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Opinion Piece on whose responsible for Teacher Burnout

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Opinion Piece on whose responsible for Teacher Burnout

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Penny's situation was a familiar one for educators.

The middle school math teacher worried she was burned out. Her district had instituted an intense new set of math curriculum standards without providing resources to cover those lessons. She was constantly sick from the mold in her classroom, but when she reported it to administrators, they only painted over the mold. Rather than run serious student-disciplinary issues up the chain, her principal sent students back to class as if nothing had happened.

And Penny was beleaguered by parents who made ridiculous requests, such as "My children like it when their teachers attend their sports events. Your attendance at all of the attached games would be appreciated" and "Did you get the homework out of Brentley's locker?"

Historically, teachers' rates of "job strain," stress from high demand/low control work, are higher than the average rate of all workers. A joint American Federation of Teachers and Badass Teachers Association survey revealed that almost two-thirds of educators find work "always" or "often" stressful.

The media often use the phrase "teacher burnout" to describe educators' stress, exhaustion, and overwork. But after interviewing hundreds of teachers nationwide for my book The Teachers: A Year Inside America's Most Vulnerable, Important Profession, I believe "teacher burnout" is a myth-and the term should be ditched.

Experts have identified several causes of teacher burnout, including inadequate workplace support and resources; unmanageable workload; high-stakes testing; time pressure; unsupported, disruptive students; and a wide variety of student needs without the resources to meet them. Penny, whom I followed for a year for the book, experienced all of these issues, as do many teachers.

Coverage of teacher stress and burnout often emphasizes the negative effects of teachers' stress on students. Pennsylvania State University researchers described a "burnout cascade" with "devastating effects on classroom relationships, management, and climate," in which burned-out teachers become emotionally exhausted, can't manage "troublesome student behaviors," and quit. Or, the researchers claimed, surprisingly specifically, that teachers cope "by maintaining a rigid classroom climate enforced by hostile and sometimes harsh measures [while] bitterly working at a suboptimal level of performance until retirement." Authors of a 2020 study concluded that, "as hypothesized," students viewed teachers reporting higher levels of burnout as "significantly less socially and emotionally competent."

As I read those examples of teacher burnout literature, I was dogged by an unsettled feeling: While researchers mostly seemed sympathetic to teachers, their conclusions sometimes portrayed educators in a way I found disconcerting. Then I read two relatively splashy studies that crystallized what bothered me. A Belgian study warned of " burnout contagion," in which teachers can "catch" burnout from colleagues. The researchers concluded that because teachers in close coworker relationships exhibited similar levels of burnout, their study "indeed demonstrated that burnout is-to some extent-contagious."

In another paper, University of British Columbia researchers said that teachers experiencing higher burnout levels had students with higher morning cortisol levels. They called this transference "stress contagion," claiming, "it is possible that spending most of the school day in interaction with a stressed and burned-out teacher is taxing for students and can affect their physiological stress profile." The resulting media headlines further sensationalized the issue. A Quartz website article, titled "Classroom Contagion: Stress in the classroom can be as contagious as the flu," discussed "stressed teachers propagating at-risk students by 'infecting' them with elevated cortisol."

But the authors of the stress contagion study didn't test the same students' cortisol levels with a control teacher who was not, as they put it, "stressed and burned out." The students may have stressed out the teachers, rather than the other way around. Or, more likely, school conditions were stressing out both teachers and students alike, and the teachers were being blamed.

The takeaways instead depicted teacher burnout as a contagion that brought down coworkers and students, with teachers as the disease vectors. Rather than address the root causes stressing out teachers in the first place-insufficient classroom resources, support staff and administrative support; lack of input into decisions; unpaid overtime; high-stakes testing; and lack of disciplinary and other policy enforcement, all of which make a teacher's job harder and a student's experience worse-the messages scapegoated educators who are put in the impossible position of being ordered to meet shifting and expanding expectations by districts that don't give them the tools necessary to do so. Burned-out teachers aren't "significantly less socially and emotionally competent." They're handicapped by lousy school systems, ignorant officials, or out-of-touch administrators.

