I'm not a millennial (genXer here) but I feel like I battle burnout constantly. In my 20s and 30s, I could mask it by just pushing through and keep moving until a migraine would put me down for a day. These days, it's more like a slow burn.... networking, attending conferences, daily chores, life, the pandemic effect all take a toll. There are times I don't know if I'm just tired and stressed, or burned out, or both. My best combative tool? Get outside and get moving.... shut my phone, shut my computer and focus on nature. It's restorative and energizing. I think finding little moments for self-care are part of the solution. We can't all take a long vacation so finding those moments where we can reboot are crucial.
As a preschool teacher in an elementary school, I love what I do. But it is exhausting, and often glaringly shows where the system is broken. When you see kids who have gone through abuse, whose parents have abused drugs or are in jail, kids who don’t have enough food at home. Kids who have experienced trauma then often have behavior problems at school. It’s exhausting. Trying to help those kids feel safe and loved, and then to learn, is exhausting. Our mental health system is broken. Many of our community and government support systems are broken. Schools and agencies that they partner with often do worlds of work for the families they serve. Yet schools themselves are not funded equally. Teachers’ mental health is often pushed to the back burner. I’m not striving to climb a corporate ladder, but teachers work long hours for what is often scarce recognition. There are times that thinking about the fact I have to teach for 27 more years before I can retire with a decent pension is very discouraging.
On a positive note, I wish you the best of luck with your new arrival!!!
I'm not a millennial (genXer here) but I feel like I battle burnout constantly. In my 20s and 30s, I could mask it by just pushing through and keep moving until a migraine would put me down for a day. These days, it's more like a slow burn.... networking, attending conferences, daily chores, life, the pandemic effect all take a toll. There are times I don't know if I'm just tired and stressed, or burned out, or both. My best combative tool? Get outside and get moving.... shut my phone, shut my computer and focus on nature. It's restorative and energizing. I think finding little moments for self-care are part of the solution. We can't all take a long vacation so finding those moments where we can reboot are crucial.
As a preschool teacher in an elementary school, I love what I do. But it is exhausting, and often glaringly shows where the system is broken. When you see kids who have gone through abuse, whose parents have abused drugs or are in jail, kids who don’t have enough food at home. Kids who have experienced trauma then often have behavior problems at school. It’s exhausting. Trying to help those kids feel safe and loved, and then to learn, is exhausting. Our mental health system is broken. Many of our community and government support systems are broken. Schools and agencies that they partner with often do worlds of work for the families they serve. Yet schools themselves are not funded equally. Teachers’ mental health is often pushed to the back burner. I’m not striving to climb a corporate ladder, but teachers work long hours for what is often scarce recognition. There are times that thinking about the fact I have to teach for 27 more years before I can retire with a decent pension is very discouraging.
On a positive note, I wish you the best of luck with your new arrival!!!
Good luck and wish you all the very best in the coming years.