5 ways principals can avoid burnout - The Educator

“The years 2020 and 2021 might be summed up as being chaotic and exhausting for school leaders. If workloads weren’t already big enough, the Covid pandemic supersized them. Fortunately, the rolling lockdowns, and the pivot to remote learning, are a thing of the past – yet principals’ workloads remain extremely high.

In March, The Australian Principal Occupational Health and Wellbeing Survey found that Australian principals are experiencing record levels of stress and burnout.

The study found that principals and their deputies worked on average at least 55 hours a week, while a quarter of those reported working more than 60 hours a week.

As anyone who has ever suffered it knows, burnout and its five stages can have a devastating impact on one’s physical and mental health, and experts say it is important to exercise some preventative measures so that it doesn’t creep up on us.

Below, peak performance coach Dr Adam Fraser, ACU education expert Dr Paul Kidson, and Berwick Lodge Primary School principal Henry Grossek share some tips for leaders to avoid burnout.”