The premise of teacher burnout is a convenient fiction that blames teachers for not being able to cope rather than faulting school systems that set both teachers and students up to fail. This line of thinking isn't meant to diminish educators' thoroughly justified feelings of helplessness, stress, sadness, anxiety, frustration, and exhaustion. But let's shift blame to where blame is due. Instead of presenting the problem as teachers having high or even the highest burnout levels of all U.S. industries, as a 2022 Gallup poll found, we should reframe the issue: School systems are the employers worst at providing necessary supports and resources for employees.

Bowdoin College education professor Doris Santoro also determined that "teacher burnout" is an inaccurate diagnosis that causes school leaders to tell teachers to learn how to relax. "It is the term most commonly used to refer to teachers who appear unhappy in their jobs, say they've considered quitting, or seem resistant to adopt the latest reform initiative," Santoro wrote in the Phi Delta Kappan. She prefers the term "teacher demoralization."

Telling teachers to relax doesn't cut it. A meta-analysis of 20 years of studies of the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing teacher burnout, including strategies such as therapy, mindfulness and relaxation, concluded that "intervention effectiveness is generally small."

Instead of asking teachers to do the impossible and calling them "burned out" when they can't, school leaders should fix the underlying causes-school climate, staffing numbers, and resources-not just to prevent employee demoralization, but because that's how a proper workplace should operate.

"Looking back, I wasn't burned out," Penny told me last month. "Our school was just a mess."

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Teachers Aren't Burnt Out. They Are Being Set Up to Fail (Opinion)

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Instead of scapegoating teachers, let's look at the real causes of workplace stress and demoralization, writes best-selling author and teacher Alexandra Robbins.

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American teachers have markedly less time to prepare lessons, collaborate with colleagues, and assess student work than educators in other countries. Instead of a balance between time spent with students and preparatory activities, American educators have relatively limited time to engage in work key to successful teaching. Teaching loads can require educators to spend 39 percent more time with students than teachers spend outside of the United States, according to the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS). This lopsided distribution of time places extraordinary pressure on American teachers. Insufficient time to complete tasks integral to successful teaching and a host of other stressful conditions often lead to exhaustion. Today, 50 percent of teachers consider quitting, naming stress as one of the primary reasons. To address this crisis, leaders in education must find strategies to combat teacher burnout and build supportive teaching environments.

What Is Teacher Burnout?

Teachers confront significant challenges. They must adapt curricula to a wide range of learning styles, manage shifting education policies, attend to students with special needs, and juggle administrative work. In addition, many of our greatest social ills show up in their classrooms. So, what happens when teachers who already contend with so much also experience unsupportive work environments?

Many experience teacher burnout, hitting their limit in dealing with their work's daily challenges. It occurs after prolonged exposure to poorly managed emotional and interpersonal job stress.

Consequences of Teacher Burnout

Over time, teacher burnout can lead to a variety of responses. The World Health Organization describes burnout as an occupational phenomenon characterized by three main attributes:

Exhaustion. When teachers experience burnout, they can feel depleted of energy and too exhausted to continue with their work.

Cynicism. Teachers who have reached a state of burnout can begin to feel mentally detached from their jobs. Their feelings about the profession can turn negative and cynical.

Inefficacy. Teacher burnout also leads to feelings of incompetence or ineffectiveness.

Causes of Teacher Burnout

Teachers confront disheartening experiences that can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and depression. Left unmanaged, these symptoms can result in teacher burnout. Some of the causes of teacher burnout include:

Poor Funding

Many districts and schools lack sufficient funding for updated materials, technology, and staff. This places a huge burden on teachers, who must make do with insufficient books and supplies while managing high teacher-to-student ratios. Over time, this burden can leave teachers feeling hopeless and ill-equipped to address achievement gaps and meet students' needs.

Education leaders must advocate for better school funding and, in the meantime, find ways to cut waste and manage their budgets so schools are as well-stocked and staffed as possible.

High Emotional Demands

In addition to educating students, teachers must care for students' emotional needs, which can be emotionally demanding. Teachers often feel the very future of a generation rests on their shoulders. If a work environment lacks the support needed to fulfill this responsibility, teachers can understandably feel overwhelmed.

