A Coaching Power Tool By Lynette Jordan, Life Coach, UNITED STATES
Overcoming Burnout vs. Strength
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the perception of burnout as “exhaustion of physical or emotional strength or motivation usually as a result of prolonged stress or frustration,”
Stress is defined as “-a state of mental tension and worry caused by problems in your life, work, etc. . . . causes strong feelings of worry or anxiety.”
Anxiety is defined as “a feeling of nervousness about what might happen.”[1]
On the flip side, Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the perception of strength as “the quality that allows someone to deal with problems in a determined and effective way.”
Power is defined as “possession of control, authority, or influence over others or things.”
Control is defined as “to direct the actions or function of (something) to cause (something) to act or function in a certain way.”[2]
There is no denying that those working in the field of education are under a lot of stress, and experience anxiety. There are many causes for the stress and anxiety an administrator feels. The work, in general, is stressful. The workload is considerable, with administrators having to take much of the work home, after long hours in the school. There are sizeable expectations placed on schools and districts from the local school boards, states, or federal governments, which become the responsibility of the administrator. The COVID pandemic and its uncertainty with providing lessons to students have also created an everchanging scenario that is increasingly stressful. Moreover, administrators are isolated in their job, as they are at the top and “the buck stops on their desk” as they are responsible for the success of the learning environment.
Along with the above stressors, school and district administrators carry the brunt of this stress and anxiety, as they are the main emotional stabilizer for the school and the community surrounding that school. Administrators are the instrumental position in the educational system that keeps the system running. The COVID pandemic has added emotional stress with family members, school employees, students, and community members all getting sick and even dying. In times of emotional stress, the administrator is the heart of the district that keeps the people-centered nature of the school calm and operative. They will quickly find themselves as the glue that keeps the faculty and school community of different emotions and interests bonded together. All these stressors have led to administrator burnout in school districts across the United States.
Burnout vs. Strength Perception
What I envision is changing the perception of burnout into a perception of strength. As with the “Flit It” tool designed by ICA, coaches will help clients:
- Identify the Issue
- Feel the Issue
- Frame the Issue
- Flip the Issue for a better perspective
Once the client can identify and then feel the issue, they can separate the person, who they are, from the issue. This enables them to look at the issue objectively and rationally. Framing the issue allows the client to identify what perspective they are addressing the issue. When they identify this perspective, through questioning and exploring, the client can flip their perspective to the positive opposite perspective. Once in this perspective, the client can see the issue in a different light and defuse the issue by setting a plan in place. Administrators (clients) will turn their perception of burnout into one of strength, where they can tackle the issue feeling empowered.
A similar strategy to help administrators turn their perception of burnout to strength is Dr. Stuart Shanker’s “Self-Reg.”[3] Dr. Shanker provides five steps to help a person self-regulate and manage stress and burnout. Dr. Shanker believes that by reducing the stressor, energy and emotional strength are freed up within so that the person can use coping strategies. Dr. Shanker’s five steps are:
Dr. Shanker believes that we can use this strategy to deal with the variations and stressors flowing in and out of our daily lives. He states that once we immerse ourselves in his self-reg strategy, we will be able to understand our stress and be able to manage our energy and strength better. With us becoming better aware of being over-stressed, we better arm ourselves to turn those negative issues into positive growth experiences. [4]
Administrators will need to explore many strategies to enable them to turn their burnout into strength. The administrator must spend time exploring their stressors and their anxiety. They need to identify the ones they have the control or ability to change and develop strategies and action plans to change them. Any time someone feels negative emotions, it will lower their energy level, thus lowering their perception of strength to change the situation.
Reframing a perspective requires us to view the world from a different outlook and create a different response to the issue. Administrators understand that the current state of education and COVID has changed how we educate students and experience school as a community. What needs to change is the administrator’s perception of the overwhelming job ahead of them. They need to carefully explore their perception of burnout and create positive pathways to a happier educational environment for the students, the teachers, the community, and most importantly themselves, through strength in action planning.
References
[1]Burnout
[2]Strength
[3]https://self-reg.ca/self-reg-101/
[4]Infographic What Is Self