You may be experiencing Teacher Burnout if you:
Mild Burnout
- Feel ‘peopled out’ from managing so many relationships all day
- Decline some social engagements you’d otherwise go to
- Have low energy by the end of the week
- Get the occasional headache, stomach ache or other ailments from work stress
- Have less emotional resources for friends and family
- Need to vent often about hardships at work
- Have variable levels of connection to students and the joy of teaching
Moderate Burnout
- Respond with defensiveness or defeat rather than being calm, cool and collected when faced with challenges
- Feel saddened by having less energy for your spouse/partner and children
- Lack of creativity
- Participate in meetings out of anger/distrust/resentment instead of from a place of peace and a desire for prosperity
- Find student engagement is waning
- Notice your weight is starting to climb
- Have more frequent health symptoms related to work stress
- Feel undervalued at work and/or in the community
- Share less ideas, strategies and resources with colleagues
- Have a dwindling desire to attend school events
- Think more often about retirement
- Feel stuck at times
- Bring work stress home
- Feel increasingly overwhelmed by work demands
Severe Burnout
- Have emotional outbursts at work at times
- Desire to do only the bare minimum until retirement
- Lack classroom control and student engagement
- Are disinterested in your formerly loved leisure activities
- Take work stress out on loved ones often
- Withdraw from social settings
- Have imminent or existing health issues like chronic back pain, high blood pressure, significant weight gain, diabetes, generalized anxiety disorder, clinical depression, etc.
- Feel trapped
- Experience little to no work satisfaction
I highly value education and respect those who do this work everyday. My education has enabled me to do what I love as a profession and I owe that in part to my teachers. In my clinic, I have created a safe therapeutic space for patients to get naturopathic and acupuncture treatments to deal with the symptoms of Teacher Burnout. Your work is too valuable to be lost to this preventable issue. The world needs the special contribution you make and the positive impact you have on students and our future society.
Health Improvements that You Can Potentially Gain
- Get that new teacher enthusiasm back
- Feel energized at work and at home
- Increase immune health and lower risk of infections caught in the classroom
- Replace maladaptive stress coping habits with ones that promote balance
- Increased energy levels
- Emotional wellness
- Improved mental clarity
- Reduce impacts of chronic illness on daily living
- Allow your skills and passion for teaching to shine through
- Feel more satisfaction from your work
Ontario Teachers are fortunate to have health benefits with naturopathic medicine and acupuncture covered. Don’t let them go to waste!
Acupuncture – Quick FAQ
Does it hurt? No, acupuncture shouldn’t be painful. Most report that it’s a quite pleasant experience and most commonly describe it as relaxing.
Do I have to be injured to need acupuncture? No, although well-studied for pain management and treating injuries, acupuncture can be used from head-to-toe to treat most chronic and some acute conditions.
Do I need a referral? No referral is necessary.
Is it the same as when I had acupuncture with my chiropractor or physiotherapist? Chiropractors and physiotherapists generally use anatomical acupuncture – meaning if your shoulder hurts, then points are used locally in the shoulder. I use two different types of acupuncture – traditional Chinese medicine and trigger point acupuncture.
Does getting acupuncture mean I need to stop my other treatments? No, acupuncture is an amazing complimentary therapy that can be used in combination with prescription medication, conventional care, naturopathic medicine, chiropractic, physiotherapy, massage therapy, etc.
I heard you are the only Registered Acupuncturist in town – is that true? Yes, currently I am the only Registered Acupuncturist (R.Ac.) in Sault Ste. Marie and surrounding areas. That means I have a separate license to practice acupuncture which enables you to unlock your previously unusable acupuncture benefits.
Naturopathic Medicine – Quick FAQ
Do I need to be sick? No, though naturopathic medicine is an effective treatment option when you are sick, prevention is always the best cure. We can treat symptoms happening now before they snowball into a disease. We can also work proactively to optimize your health and prevent chronic diseases from setting in later.
Do you prescribe a lot of supplements? No. My philosophy is to use only what is minimally required to get the desired results.
How are naturopathic doctors trained? After a university degree, aspiring naturopathic doctors attend a 4-year program and an accredited North American school. They undergo 3,000 hours in the classroom, 1,200 clinical hours and 2 board exams before becoming regulated by the provincial/state regulatory college.
Do I need a referral? No referral is necessary.
Can I see you and still have a medical doctor or GP? Yes, naturopathic medicine can be used with other types of medicine and we work with other healthcare providers to get our patients the best health results possible.