Additionally, teachers frequently find themselves supporting students who have experienced trauma. For example, teachers are likely to be among the first to notice signs of child abuse in a student. As mandated reporters, the law requires teachers to inform authorities.

Such experiences and others in which teachers have no control over the tragic events in their students' home lives can prove harrowing. Ultimately, teachers can experience secondary trauma when they help students going through difficult times.

Education leaders need to provide teachers with the tools to endure the weight of the emotional demands of their role. For example, they can offer training sessions that give formal instruction on developing emotional skills such as:

Accurate emotional recognition

Understanding of the causes and consequences of one's emotions

Comfortable expression of emotions

Effective regulation of emotions

Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence research has shown that teachers with developed emotional skills experience less burnout.

Inadequate Preparation

All too often, schools put teachers in situations they are adequately prepared to handle. For example, administrators may require educators to teach outside of their subject area, or they may assign students with learning and behavioral challenges to teachers who lack the necessary training to meet their needs. Such scenarios not only prevent students from learning but also prevent teachers from feeling accomplished, which can cause burnout.

Education leaders must ensure teachers get meaningful professional development that prepares them to deal with behavior issues, new education policies, educational technology, and other obstacles. Additionally, administrators must mindfully assign responsibilities that align with a teacher's preparation and experience.

Challenging Teaching Situations

Educators face increasingly difficult teaching situations that can lead to burnout. These challenges range from policies that tie teacher evaluations to standardized exams that don't accurately reflect student learning to transitions to distance learning during the pandemic.

For example, with virtual learning, many teachers are bombarded with parent emails while also trying to direct students who can't navigate online learning platforms. As a result, teachers often feel obligated to work all hours of the day and night, struggling to find a healthy work-life balance. Additionally, challenging student behavior has become more severe and frequent, leaving teachers to manage difficult situations.

Education leaders need to consider how policies regarding teacher evaluations and standardized exams affect teachers and also mindfully advocate for programs that boost teacher morale. They can support teachers by setting boundaries on their behalf, such as by communicating clearly to parents what teacher work hours are and putting limits on teachers' obligations.

Finally, leaders can continue to deliver specific training that prepares teachers to respond to individual challenges as they arise.

Teacher Burnout Statistics

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that more than 270,000 teachers have left the profession each year since 2016 and projects this rate of departure to continue through 2026.

While the BLS attributes some of the departures to retirement, it classifies more than half of them-in every category of teacher, from kindergarten to special education-as "occupational transfers." That percentage equates to hundreds of thousands of teachers leaving their careers in education for work in another field each year. One must wonder why, considering all the preparation required to become a teacher in the first place.

With 90 percent of the demand for teachers coming from teachers exiting the profession for reasons unrelated to retirement, leaders must look more closely at teacher burnout and how to keep teachers in the classroom.

Teacher Burnout's Disproportionate Impact on High-Poverty Schools

The National Center for Education Statistics projects school enrollment will grow 2 percent by 2028. The combination of growing student populations and significant numbers of departing teachers has set off alarm bells for education leaders, who are now searching for ways to curb the attrition. Even more distressing, this attrition disproportionately affects disadvantaged or marginalized students.

Research has consistently shown that the highest teacher attrition rates occur in high-poverty schools and schools made up largely of students of color. For example, as of 2016, Title I schools (schools where at least 35 percent of students are low-income) had turnover rates 50 percent higher than non-Title I schools. The churn and instability that teacher burnout causes intensifies the challenges marginalized students experience and can contribute to a widening achievement gap.

Signs of Teacher Burnout

Teachers often don't recognize they're on the road to burning out before they hit a threshold of no return. However, early identification of the following symptoms, which teachers may experience to varying degrees, can help education leaders implement intervention strategies at a point when they will be most effective.

Constant Fatigue

Excessive workloads and emotional strain can lead to fatigue. However, in a manageable situation, this fatigue should ebb and flow. Three-day weekends and seasonal vacations can go a long way in renewing energy. Unfortunately, for overburdened teachers, fatigue can remain a constant. It can interrupt sleep, cause irritability, and even affect eating habits.

