burning out numerous times over my career.  

So how would I have done things differently if I knew then what I know now? (And what do I advise my clients to watch for and remember?)

• Be aware of the signs and symptoms of burnout and once you start to notice them creeping in, recognize that’s your sign to slow down. 

• Ask for help. Being supported is vital for successfully recovering from (and avoiding a recurrence) burnout, which is why my Burnout to Bliss clients have coaching sessions and the opportunity to ask questions throughout the program. 

• Set and enforce personal and professional boundaries and be more careful with how you spend your time and energy. 

• Prioritize sleep.

• Remember that ‘Done is better than perfect because perfect never gets done’. 

• Work on your mindset so you can be more positive and open-minded.

• Take time to relax and have more fun (you only get one life, after all). 

Hindsight is 20/20, isn’t it? 

After 18 years of perpetual burnout as a teacher, I resigned. I’d sacrificed a lot and with so many years to go before retirement, I was no longer willing to give up anything else. 

Now as a life and holistic wellness coach (and mother to a 1-year-old and 6-year-old), I actively practice what I teach (even sleep, although it can be challenging as a parent…)

I ask for help instead of insisting on doing things on my own. My partner, my parents, my friends, and other family have all pitched in at different times and I am so grateful they’re able to help out. 

I have personal and professional boundaries and (most of the time) I enforce them. Turns out that being clear about your boundaries with others improves your relationship with them. 

Done is better than perfect is my motto. This was a hard one for me at the start, but with time I’ve learned to embrace it. 

Mindset is something I’m continually working on. Journaling has been integral to improving my mindset and helping me see all the possibilities that are in front of me. 

My boys and partner have taught me the importance of relaxing and having fun—we laugh, we giggle, we dance, we play. Life has been so much better since they’ve come into my life and I love everything about it!

It’s been three years since I resigned and I have zero regrets. I’m confident that I have systems in place to help me prevent a burnout recurrence and I am loving my life the way it is right now!