Confronting Stress and Countering Burnout

According to a nationwide survey of 2,300 educators, 45% of early child educators are battling mental health challenges and burnout. Almost the same percentage, 43%, cite staffing shortages. Mental health challenges are also partly why 20% of early childhood educators are considering a career change. Of that group, 40% cited mental health, and 43% cited compensation.

Recognizing these challenges, Syretha O. Storey has offered ten "Strategies For Preventing Child Care Center Director Stress and Burnout," among them:

• Complete the stress cycle. "When we focus on dealing with the origins of our stress and never dealing with our body’s response to that stress, we can become stuck in a stress cycle…Taking the time to go for a short walk may seem like a waste of time, but it may be just what you need to complete the stress cycle."
  
  
• Erase the Stigma. "Create an organizational structure that makes conversations about stress, burnout and mental health a safe topic…Share and discuss strategies for dealing with stress with your staff."
  
  
• Engage with Your Professional Community. "The more we interact with each other, the more we come to realize that the struggles we have are not so unique but are common and easily solved with support."

Forming a reflective practice is another source of resilience and transformation. Serene Stevens, Jennifer Gilken, and Cecilia Scott-Croff note, "Reflection is the lynchpin of everything we do within the ECE space. It is the heart and soul of our community. As teachers, practitioners, coaches, directors, students, and mentors, our work is grounded in this practice each day. If done well by all, it transforms our respective communities."

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