The Long Road Back From Teacher Burnout
Burnout Recovery: The Truth No One Talks About
Burnout isn’t just a bad day. It isn’t something a weekend away or a bubble bath will fix. It can derail your life - emotionally, mentally, physically.
This week, almost three years on, I finally got the thumbs up from the doctor: my blood pressure has returned to normal. At one point, it was so dangerously high I was on the verge of hospitalisation. But let me be honest - the journey hasn’t been quick, clean, or easy.
In staffrooms, we often hear burnout mentioned flippantly -
“You’re just a bit burnt out.”
“Take a break.”
“Leave the marking tonight, it’ll still be there tomorrow.”
But burnout is more than just feeling tired or fed up.
Burnout is defined by the World Health Organization as a state of chronic workplace stress that has not been successfully managed, characterised by three dimensions:
Emotional exhaustion
Cynicism or detachment from the job
Reduced professional efficacy
Chronic burnout goes even further - it’s when the stress response becomes so persistent that it begins to impair your body’s systems: your immune system, hormone regulation, cognitive functioning, and in my case, even physical symptoms like high blood pressure, trembling, and overwhelming fatigue.
Burnout isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a breakdown - and it demands more than rest. It requires rebuilding.
What No One Tells You About Life After Burnout
What no one tells you about life after burnout is how long it lingers.
Even when the world thinks you’re “better.”
Even when you smile again or return to work.
Behind the scenes, your nervous system might still be trembling. Your energy, inconsistent. Your confidence, threadbare.
At my worst, I was barely functioning. I’d sleep for hours during the day, cry without warning, and shake - my hands, legs, even my jaw trembled, sometimes violently.
Six months after my breakdown, I had to have my hearing checked. The persistent clenching and vibration in my jaw had caused inflammation and swelling near the inner ear. (I’m not a doctor, but I’m sure there’s a more clinical explanation. ENT friends, feel free to translate!)
I gained weight. I lost parts of myself I didn’t even realise I was carrying - until they were gone.
And I’m not alone.
According to a 2022 report by Education Support, 75% of UK teachers reported being stressed, with 59% experiencing burnout symptoms.
Globally, burnout affects around one in three professionals - and in roles involving high emotional labour like teaching, that figure is likely much higher.
Chronic burnout is more than a mental state - it’s a nervous system crisis. Your body is locked in fight-or-flight mode for so long that it starts to shut down non-essential systems: digestion, immunity, hormonal balance, even memory and hearing can be affected.
It doesn’t always look dramatic from the outside - but on the inside, your body is screaming.
There was no grand moment of “fixing.” No single epiphany.
Just small, stubborn acts of healing.
The kind where getting dressed before midday feels like progress.
Where putting in a load of washing takes as much effort as a workout.
Where you celebrate making it through the day without needing a nap - not because you're lazy, but because emotional exhaustion has been running the show for far too long.
Where choosing a new shampoo feels like a win.
Where sitting outside for five minutes without guilt is an act of self-trust.
Where saying “no” to something you once said “yes” to on autopilot feels quietly revolutionary.
I had to rebuild slowly - brick by brick, breath by breath.
My body needed time to trust me again.
My mind needed space to soften, to stop defending, to settle.
And perhaps the hardest part -
I had to stop chasing who I used to be and start listening to who I was becoming.
The Transformation
Now, I can say this with complete honesty:
I am not the same person I was before burnout - and I don’t want to be.
Because the woman I am now is softer, wiser, more boundaried.
She no longer rushes to prove her worth.
She chooses peace over perfection.
And after years of living in fight-or-flight, her heart can finally rest.
But if I’m being completely honest - if I’d had coaching support early on, my path might have looked very different.
I might not have needed higher-tier interventions.
I may not have ended up on antidepressants.
I may not have suffered such prolonged physical symptoms - from blood pressure to jaw pain to chronic fatigue.
And I say that without regret.
I don’t regret what happened to me.
Because I truly believe it happened for me.
So that I could do the work I do now. So that I can help others - people like you - spot the warning signs, and take action before burnout becomes chronic.
Yes, I’ve described some painful outcomes here - but I don’t see them as negative. They were lessons. They were redirections.
And along the way, I’ve learned so much, grown more than I thought possible, and met some of the most beautiful, kind-hearted people - many of whom wouldn’t have crossed my path otherwise.
If you’re in the fog of burnout - or just starting to find your way out - please know this:
You are not weak. You are not broken.
You are responding, very humanly, to a system, a culture, and a set of expectations that were never built with your wellbeing in mind.
There is life after burnout. But it takes more than just surviving.
It takes reclaiming - your energy, your voice, your confidence, your sense of self.
And you don’t have to navigate that alone.
If any part of my story resonates and you’re wondering, “Could things look different for me too?” - I invite you to book a free clarity call.
It’s a safe space to explore what support might look like, no pressure, just possibility.
👉 Book your free clarity call here: https://bit.ly/43Q3Em1
I’d also love to hear from you if you have been through a burnout journey yourself:
What’s one thing you’ve had to unlearn in your recovery?
Or maybe you're still in it, and just need someone to say - you're not alone.
Let’s open the conversation.
Life after burnout isn’t talked about enough.
Let’s change that, together.
