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Is anyone immune? Is this a real problem? Research says that 74% of early years educators are regularly stressed, so what does this look like and what can we do?
67% suffered with anxiety, 65% with fatigue, and 64% with loss of motivation. Do you relate to this? Over 30 years working in education, I’ve worked with the most inspirational childminders, nursery staff, school staff and there is one thread running through each one of them: we are all in the job to be there for the children, that they might be happy, safe and to thrive.
Yet after working in schools, an orphanage, as a specialist teacher, a Senco, then a deputy headteacher, I burnt out in a role I absolutely loved. Clearly, being passionate about what we do doesn’t stop the stress from overwhelming us.
I recently spoke to a large group of early educators and they described to me how they and their teams were exhausted. They had sleepless nights, headaches, over/under eating, pains through their bodies, irritability, high blood pressure… and the list went on.
Do you relate to any of these? It’s a beautiful vocation, yet it also takes its toll on us and our families. A gifted and successful nursery manager recently told me, “I just can’t be enough, I need three of me.” She was constantly juggling, managing her own family, the needs of her staff, the children and their parents and the bureaucracy.
It creeps up on you wearing sensible shoes and carrying a clipboard, quietly stealing your joy, your energy, and your belief in yourself – all while you’re too busy keeping children safe, writing observations, and attending meetings to notice.
Of course! As I mended from my burnout, I started to research what had gone wrong for me, and what can we do, when we care so much, yet so often at such a personal cost. What I discovered led me to write a book, and here are a couple of things I learnt:
Research shows that if we journal, even for a few minutes a day, we can reduce our cortisol levels, so stress and anxiety reduces. It improves sleep, it has been proven to reduce the number of sick days we take, and brain scans showed that those who journal can control their emotions better! These are just a few of the benefits.
I discovered as I journalled, focusing on what (and who) I’m grateful for, reflecting on the impact I had made that day, and starting to shift my mindset I started to see change. You see, about 80% of our thoughts are negative. We have between 12,000 and 60,000 thoughts a day, so that’s a lot of negativity going through our minds, and we need to take some brave action to change them!
Here is a really fun activity for you and your team, however big or small it can work. Research shows that if we use our most valued strengths regularly, we go into a space of flow or thriving.
Have you ever stopped to consider what your strengths are? You might prefer to call them your core competencies?
Here is the thing, I did this activity with a large group. Firstly, they each had to write down their top 3 most valued strengths (how often do we pause to think about what we are really good at? What we contribute to our team?).
Then go and tell your colleagues, what strengths they have, those you particularly care about, that benefit you, your team and the children. I promise you, the buzz will be so fun, and it will surprise you.
Then you have to take another step. Those valued strengths you mentioned, are you using them? You may need to consider what you can change so you do! This matters, and it may take some brave, and sometimes uncomfortable action.
Let me tell you how this works. I was a completely overwhelmed senco when I had a request for help from a nursery who were struggling to meet the needs of a new child. I looked at my to-do list, my heart sank, but I was a people pleaser, so it was hard to say no….off I went. I had such a fun morning, meeting their team, the child and the parents. We put together a support plan, resources etc and they were happy.
However, I hadn’t expected the impact of this on me: I came back to my to-do list with energy, more productive, creative and excited. You see, my most valued strength is kindness. I’d had a morning using this and as a result, I could get through my list of jobs with a whole new attitude and approach. Somehow this doesn’t make sense….yet maybe it does?
Write them down now. Are you using them? Could you use them more? It sounds simple but it’s profound, it really matters. Can you take action with your team? In education, where we all feel judged and under pressure, we so often focus on what isn’t working, or what needs improving don’t we? Try this focus and watch for a change in your team, and yourself!
Here’s what I want you to take away from this: burnout is real, it’s prevalent, and it’s not your fault. But it also doesn’t have to be your future.
We’re in a profession that matters enormously. The work we do with young children shapes their entire lives. But we can’t do that work well if we’re running on empty, pushed beyond our limits, and pretending everything’s fine when it’s clearly not.
So let’s start talking about this. Let’s watch ourselves and each other more carefully. Let’s catch the signs of stress before they slide into burnout. Let’s be honest about what we’re experiencing. And let’s take those micro-steps – small, accessible actions that can stop the decline before it becomes a crisis.
To find out more about Rowena Hicks, go to www.rowenahicks.com.
There you will find information about 5 minutes to Thrive. Just 5 minutes a week to enable your team to become more healthy and happy.
There is also a free journal sample from her Burnout Busting Teachers journal.
Feel free to email Rowena at [email protected]
Rowena will be a guest on our Power Hour in February.
You can find out more here
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