Setting boundaries for teachers’ well-being

The line separating life and work is increasingly fuzzy. Mobile communication devices such as laptops and smartphones have changed our work practices and given many people more flexible work hours and workplace mobility. Many academics, however, work longer hours with greater intensity than they did in the past, according to a 2022 report from the UK’s University and College Union (UCU). Bringing work home and checking university emails outside work hours, for example, are contributing factors. Some find that this flexibility allows them to balance their work and personal lives to meet their needs best, but others feel stressed, exhausted and overwhelmed.

The demands of a teaching workload can leave educators vulnerable to burnout, which is an emotional reaction to prolonged pressure. Its symptoms include: depersonalisation, which can present as an alienated and pessimistic attitude towards one’s environment; emotional exhaustion, which is defined as a lack of mental resources as a result of emotional overload; and decreased personal accomplishment as a result of a lack of internal or external resources. Its personal and societal ramifications – including poor performance, decreased dedication to teaching, high turnover and physical illness – for university faculty have been noted in numerous studies.

• A calendar activity that can help in the battle against burnout
• Spotlight collection: what can be done to improve work-life balance?
• Use technology to boost productivity and beat burnout

Setting boundaries is one way to keep work and your life outside work in a healthy, sustainable balance. Here are ways to do that:

Identify where your boundaries need reinforcement

Teachers frequently struggle to strike a balance between their personal and professional obligations. Set limits and give self-care priority to address this. Assign planning, grading and professional development time, and set a reasonable task expectation. When feasible, learn to assign work to others and ask for assistance from administrators or coworkers. Make time for hobbies – unwinding and spending quality time with loved ones will also help maintain a healthy work-life balance. Remember that looking after your health will ultimately improve your teaching effectiveness.

Establish mutually beneficial interactions with people

Teachers, in particular, must establish clear boundaries between themselves and their students. The proper emotional line will enable them to strike a balance between professionalism and a beneficial degree of participation. This includes communicating and, if necessary, explaining limits and expectations to others. 

Prioritise self-care and allocate time for yourself to recharge and rejuvenate. Teachers who experience positive emotions such as joy, satisfaction and interest are better able to deal with stressful situations proactively and cultivate supportive interpersonal relationships, both of which can help them develop better coping mechanisms when faced with difficult situations. 

Setting boundaries does not mean taking an impersonal approach to teaching. An interactive approach to teaching has been correlated with a lower risk of burnout, according to a study by Päivi Virtanen and Anna Parpala of the University of Helsinki.

Keeping students’ interest and involvement is another challenge that educators frequently encounter. To address this, use a variety of teaching strategies, including interactive exercises, group projects, multimedia materials and real-world examples. To make the material more applicable and accessible, adjust the lessons to the interests and learning preferences of the students. Promote student autonomy and choice in their education, facilitate chances for conversation and pose thought-provoking questions to elicit active engagement. Teachers can boost student engagement – and reduce their own energy drain – by creating an engaging, relevant and participatory learning environment.

Protect yourself from unrealistic expectations

Social and professional pressure can lead to feelings of inadequacy or inefficacy as a teacher. When university teachers’ stress and anxiety increase, so too can their levels of depression and feelings of discouragement and fatigue. Well-established boundaries and support will help teachers to uphold their standards and values.

The temptation to accept too many requests in order to appease others can leave teachers depleted. If you feel you lack the experience, authority or professional confidence to set the boundaries you need, you can practise saying no. It can be challenging to be forceful if you are not used to it. Before agreeing to do anything you do not want, stop, take a deep breath and consider your feelings – and your capacity to accommodate the request.

Seek out support from a mentor or university services

University support services help faculty members maintain good mental health through counselling services, professional advice, mentoring programmes or training. If you need guidance to establish a healthy work-life balance, seek out what support your institution offers.

Boundaries are clearly defined guidelines or restrictions that individuals set to safeguard their safety and well-being. We identify and communicate the appropriate behaviours for others to exhibit around us to feel comfortable. They may also be a valuable tool for fostering an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable being themselves and fulfilling their needs, helping us feel safe in our surroundings and with others. Mastering useful techniques to establish and maintain professional boundaries can help university teachers improve their well-being.

Cheong Fan is a lecturer at the School of Liberal Arts at Macau University of Science and Technology.

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