Addressing Teacher Burnout in Europe
At the Secondary Agricultural School Križevci, stress turned into a topic of conversation rather than a silent burden. On 20 March and 1 April 2025, the school hosted two workshops under the title Understanding and Managing Stress, organised within the Erasmus+ project From Burnout to Balance – Supporting Educators’ Well-Being.
The sessions focused on one of the project’s key objectives: helping teachers and students understand how stress works, how it affects the body and mind, and what simple tools can be used to prevent burnout and restore balance.
Recognising stress before it becomes burnout
The first session gathered around twenty teachers for an in-depth exploration of the definition, causes and symptoms of stress. Led by Zdravka Harmadi, Gorana Pavičić and Martina Čengić Filipčić, the training combined a scientific overview with self-reflection exercises.
Using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), participants evaluated their own stress levels and discussed everyday triggers — from classroom challenges to administrative overload. They also learned to identify early signs of burnout and the difference between short-term tension and chronic emotional fatigue.
The session highlighted that stress awareness is not a sign of weakness, but a skill every educator should master.
Breathing, visualisation and calm in practice
Once the theory was clear, the group moved into practice. Teachers learned breathing techniques (4–6 and 3–3) to regulate their nervous system and reduce anxiety. They tried a guided visualisation exercise using orange bracelets, the colour symbolising mental health, and closed the workshop with a short meditation inspired by materials from the project’s training in Spain.
The change in atmosphere was visible — calmer faces, slower breathing, a sense of relief that comes when people allow themselves to pause. Many teachers described the workshop as a rare moment to focus on their own well-being, something often missing in their daily routine.
Students take the lead on mental health
A few days later, the same team brought the experience to students. Seven class groups took part in short, interactive workshops designed to introduce mental health and stress management in schools.
Through simple breathing, visualisation and mindfulness exercises, students discovered how to recognise when they feel overwhelmed and how to bring their focus back through breath and movement. Their response was enthusiastic — they said the activities helped them feel more relaxed, concentrated and emotionally lighter.
Building resilience through awareness
These workshops form part of the project’s Coaching & Mentoring Support Groups activity, which aims to create spaces where teachers and learners can talk openly about mental health and support one another.
By integrating practical well-being techniques into daily school life, From Burnout to Balance is helping build a more resilient education community — one where both teachers and students can learn, teach and grow in balance.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
