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When Did Exhaustion Become Normal?

An exhausted teacher rubs her eyes while holding her glasses, illustrating the hidden impact of stress, fatigue and burnout.

One of the easiest things to do in education is to become used to feeling exhausted.


It doesn't happen overnight. There's always another meeting, another conversation, another child who needs your support or another member of staff who needs your time. Before long, feeling tired isn't something you notice anymore. It simply becomes part of the job.


The danger is that when exhaustion becomes your normal, you stop recognising it as a warning sign. You convince yourself that everyone feels this way, so you keep pushing through, believing that slowing down simply isn't an option.


We spend so much time checking in on everyone else. We ask children how they're feeling, notice when colleagues are struggling and support families through difficult times. Yet we rarely pause long enough to ask ourselves the same question.


Perhaps that's why burnout catches so many teachers, nursery leaders and school leaders by surprise. It isn't always caused by one overwhelming moment. More often, it's the result of months, or even years, of ignoring the small signs because they no longer seem unusual.


Maybe the question isn't, "How do I keep going?"


Perhaps it's, "When did exhaustion start feeling normal?" or for you it may be the question, “Am i always rushing everywhere?”


Have you paused long enough to notice?


Have you paused long enough to notice?


I believe that's a far more important question because recognising the answer early gives us the opportunity to make changes before burnout takes hold.



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