What is Teacher Burnout?

Rachel Gordon

July 31, 2025

5 min read

Teaching can be an incredibly rewarding and fulfilling career. Teachers are passionate individuals driven by a strong desire to educate the next generation and instill them with the knowledge and skills they need to live fruitful lives. A career in teaching can also be incredibly challenging and the daily demands of teaching life can lead to increased stress and eventually burnout.

Burnout can impact all teachers at any stage of their career and consistent stress, a poor work/life balance and intense pressure can become unbearably overwhelming. Not only does this have a negative impact on teachers and their mental and physical health, it also affects school staff retention and students’ experiences. Teachers and school leaders therefore have a responsibility to themselves and one another to recognise the signs of burnout and to actively work to prevent it. In this article we will explore what teacher burnout is, common causes of teacher burnout, the signs and symptoms of burnout and finally, steps that you can take to prevent it.

What is Teacher Burnout?

Burnout is a state of physical, mental and emotional exhaustion. The World Health Organisation (WHO) characterises burnout by three dimensions:

Feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion.
Increased mental distance from one’s job or feelings of negativism or cynicism related to one’s job.
Reduced professional efficacy.

Burnout typically refers to these feelings in an occupational context and as such it is included in the 11th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) as an ‘occupational phenomenon.’ That being said, the charity Mental Health UK argues that ‘burnout can be experienced alongside other life pressures and excessive demands’ which may not always be limited to the workplace.

Burnout is often caused by stress but it’s important to note that burnout is not the same as stress or being stressed. Stress often refers to a short term, episodic feeling that, though impactful on a lot of aspects of one’s life, doesn’t stop you from being able to engage in the activity that is causing you stress. Comparatively, burnout often evokes such intense feelings of detachment and demotivation that it impacts one’s ability to function and engage in any way with the activity causing burnout.

Burnout can often be cumulative in that it can be caused by prolonged and repeated demands for more. For example, it’s quite common for a teacher to find themselves staying behind after school in order to finish up their work for the day or to prepare for the next day. However, as time goes by they may find that they are staying later and later and that what was once merely the odd late day a few times a week, has now become a daily requirement in order to get their work done. Rather than this being a reflection of poor time management, it highlights a workload that is both excessive and unsustainable, resulting in a teacher pushing themselves beyond their capabilities.

Teacher Burnout Statistics

Anyone in any career can experience burnout and teachers are not exempt from that. It would be dismissive to suggest that teachers are more prone to burnout, however it’s undeniable that teachers deal with additional stressors that can make burnout more likely. These additional factors often go unseen or as an expected ‘part of the territory’ which then invalidates the struggles that many teachers face, leading them to internalise their struggles until it inevitably leads to burnout.

Burnout and wellbeing are closely linked and when a teacher’s wellbeing is poor they are more likely to become burnout. Working in education can notoriously be bad for one’s wellbeing and statistics from the latest National Education Union (NEU) survey show that:

62% of teachers believe that stress affects them more than 60% of the time
75% of teachers frequently find themselves unable to ‘switch off’ after they get home from work
62% of teachers work evenings to manage their workload
55% of teachers work weekends to manage their workload
36% of teachers frequently cancel plans with family and/or friends to manage their workload
9 in 10 teachers experience stress at work 20% or more of the time

Further data highlights that:

40% of teachers worked unpaid overtime in 2023
86% of teachers surveyed by teacher’s union NASUWT felt that their job had adversely impacted their mental health in the last 12 month
87% of teachers surveyed by NASUWT have suffered a loss of sleep due to stress
49% of teachers surveyed by the Department for Education (DfE) felt that their workload was unacceptable and that they did not have sufficient control over it
89% of teachers surveyed by the DfE experienced stress in their work
70% of teachers surveyed by the DfE felt that their job did not leave enough time for their personal lives

The Causes of Teacher Burnout

As mentioned, burnout is often the cumulative result of consistently pushing oneself to excess; it doesn’t happen overnight. This means that whilst some causes of burnout may appear ‘small’ in isolation, when experienced consistently with no respite and in addition to other sources of stress, they can be incredibly harmful and damaging.

