Teacher Burnout and the Summer Holiday Myth

Every year, teachers look to the summer holidays as their salvation - six weeks to recover, rest, and finally breathe. It’s the traditional “fix” everyone relies on to deal with the unrelenting pressure of the school year.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth: summer doesn’t cure teacher burnout.

Yes, the term ends. But the exhaustion, the emotional strain, and the constant worry about what’s waiting in September don’t simply disappear.

For many educators, the summer break acts as nothing more than a pause button on stress - a short reprieve before the cycle begins again.

The idea that six weeks off is enough to repair a year of chronic overwork is not just wrong - it’s dangerous. It risks ignoring the very real, systemic causes of teacher burnout that can’t be solved by time off alone.

The Reality!

Burnout in teaching is not simply “being tired.” It’s a recognised health issue with far-reaching consequences.

Research tells us this is not a minor problem:

• 42% of UK teachers report clear symptoms of burnout (Education Support, 2023).

• 91% experience significant workplace stress (NASUWT, 2022).

And while the summer holidays provide essential rest, evidence shows their benefit is only temporary.

Studies have found teachers’ stress symptoms drop during holidays but return to baseline within just three weeks of term starting (Falkenberg et al.).

It’s even worse when you consider that many teachers can’t fully switch off:

• 65% admit spending part of summer worrying about school or planning lessons (Teacher Tapp, 2023).

This anticipatory stress about September erodes the ability to truly rest and recover.

Meanwhile, the root causes - workload, accountability pressure, emotional labour, lack of work-life balance - don’t disappear in July. They’re waiting at the school gates in September.

Summer on its own can’t repair what a whole year of relentless demands does to your mind and body.

This is why teachers need more than time off. They need intentional, structured recovery that helps them reset, reflect, and rebuild their wellbeing for the year ahead.

As A Teacher...

As a teacher, you quickly learn an uncomfortable truth about the first week of summer: your body often forces you to stop.

It’s so common it’s almost a joke in staff rooms: many teachers get physically ill as soon as term ends. After weeks of running on adrenaline and pushing through exhaustion, your system finally says: enough.

I remember talking to a teacher last July who told me:

“The first week off I couldn’t even sleep properly - my body was still in fight-or-flight mode. By the second week, I finally felt human again. But by mid-August I was already waking up at 4 a.m. thinking about my new class.”

Sound familiar?

This isn’t laziness or poor time management. It’s what chronic stress does to the body and mind.

Burnout doesn’t respect the school calendar. It lives in your nervous system, your energy levels, your beliefs about what you’re “allowed” to rest from.

And even when you start to feel rested, it doesn’t take long before thoughts of the new year intrude.

As We Are Teachers points out, summer for teachers isn’t all hammocks and novels:

• Many teachers spend time planning and prepping for next year.

• Others take on professional development or second jobs.

• Even those trying to fully switch off often report feeling guilty for resting, or worrying about upcoming changes, new classes, or policies.

Instead of a real break, summer becomes a tug-of-war between needing to recover and feeling pressure to be ready.

It’s no wonder so many teachers head into September still exhausted, worried they “should have done more,” and already teetering on the edge of burnout once again.

Here’s the good news!

Summer doesn’t have to be just a pause button.

It can be a genuine reset - the start of breaking the burnout cycle, rather than just surviving until the next term.

Imagine if these six weeks weren’t about squeezing in recovery before the stress returns, but about laying the foundation for a calmer, healthier, more confident year ahead.

What if you used this time not just to collapse from exhaustion, but to:

• Reclaim true rest without guilt.

• Reflect on what you want next year to feel like, not just what you’ll teach.

• Build healthier boundaries that last beyond September.

• Develop practical stress management tools you can actually use mid-term.

• Reset your mindset so you start school feeling calm, clear, and in control.

Because the truth is: Time off alone isn’t enough.

What makes the difference is how you use it.

With intentional support, you can transform these weeks into the most valuable investment you’ll make all year - in yourself, your health, and your ability to show up not just as a teacher, but as a whole human being.

That’s exactly why I created Six Weeks to September: Your Summer Reset Challenge.

It’s not about adding more to your to-do list.
It’s about giving you real, structured support to turn this summer into the start of lasting change.

Here’s what it includes:

• Daily guidance from July 20th to September 1st.

• A clear, gentle focus each day - from mindfulness and breathwork to stress management and boundaries.

• Wellness practices you can try immediately: meditation, visualisation, journaling, breathwork.

• Downloadable journal prompts and templates to help you reflect deeply and keep what works.

Intentionally split into two phases:
✅ Weeks 1–3: RESET

• Let go of stress.

• Calm your body and mind.

• Release the guilt around resting.

✅ Weeks 4–6: REBUILD

• Set healthier boundaries.

• Prepare emotionally for September.

• Cultivate confidence, clarity and calm so that you can hit the new term running.

All for just £32 - because every teacher deserves accessible support.

This isn’t school planning. It’s self planning.

Because the best thing you can give your students in September is you, healthy, grounded, and ready.

Next Steps

If you’re ready to make this summer more than just time off - if you want to use it as the foundation for a healthier, more sustainable year - I’d love to have you join me.

Click below to sign up for Six Weeks to September and reclaim your balance, one day at a time.

Join the Challenge Now

✨ P.S. Don’t worry if you don’t open every email or try every exercise. These tools are yours to keep, use, and revisit whenever you need them. No pressure - just daily, compassionate support.

Because you deserve more than survival. You deserve to thrive.