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A recent study has identified high level of burnout in school counsellors owing to non-counselling duties, huge number of caseloads, working in schools that did not meet adequate yearly progress (AYP) status, dearth of supervision, greater emotion-oriented stress-coping scores, less of direct student services, and increased perceived stress. Consequentially, school counsellors experiencing feelings of burnout were alleviated when counsellors were provided supervision, possessed higher task-oriented stress-coping approaches, scored at higher levels of ego maturity, reported greater occupational support at their schools, had greater grit scores, and worked in schools that met AYP.
 

School counsellors with student counselling techniques are specifically facing dire situations for going through feelings of burnout for their numerous demands relating to their position, including paperwork, parent conferences, school-wide testing, large caseloads, and requests from administrators. Some other factors include role ambiguity and limited occupational support. The job environment of school counsellors, where “the demands of the work are high, but the resources to meet those demands are low”, increases vulnerability as to experiencing feelings of burnout.
 

The study also found that within a number of samples of school counsellors, 66% of middle school counsellors recorded moderate to high levels of emotional exhaustion. Furthermore, it was found that 20% of the school counsellors experienced feelings of burnout; 16% recorded moderate levels, and 4% scored severe burnout levels.
 

Therefore, with several school counsellors experiencing feelings of burnout may influence their ability to provide ethical and effective counselling services to their learner. So, what can be done to avoid such a situation?
 

Here are some tips to avoid School Counsellor Burnout:

• At the end of the day, don’t carry your work to your home
• Spend time with loved ones
• Speak to a professional
• Indulge in some physical activities
• Try to reduce your work load

Working as a licensed counsellor trained in school counsellor courses, is an extremely difficult job, which is the reason that many professionals use school counsellor resources to evade suffering from burnout. Burnout occurs when one reaches the point that you can no longer fully devote yourself to your job responsibilities or handle the hardships that you experience on the job. This can happen to any counsellor working in any type of school, but they can learn how to avoid such a situation.

• Don’t carry your work to your home

Counsellors are often attached to their learners and have a hard time forgetting about them at the end of the day. While it’s perfectly okay to develop attachment/s with your students, you need to take necessary steps so that you don’t carry your professional life to your home. When you do so, it’s hard to find time for yourself and even harder to focus on your life outside of your work area.

• Spend time with loved ones

When you are done with your time at the school for the day, make sure to keep time for your loved ones. You and your partner/spouse might have a date night or just simply spend time cooking together. If you aren’t married or in a relationship, turn to your friends. A night out with friends is a great way to focus your attention on other things and to take your mind off your work.

• Speak to a professional

As a counsellor, you have the access to school counsellor resources such as therapists and other counsellors working in places near you. School counsellors should be encouraged to seek help from a licensed professional like a therapist. Visiting a therapist aids you in working your way through the issues you face every day in school and allows you to get the much-needed help to overcome the negative emotions you are experiencing.

• Indulge in some physical activities

Physical activities, such as exercise, ranks high among the top ways to prevent burnout as it releases endorphins that betters your frame of mind. If you join a gym, try out a few machines and burn calories after a hard day at work. Also, try creating your own fitness plan at home with an exercise bike or elliptical machine. You can even try taking a long walk around your neighbourhood to clear your mind and release endorphins.

• Reduce your work load

Though it may sound impossible to get help from another counsellor, you can still look for ways to reduce your work load. It’s not possible for one counsellor to handle the needs of all the learners, but teachers and even the institutional head can be roped in to help.
 

As a school counsellor, your assistance with responsibilities like applying to college, dealing with bullying and harassment among learners and issues at home that affect their schoolwork go a long way. But, with regular exercise, talking to a professional and using other school counsellor resources can help you significantly reduce your risk of suffering from burnout later.