Self-Doubt

Teachers may wonder about the effectiveness of a lesson or self-critique their work. This is part of the growing process and key to development. However, teachers heading for burnout may begin to question whether they are cut out for teaching altogether. They may not only doubt the strength of an individual lesson or unit but also wonder if anything they do has value.

Withdrawal

When teachers feel overwhelmed by their work, they may withdraw in several ways. For example, they may pass on social gatherings with colleagues or stop joining other teachers for lunch. They may also take mental health days more often. They may participate less in faculty and department meetings and cut back on attending optional school events after hours, such as athletic competitions and school plays.

Burnout can lead teachers to stop collaborating with their peers. Burned-out teachers often feel little inspiration to share lessons, visit their peers' classrooms, or engage in email correspondence. When they do communicate with their peers, the purpose is usually to complain about students, parents, school policies, and administration. They often struggle to see anything positive about their surroundings.

A Loss of Inspiration

Most teachers start their careers full of inspiration. Driven to make a difference, they believe in their ability to effect change and feel motivated to dive in. Teacher burnout quashes this inspiration and drive. Rather than feeling excited to meet new students at the beginning of the year, burned-out teachers feel dread about the things that might go wrong. Instead of feeling confident in their ability to make a difference in students' lives, they may feel like they are fighting a hopeless battle.

How to Prevent Teacher Burnout

Solving teacher burnout cannot be reduced to calls for teacher resilience or encouraging self-care. Such responses seem to suggest teachers experiencing burnout lack the grit to persevere. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth for the vast majority of teachers.

Stripping teachers of their autonomy, as well as imposing standardization and high-stakes exams, can eat away at the rewards and gratification of teaching. Education leaders must examine such trends and find ways to fortify the rewards of teaching if they hope to prevent teacher burnout.

Instead of looking at teacher burnout as an individual problem, leaders in education must shift their focus to assess the problem as a systemic, institutional, or policy-based issue.

Though teachers from high-poverty schools disproportionately make up burned-out teachers, educators from high-performing schools can also feel demoralized. They report serious frustration and confusion dealing with administrative work that often gobbles up unreasonable amounts of time that could be better spent.

For example, many teachers find themselves forced to use proprietary software bought by a district when creating lesson plans or keeping records. While sometimes helpful, such district decisions often prove burdensome, creating excessive data entry tasks and diverting teachers' attention away from more meaningful and pressing work. Such a frustration, piled on top of others, can contribute to teachers' sense of defeat.

Increase Teacher Autonomy

Giving teachers more autonomy can improve job satisfaction and retention. The United Kingdom's National Foundation for Educational Research recently identified strong links between teacher autonomy and retention. Its findings suggest that involving teachers in activities that honor their independence and bolster their sense of feeling respected can significantly affect their morale and motivate them to stay.

For example, rather than imposing goals on teachers, school leaders can involve teachers in goal setting. Additionally, education leaders can consider how to give teachers more control over the curricula they select and the content they teach.

Engage Teachers in the Right Conversations

While policy shifts can improve the climate teachers work in, schools can make important moves to address and prevent teacher burnout. Author of Demoralized: Why Teachers Leave the Profession They Love and How They Can Stay, Doris Santoro explains the value of certain types of conversations between school leaders and teachers. Santoro recommends school leaders initiate conversations about good work, including:

What good work looks like

Obstacles to achieving good work

What's needed for good work

Immediate shifts to removing obstacles to good work

Santoro recommends school leaders get past simply following policy. Rather, she encourages district and school administrators to respond with flexibility and commit to deep engagement with teachers about the issues preventing them from achieving their teaching goals and feeling rewarded.

Build Teachers' Coping Skills

Education leaders can help teachers manage their stress. With the right support and guidance, teachers can avoid the hopelessness and emotional drain that often leads to teacher burnout.

School leaders can guide teachers to modify their responses to the challenges they confront. Often, teachers enter the field full of anticipation and hope. When confronted by some of the harsh realities of teaching, they can easily fall into despair. However, with the right coping mechanisms, teachers can adjust the responses that fuel negative feelings.

