Understanding and Addressing Burnout in for Young People in Schools
Burnout is a term often associated with the workplace, but it is becoming increasingly prevalent in schools among students. While stress and exhaustion might seem like normal parts of a student’s journey, burnout is a deeper, more concerning issue that impacts emotional health, performance, and attitudes towards learning.
For teachers and parents, recognising and addressing burnout is crucial to fostering a supportive educational environment. This blog post will explore what burnout looks like in schools, why it is under-recognised, and how we can tackle it effectively.
Overview of Burnout in Schools and Why It’s Under-Recognised
Burnout in students is characterised by three key elements: emotional exhaustion, reduced academic performance or self-efficacy, and a sense of cynicism or detachment from their schoolwork. Essentially, students feel drained, doubt their abilities, and lose interest in learning altogether.
One major reason burnout is overlooked in schools is the heavy emphasis on results and outcomes. High-achieving students who push themselves to the brink are often praised for their “dedication”, while those who struggle to meet expectations might be labelled as lazy or unmotivated.
This narrative creates a blind spot, making it easy to miss the signs of burnout. For example, on the one hand, emotional exhaustion and a negative attitude towards school are often dismissed as typical adolescent mood swings or temporary stress. On the other hand, the exceptionally high work ethic and dedication of other individuals can be attributed to simply being a ‘good student’, but potentially the underpinnings of this behaviour are need more understanding.
Another challenge is the overlap between burnout, anxiety, and depression. All three conditions share symptoms like fatigue, lack of motivation, and disengagement. This overlap can lead to burnout being misdiagnosed or ignored entirely.
Teachers, too, face significant pressure to deliver results, often without adequate resources to support students on an individual level. This lack of support leaves many students to manage their stress alone, exacerbating the problem. It is a vicious cycle: an overemphasis on academic performance combined with a lack of awareness about burnout keeps students trapped in environments that facilitate outcomes over well-being.
Coping with Burnout: The Role of Emotional Regulation
So, how can we help students who are struggling with burnout? Emotional regulation plays a vital role. Emotional regulation refers to how individuals manage and respond to their emotions, especially in high-pressure situations. Research suggests that the strategies students learn to regulate their emotions within specific environments, like schools, are particularly may be more impactful than the emotional coping mechanisms students may naturally inherit or develop outside of school.
Schools can play a pivotal role by fostering environments that teach students how to navigate these feelings constructively. Teachers, for instance, can:
- Encourage open discussions about emotions and stress.
- Provide resources to teach students about healthy emotional regulation strategies.
- Model emotional resilience themselves by handling classroom stress transparently and constructively.
For parents, the key is to create a supportive home environment where children feel safe discussing their struggles without fear of judgement. Helping children learn to label their emotions, recognise stressors, and practise healthy coping mechanisms can provide them with the tools they need to thrive.
Overall, a consistent and open conversation around the difficulty of managing the process of going through education will combat the emotional difficulty and risk of burn out. For the individuals that are deemed ‘lazy’ or disengaged, this could open the door to them understanding why they might be struggling to care or want to engage in their schoolwork, rather than feeling punished for their uncontrollable emotions.
For the individuals that work exceptionally hard at the sacrifice of other areas of their lives that matter to them and provide key sources of wellbeing, perhaps this conversation would open them up to regulating their work ethic to be more purposeful, and support a healthier development of their psychosocial wellbeing.
Creating a Burnout-Resilient Environment with Physical Activity
One powerful but often underutilised tool for preventing burnout is physical activity. Exercise does not just benefit physical health; it also boosts emotional resilience and self-efficacy—the belief in one’s ability to succeed. These traits are critical for combating burnout and fostering emotional regulation.
When students engage in regular physical activity, they learn to push through challenges, set and achieve goals, and manage setbacks. This resilience transfers to their academic lives, helping them handle school-related stress more effectively. Additionally, the endorphins released during exercise improve mood and reduce anxiety, making students less vulnerable to the emotional exhaustion that underpins burnout.
Schools can integrate physical activity into the daily routine through sports programmes, active classroom breaks, or physical education classes that emphasise teamwork and personal growth. For parents, encouraging children to join a sports team or participate in regular outdoor activities can have a profound impact on their mental health and academic performance.
Physical activity also offers a new avenue through which schools and families view success. The process of engaging in activity can be rewarding in itself, and this can hold important lessons for the young people involved. Instead of focusing solely on grades and achievements, they can learn to prioritise their emotional well-being, recognising that success is a not just found in their final grades.
Conclusion
Burnout does not have to be an inevitable part of the student experience. By fostering supportive environments at school and home, we can equip our children with the tools they need to thrive—not just academically, but emotionally as well. After all, success is about more than grades; it is about preparing young minds to navigate the challenges of life with confidence and resilience.