Anyone can experience burnout and it’s important to remember that burnout can be caused or exacerbated by a myriad of factors in someone’s personal and professional life. Causes of teacher burnout can include:

Excessive workload
Poor work/life balance
Challenging student behaviour
Lack of internal support
Low salary
Unrealistic expectations from parents and/or school administration

The role of schools in both preventing burnout and supporting teachers who feel burnout should not be overlooked. NASUWT’s Wellbeing at Work Survey 2024 highlighted that 73% of teachers work in environments that do not provide staff with workspaces that promote wellbeing. 64% of respondents stated that their schools did not have measures in place to monitor and manage stress and burnout. Without adequate internal support burnout can go unnoticed until it has already occurred and the ramifications far more serious. A lack of support can exacerbate feelings of burnout as teachers feel isolated and as though they have no one to turn to. This often means that teachers will keep their struggles to themselves for fear of retaliation or condemnation until they feel forced to quit or go on extended sick leave.

Signs and Symptoms of Teacher Burnout

Recognising the signs and symptoms of teacher burnout is a vital part in addressing it and helping to alleviate pressure. Burnout can impact any aspect of an individual’s life and the symptoms can manifest physically, emotionally and behaviourally. The symptoms of burnout can include:

Physical Symptoms

Feeling tired or exhausted most of the time
Recurring insomnia and sleep disturbances
Frequent headaches
Muscle or joint pain
Gastrointestinal problems, such as feeling sick or loss of appetite
Frequent illness due to lowered immunity
High blood pressure
Issues breathing

Emotional Symptoms

Feeling helpless, trapped and/or defeated
Self-doubt, feeling a failure or worthless
Feeling detached and alone in the world
Feeling overwhelmed
Feeling demotivated, having a cynical/negative outlook
Lacking sense of satisfaction and achievement
Loss of interest and enjoyment
Persistent feelings of dread, worry and anxiety

Behavioural symptoms

Procrastinating and taking longer to complete tasks
Difficulty concentrating
Decreased output and productivity
Becoming isolated and withdrawing from people, responsibilities etc.
Reliance on food, drugs or alcohol to cope
Irritable and short-tempered, likely to have outbursts and take frustrations out on others
Increased tardiness, being late for work and/or higher absenteeism

As mentioned, burnout is often the result of consistent cumulative stress. As such, it’s easy to dismiss these feelings in isolation as signs of something else or low level concerns. However, it’s important to acknowledge the connection between the symptoms as they may indicate a larger problem. For example, you may feel overwhelmed at the start of a new academic year due to an influx of new students or because you have recently taken on new responsibilities. This in and of itself is not necessarily a sign of burnout and may in fact be a logical reaction to new changes. However, if this feeling continues throughout the year, leading to difficulty concentrating because of how much work must be done and causing constant feelings of exhaustion, it can become a symptom of burnout.

As symptoms of burnout can be easily dismissed it’s vital that you can recognise the signs. Not only is this important so that you can begin to make necessary changes, it also enables you to spot signs in others. It’s important that employers are able to recognise the signs of burnout as well as employees. Teachers experiencing burnout may not recognise it or may feel that they simply need to ‘push through’ so as to not let people down. This exacerbates the struggle and can also lead to presenteeism, impacting school staff retention, school performance and the education that students receive. However, if senior members of staff are also able to recognise burnout they can intervene before it worsens and provide teachers with the necessary tools and support to improve their situation. Schools have a responsibility to support the wellbeing of staff and recognising the signs of burnout and knowing when to step in is an integral part of doing so.

There are numerous different signs of burnout and as shown above it can manifest physically, behaviourally and emotionally. 7 key signs of teacher burnout include:

Constant fatigue/exhaustion
Emotional detachment
Frequent illness
Reduced productivity
Irritability
Self-mediciation with alcohol or drugs
Loss of interest in previous hobbies

Want to Learn More?

Want to learn more? We have a wide range of courses, such as Stress Awareness in the Workplace and Mental Health Awareness Training that can help you to recognise the signs of stress and poor mental health. With this knowledge you can support yourself and colleagues to reduce stress before it causes burnout.

