Thursday, May 29, 2025
Summer Does Not Fix Teacher Burnout
Summer break gives teachers time—but not tools. Discover why it doesn’t heal burnout and what to do instead for a stronger, stress-free school year.
Think summer break will fix your burnout? Think again.
Most teachers crawl to the finish line of the school year believing that rest and time away will magically undo months of stress, exhaustion, and overwhelm. But while summer offers space to breathe, it doesn’t automatically heal the deeper emotional and mental toll of burnout. Without the right tools, many teachers find themselves feeling just as anxious and depleted when August rolls around.
Burnout isn’t just about being tired—it’s about being emotionally drained.
And unless we address the root causes—like unmanaged stress cycles, poor boundaries, and constant pressure—summer becomes a temporary escape instead of a true reset. In this post, we’re breaking down why summer alone isn’t enough, and what you can do during this break to actually start recovering and set yourself up for a stronger, calmer school year ahead.
Read on to Learn:
- Why time away from the classroom alone will not heal your teacher burnout.
- How to start the burnout healing process.
- What emotional and cognitive tools teachers need in order to thrive in the classroom!
Let’s be honest—by the time the school year ends, many teachers are running on fumes. We dream of summer as our great escape. And while a few weeks of sleeping in, beach days, and not hearing a single bell ring can offer temporary relief... it’s often not enough.
Because burnout isn’t just about being tired. It’s about emotional exhaustion that accumulates over time. It’s about a nervous system stuck in survival mode. And unfortunately, summer break—on its own—doesn’t fix that.
Here's What Really Happens:
You rest for a few weeks, thinking, “Okay, this will fix it.”
Then August hits... and the anxiety creeps back in.
As soon as you re-enter the classroom (or even a PD session), the same stress and dread resurface.
Sound familiar?
That’s because nothing inside you has shifted. The patterns of stress are still there. The boundaries are still blurry. The emotional weight of the past year hasn’t been processed.
The truth is: summer gives you space, but not the tools. And without those tools—emotional regulation, mindset work, nervous system resets, and real strategies for burnout recovery—you’re likely to find yourself stuck in the same cycle next year.
Teacher Burnout Doesn't Have to be the Norm
This summer can be different. You can use this time to create lasting change. And it doesn’t take hours of professional development or another education book on your nightstand.
It starts with simple, intentional steps. That’s why I created The Teacher’s Summer Reset—a free 7-day system to help you decompress, process your emotions, and build emotional strength and clarity for the year ahead.
This reset system will help you:
** Close stress cycles that have been left open all year
** Release emotional weight and regulate your nervous system
** Build better boundaries and mindset patterns
** Prepare your body and brain for the challenges ahead—with calm, clarity, and confidence
If you’re feeling burnt out, know this: you’re not broken, weak, or failing. You’re a human doing deeply meaningful—and deeply demanding—work. And you deserve the kind of support that lasts far beyond summer.
Don’t just survive this summer. Use it to rise to the Next Level.
👉 Click here to download your free Summer Reset system
Because when you rise, your classroom rises with you.
🎧 Listen to the full podcast episode here: Episode 60: Summer Won't Fix Your Teacher Burnout
🎓 Ready to build emotional resilience that lasts all year long? Check out my course: Calm in the Classroom. ✨ Learn more at about the brand-new Calm in the Classroom course HERE!
Learn THE Most Important
Teacher Skills HERE!
They didn't teach us this
in our Teacher Training!
Teacher, it's not YOU.
It's your BRAIN!
You’re staring at a mountain of ungraded papers, "that" parent just emailed again, and your lunch is still sitting untouched.
You wonder, “Why can’t I handle this better? What’s wrong with me?”
The truth?
Nothing.
Your brain is doing exactly what it’s wired to do—protect you by scanning for danger, anticipating problems, and staying on high alert. In other words, it’s trying to help... but it’s efforts often work against you becoming the calm, confident teacher you want to be.
That’s where I come in. I help teachers understand their brain’s survival patterns—and train them to work with those patterns instead of fighting them.
Want to learn how to reset your mental autopilot and feel better?
Let’s talk. Grab a FREE 30-minute coaching session and take the first step toward a calmer, more in-control classroom (and life).
Hi, I'm Brenna Nelson, a long-time educator turned Certified Life Coach.
I help teachers, just like you, learn how to process emotions, regulate their hyperactivated nervous systems, manage their brains, and create a life they love!
Ready to feel better in the classroom? Click for more help!
Subscribe to The Strength of Teachers Podcast and never miss an Episode!
FREE Weekly Teacher Wellbeing Practices Straight to Your Inbox!
Brenna Nelson
Long-time Educator turned Certified Life Coach
Welcome to The Strength of Teachers Blog! Here we share real-life skills and practical applications that you can implement in your teacher life today!
Teachers Did Not Learn this in College!
Come learn what our college professors failed to teach us in college:
How to manage the emotional toll of life in the classroom!
