Six causes of burnout at work

TEACHER WELLBEING

Six causes of burnout at work

Two years on and teachers are still working hard to support others but at the expense of their own wellbeing.

In my conversations with principals, people are struggling. We don't need new initiatives or more strategy, we need a break and reduced workloads. We are not machines that can keep functioning under high stress and pressure. We are human beings working in a system designed for an industrial age that is out-dated. The World Health Organisation (WHO) defi nes work-related stress as an imbalance between the demands of the job and the resources available.

Burnout is characterised by energy depletion, increased mental distance from one's job, cynicism, and reduced professional effi cacy and was included by the WHO in its 2019 International Classifi cation of Diseases. Put simply, it's feeling tired, cynical, and hopeless. What we do know is we need to move beyond fruit bowls and yoga as wellbeing initiatives, and review work design as a means for reducing psychological harm. Employers need to stop blaming employees for not being resilient enough and, instead, change the policies and workplaces cultures that breed burnout in the fi rst place.

Daniela Falecki

Educator, Speaker, Coach, teacher-wellbeing.com.au

In her book, The Burnout Epidemic: The Rise of Chronic Stress and How We Can Fix It, Jennifer Moss identifi es six main reasons people tend to burn out at work. Beneath each one, I have added one way we could begin addressing each of these. 1. Workload. Overwork is the main cause of burnout. There is simply too much to do and no time to do it. Reports, assessment, data collection and accountability measures leave litt le time for planning and the fun stuff . Solution: Cancel unnecessary meetings and stop sending global emails to people who don't need them. Look at what you can de-implement. If we are going add more to the to-do list, we have to take something away. 2. Perceived lack of control. Studies show that autonomy at work is important for wellbeing, and being micromanaged is particularly de-motivating to employees. Teachers have very litt le say over what they teach, how they teach and who they teach with everincreasing compliance driven by a crowded curriculum. Solution: Give people choice and options where you can. Don’t assume you know what people need. 3. Lack of reward or recognition. Paying someone what they are worth is an important way to reward them for their work. But so is communicating to people that their eff orts matt er. Teachers want validation but generally shy away from recognition. Some even suff er from 'martyrdom'. We need to shift this social norm by learning to receive praise when it happens. Solution: Celebrate the positive impact your time and eff ort has on others. Sharing positive feedback is free, time-effi cient, and powerful. 4. Poor relationships. Having a sense of belonging is necessary for mental health and wellbeing. This is true at work as much as it is in life. Teaching is about relationships. Unfortunately, some relationships can lift you up or pull you down. Learning social and emotional competence would go a long way to improving communication skills.

Solution: Treat others how you would like to be treated and keep in mind your way is not the only way. We all care about the students we teach.

5. Lack of fairness. When people are being treated unjustly, they are likely to burn out and need more sick time. In education, fairness can sometimes be blinded by compliance and mandates leaving teachers shaking their heads and asking why. Solution: Explain why things are happening the way they are. Sometimes people need to see the big picture to build understanding. 6. Values mismatch. Organizations that communicate values clearly and strive to fulfi l their mission will more likely have satisfi ed employees. All schools proudly showcase their values on a wall somewhere, but do they really live these values in the staff room and classroom? Positive workplace culture does not grow from a poster on the wall but from the everyday conversations between its people. Solution: Refl ect on how you live the schools' values. What opportunities exist for staff to showcase these values each day? In a nutshell, Moss is talking about organisations supporting the psychological health and safety of their workers. Just as we have strict policies and processes to prevent physical harm at work with laminated 'hot water' signs, and yellow lines in front of stairs, we must have bett er practices to prevent psychological harm which causes stress and burnout. While employees are ultimately responsible for their own happiness, it is employers' responsibility to provide the conditions that support, and not detract, from their happiness.