How to Prevent Teacher Burnout

As the old adage goes, prevention is better than cure, and by taking steps to prevent burnout teachers can protect their wellbeing and schools can support their staff. Encroaching burnout can be hard to spot and it’s often not until someone has drained themselves completely that they recognise that they were in fact burning out. By implementing actionable and practical steps, teachers and school leaders can ensure that where possible, burnout is prevented and that all those struggling are given the tools and support they need.

Below you will find some guidance on how you can prevent teacher burnout.

Know when to say no

Setting clear boundaries is an important part of maintaining a manageable workload. Whilst it’s understandable that many teachers struggle to say no as they want to provide their students with the best possible, it can quickly become unsustainable and result in an excessive workload. Moreover, accepting additional responsibilities can cause someone to regularly work beyond their defined work hours, exacerbating feelings of stress and overwhelm. It’s important to know when to say no and when accepting additional responsibilities would have a negative impact on your work and mental wellbeing. It’s also important that senior members of staff are able to recognise when a teacher might be taking on more than they can manage so that they can intervene accordingly. It’s not uncommon, especially in schools with staffing shortages, for teachers to take on additional responsibilities to help alleviate the workload. However, if this becomes a habit and senior management becomes reliant on staff to go above and beyond to make up for being understaffed, teachers run the risk of burning out very quickly. As such, employers must recognise when to step in, when to hire more staff and when to share the workload before it becomes burdensome.

Have regular check-ins

Checking in with oneself and with others is a valuable temperature gauge to see how you are feeling about work. When work is busy it can be easy to get swept up in the momentum making it hard to recognise feelings of stress or anxiety. When one is constantly ‘on the go’ these emotions can feel like an inevitable and necessary part of ‘powering through.’ However, if you are not aware of your current stress levels and accept more work and more responsibility you may unknowingly exacerbate feelings of stress making burnout more likely. Take the time to check in with yourself and see how you are feeling. Work your way through the list of physical, behavioural and emotional symptoms of burnout and if you find that you are experiencing several symptoms then it’s time to take action. Employers should also regularly check in with staff and encourage an open dialogue in which teachers feel empowered to be honest about how they are feeling and any stress they may be facing.

Maintain a good work/life balance

We spend a lot of time at work however it is only one part of our lives. Maintaining a good work/life balance helps to ensure that work doesn’t become your life and that you have a healthy outlet for any stress and anxiety that may be stemming from the workplace. Annual leave for teachers is dictated by term time and this can make it harder to find a good balance between work and life during term time. However, making a conscious effort to spend time with friends and family at the weekend, or to do something completely unrelated with school on a weekday evening can be incredibly beneficial for your wellbeing and a much needed reminder that you have an important life outside of work.

Talk to colleagues

A physical symptom of burnout can be self-isolation and this can further intensify the feeling of burnout. Talking to colleagues about how you are feeling can help you to feel less alone and alleviate some of the stress. They can offer advice and guidance based on their own personal experiences or simply be a friendly listening ear who understands the stressors that you have to deal with. If you start to recognise that you are suffering from burnout it is important that you communicate this to your employer and senior members of staff as soon as possible. They should then offer support or signpost where you can get additional support.

Invest in your wellbeing

As mentioned it can be easy to get swept up in work and forget that we have a life outside of work. Subsequently, it can be easy to neglect one’s wellbeing outside of work and fall into a routine of work, home, sleep, repeat. Investing in your wellbeing is important as it enriches your life outside of work and ensures that you have a support system that can help you to manage stress caused by work. This might mean taking part in regular physical activity, picking up a hobby or learning a new skill that is completely unrelated to your job. Employers should also seek to support staff in investing in their wellbeing. This could be by discussing activities beneficial to one’s mental health or by providing different Employee Assistance Programmes.

Teaching can be an exciting but demanding career. The demands of teaching can cause burnout and the symptoms of burnout can have an incredibly detrimental impact on a teacher’s professional and personal life. Recognising the signs and symptoms of burnout can help to empower teachers to change their working habits so that they are more sustainable, thereby reducing any feelings of overwhelm and improving their overall wellbeing.