May can be a challenging time on a school campus. The excitement of summer is approaching, but we aren’t quite there, yet. We are pushing our way to the finish line through the gauntlet of final grades, class parties, and finishing up all of those remaining projects that stand between us and the summer recess. May is also a time when we experience what it means to have an “empty tank” physically and emotionally. We are drained, and we just want the year to be over!
May can also be a time when we experience the symptoms of professional burnout. In 1975, psychologist Herbert Freudenberger first offered a formal definition of burnout. There are three basic elements: emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decreased sense of accomplishment.
I think we all understand emotional exhaustion. It’s the “bone tired” feeling resulting from holding on to too much for too long. Depersonalization can be described as trying to “pour from an empty cup.” It’s the depletion of empathy and compassion that comes from spending so much time taking care of others. This is especially true for those in helping fields like teaching and ministry. Finally, Freudenberger described a decreased sense of accomplishment as a feeling of futility in your work. If you want a good description of this, find someone who has a classroom filled with graduating eighth graders or seniors. They will be able to paint you a picture!
These burnout symptoms are a real thing in our schools. In a 2022 study of independent school faculty, Nina Kumar found that faculty members reporting symptoms of burnout have increased rapidly in the post-COVID world. In 2020, 20% of faculty members reported experiencing burnout symptoms. By April 2022, this figure grew to 73%. If you aren’t experiencing the symptoms yourself, many of your colleagues are.
However, May is also right in the middle of the season of Easter. Throughout the fifty days following Easter Sunday, our tradition celebrates hope springing from hopelessness. Much like the disciples who witnessed the death of Jesus, we too need to know that there is hope and renewal when we are in the midst of exhaustion and experiencing symptoms of burnout.
So, how are we to embrace Easter hope in light of the reality of the challenges of an empty tank? A couple of observations come to mind. First, I think we have to recognize that it’s not our “fault” if we feel any of the symptoms of burnout. This isn’t a failure on our part or a lack of dedication. Moral philosopher Kate Manne noted that our society comprises those who give and those who feel entitled to take everything that givers offer and then some. If we are navigating this dynamic, how would we not feel burned out at the end of a school year?
Second, it’s important for us to understand the emotional cycle of the stressors we face every day and know how to stop them. This is essential: removing the stressor doesn’t mean that the stress cycle is over for us physically. Even when the stressor is gone, the physiological effect of stress isn’t; it remains in your body until you end the cycle. You have to do something to signal to your body that you are safe. You can’t separate the physical body from affected emotions; they have to be handled separately.
Authors Emily and Amilia Nagoski explore this in their book Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle. Once the stressor is removed from the situation (the challenging parent or student, the board meeting that didn’t go well, the conflict with the colleague, etc), you have to do something to signal to your body that you are safe; otherwise, the physiological effect of the stress will remain coursing through your system. Nagoski’s research shows that physical activity such as exercise is one of the best ways to end the stress cycle. Intentional breathing exercises will also downregulate the nervous system in a healthy way. (Brené Brown notes that there is a reason that both yoga instructors and special forces in the military take breath work seriously.) Another way to signal to your body that you are safe is through positive social interaction. Finally, experiencing real laughter is a way to close the stress cycle. Don’t think that the stress effect will always go away on its own just because the stressor is gone.
Third, what are you doing during the summer months to provide time away from the stressors of school life? Much like the school year, the summer can go quickly! Filling your summer with projects and tasks can also prevent your body from getting the recovery it needs to be successful next year. Jesus modeled for us the importance of going to a “lonely place” occasionally for rest and recuperation. My hope is that we can all take that model seriously this summer.
Burnout is real. However, so are the strategies and techniques to recognize it and combat against it. The Easter season reminds us that hope and renewal are central to our faith and should play a part in our daily lives. Let us say “Alleluia, Christ has risen!” through our actions and through how we take great care of ourselves for the long haul.
The Rev. David A. Madison, is Executive Director of NAES.