As the natural career progression goes, you are likely to experience bouts of burnout at some point in your career. These can come on especially strong for educational leaders, who must keep the livelihoods of their students and faculty alive even when they are themselves feeling that “middle of the school year exhaustion.” However, avoiding burnout as an educational leader can be made easier with a few of the following tips.
Allow Your Institution to Be Flexible
One common cause of burnout is the tendency to stick to the same routine, day in and day out. There is a strong need for an organizational structure in education, but this rigid schedule often leads to exhausted students and faculty who feel mundane about the day ahead. As an educational leader, your days might be a bit less repetitive than those of your colleagues, but you are still at risk of burnout. Throughout your leadership, you should take intentional steps to allow for flexibility from time to time. Breaking the monotony of what you’ve grown used to can help bring more excitement to you, your staff and your students. This might look like scheduling a monthly mental health day, in which you and others can partake in activities that boost your confidence and give your brain a rest. Don’t be afraid to switch up your schedule from time to time. This well-needed break could help avoid long-term burnout.
Don’t Forsake Your Community
Running an educational institution takes a lot of work. It can sometimes lead to such an intense desire to accomplish your tasks that you begin making less time for the people and hobbies that you love. However, as is with any other career path, you need to make time for your own community. These are the individuals who pour into you and give your life a sense of purpose. If you’ve fallen out of touch with them, you’ll likely fall into burnout without having a support system to help you out of it. Avoiding burnout is just as connected to your professional life as it is to your personal life. You might even decide to expand your social network further and join a group that shares similar passions to you.
Hire Collaborative and Passionate Educators
As an educational leader, you have a lot of say when it comes to hiring professionals at your institute. This means that you can bring people to your team who share a similar mission and who fit into the culture well. Many people do not realize that having a solid group of individuals working for them will significantly help in avoiding burnout. When you hire people with a similar vision, they will push your mission forward without having to involve you during each step of the way. Additionally, this provides a space for meaningful work relationships to evolve, ones that make you excited to come into work each day rather than dread the week ahead.