“Self-preservation is about intentional actions that protect ourselves.” - Bianca McLeish
What if working harder isn’t the answer?
In this powerful conversation, educator and school leader Bianca McLeish shares her personal journey from burnout to self-preservation, drawing on insights from her book, 'Teacher Wellbeing Transformed: Break Free From Survival Mode Before Burnout'.
Together, Meg and Bianca explore the difference between self-care and self-preservation, why understanding our nervous system changes everything, and the subtle signs that dedication may be tipping into depletion. Bianca offers practical, school-day strategies to regulate stress, protect our energy and work within our limits.
This episode reframes wellbeing as essential because learning to work within our limits allows us to stay in this profession longer and without losing ourselves in the process.
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Chapter Markers:
00:00 Introduction
04:18 Bianca’s burnout story
12:02 Self-care vs self-preservation
19:45 Understanding the nervous system
28:10 Subtle signs of depletion
36:40 Practical strategies for the school day
47:25 Working within our limits
55:10 Final reflections
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Deliberate Actions:
List the three signs you're stretching beyond your capacity.
Give one small nervous system regulation strategy a go.
Say: "I would love to help, but I am at capacity" to the next request that exceeds your limits.
Schedule a two-minute self check-in this week.
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Episode 160 Shownotes - Click here.
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Bianca McLeish Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram
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** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! **
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Your Questions Answered:
What is self-preservation in teaching?
Self-preservation in teaching is the deliberate practice of protecting your energy, emotional wellbeing, and professional boundaries so you can sustain your effectiveness over the long term. In a profession where the workload is open-ended and the emotional demands are high, self-preservation means recognising that your capacity is finite, even when the needs around you are not. It involves making intentional decisions about how much you take on, how you manage stress, and when you create clear stopping points in your day.
In practical terms, self-preservation in education might look like setting realistic boundaries around after-hours communication, recognising early signs of teacher stress, regulating your nervous system during high-pressure moments, or saying no to additional responsibilities when your plate is full. It is not about disengaging from students or lowering professional standards. It is about working sustainably so you can continue to teach, lead, and care deeply without gradually eroding your own wellbeing.
What is the difference between self-care and self-preservation?
Self-care typically refers to restorative activities that help you recover from stress, such as exercise, sleep, time with family, hobbies, or relaxation practices. While self-care is important for teacher wellbeing and stress management, it often happens after depletion has already occurred. It is recovery-focused.
Self-preservation, on the other hand, is proactive and preventative. It involves ongoing choices that protect your wellbeing before burnout takes hold. In teaching, this includes workload management, boundary setting, emotional regulation, and understanding how your nervous system responds to chronic stress. Where self-care helps refill the cup, self-preservation helps prevent the cup from cracking in the first place. Both matter, but self-preservation is what makes sustainable teaching possible.
Why is teacher burnout so common?
Teacher burnout is common because educators work in environments where the job is never fully done. There is always more planning, more marking, more student support, and more administrative responsibility. Combined with increasing behavioural complexity, accountability pressures, and limited resources, this creates sustained emotional and cognitive load. Without clear boundaries or structural support, even highly committed teachers can become chronically overstretched.
Burnout in education is not a sign of weakness. It is often a predictable response to prolonged stress, excessive workload, and ongoing emotional labour. When self-sacrifice becomes the cultural norm in schools, teachers may ignore early warning signs such as fatigue, irritability, sleep disruption, or reduced enthusiasm. Over time, this can lead to exhaustion, cynicism, and reduced professional efficacy. Understanding burnout as a systemic and physiological issue, rather than a personal failure, is critical for meaningful prevention.
How can educators avoid burnout?
Preventing teacher burnout requires both individual and systemic strategies. At an individual level, educators can practise self-preservation by setting boundaries around workload, noticing early signs of stress, seeking collegial or professional support, and learning practical nervous system regulation techniques. Small, consistent adjustments to how you manage energy during the school day can significantly reduce long-term depletion.
At a broader level, schools play a critical role in burnout prevention by fostering cultures that value staff wellbeing, realistic expectations, and psychological safety. Sustainable teaching practices, open conversations about workload, and leadership that models healthy boundaries all contribute to long-term staff retention and resilience. Burnout prevention is not about doing less work, but about doing the work differently, in ways that protect teacher capacity and wellbeing.
Why is teacher wellbeing important for schools?
Teacher wellbeing directly influences classroom climate, student engagement, and learning outcomes. Research consistently shows that when educators experience high levels of stress or emotional exhaustion, their ability to regulate behaviour, respond calmly, and build strong student relationships is reduced. Regulated teachers are better able to co-regulate students, creating safer and more effective learning environments.
Beyond the classroom, teacher wellbeing impacts staff retention, collaboration, and whole-school culture. When educators feel supported and energised, they are more likely to remain in the profession, contribute positively to school improvement, and sustain high-quality teaching over time. Prioritising teacher wellbeing is not optional. It is a strategic investment in student success and the long-term health of school communities.
Ireland