Workshops, counseling, and training sessions can direct teachers to adopt strategies that allow them to reframe issues and compartmentalize difficulties. This approach can make a big difference in avoiding teacher burnout.

Address Symptoms of Teacher Burnout

Teacher burnout does not appear overnight. This means education leaders can institute programs that address the symptoms that lead to it and hopefully prevent teachers from reaching a breaking point.

First, teachers need to trust that school administration will take steps to address their symptoms. However, if teachers see no evidence that they can expect help-or even worse, if they suspect reporting their symptoms will result in less autonomy or diminished faith in their abilities-they will have no reason to share their struggles.

Ways to successfully address symptoms that lead to burnout include:

Implementing Responsive Policies to Teacher Burnout

Schools can offer clear policies and procedures about reporting teacher burnout. They should also provide information about the care available to teachers who are struggling with it.

Keeping Open Lines of Communication

Teachers experiencing symptoms that lead to burnout should receive attention from administrators or people in a position to take direct action in response.

Giving Teachers Choices About Teacher Burnout Care

Teachers know their circumstances best. School leaders should give them choices with regard to the care they receive.

Staying Vigilant

School leaders should be on the lookout for symptoms that lead to burnout among their faculty. This awareness can allow them to intervene while there is still time to make a difference.

The Effect of teacher Burnout on Students

When teachers lose their sense of purpose, feel burdened by fatigue, and withdraw from their work, students will likely feel the effect. Not surprisingly, research indicates teacher burnout negatively impacts students.

First, teacher burnout and attrition go hand in hand. According to the National Education Association, the loss of a teacher during the school year is like losing up to 72 instructional days-almost half the school year. This experience causes students to fall behind and significantly disrupts learning.

Several studies have found that teacher turnover does not solely impact the individual students who lose their teachers. Research has repeatedly shown that high turnover affects the achievement of all students in a school.

Even when teachers experiencing burnout stay on, students pay a price. Teachers overwhelmed by stress use less effective teacher strategies. This affects the clarity of their instruction and classroom management. It also results in less stimulating classroom environments.

A study in the Journal of Educational Psychology found that teachers experiencing burnout at the beginning of the school year had notably worse classroom management by the spring than other teachers. Their classrooms also suffered from significant student disruptions.

A study from the University of British Columbia also found that the students of teachers reporting burnout had elevated levels of stress hormones, suggesting that teachers inadvertently pass their stress on to students.

Learn How to Become an Education Leader and Tackle Teacher Burnout

Addressing teacher burnout means more than responding to it after the fact. Education leaders must prioritize eliminating the causes of teacher burnout and implement solutions that help teachers cope with stress and build supportive work environments that boost morale.

Explore how American University's Online Master of Education in Education Policy and Leadership and Online Doctor of Education in Education Policy and Leadership programs equip educators with the skills needed to tackle teacher burnout.

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Addressing Teacher Burnout: Causes, Symptoms, and Strategies | American University

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American teachers have markedly less time to prepare lessons, collaborate with colleagues, and assess student work than educators in other countries. Instead of a balance between time spent with students and preparatory activities, American educators have relatively limited time to engage in work key to successful teaching.

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-burned-out-are-you-scale-teachers/

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A four-stage framework can help teachers understand the burnout process-and what they can do to protect their well-being and career.

Brian Stauffer / The iSpot

For decades, researchers have sought out ways to measure burnout. While some methods have gained popularity in research (most notably the Maslach Burnout Inventory), all burnout measures face criticism. Many argue that burnout cannot be easily diagnosed, let alone understood, making any method of measurement questionable at best. Unfortunately, the lack of clarity makes it more difficult for burned-out workers to find solutions.

The Leichtman Burnout Scale (adapted from my dissertation research) seeks to provide a clear understanding of the burnout process specifically for educators. While my dissertation research focused on new teachers, the research in the field of burnout is consistent for veteran teachers in relation to the four categories below.

While each individual case of burnout has different causes, variance in symptoms, and varying thresholds, there are noticeable trends. These trends can help teachers see how burned out they are and what they should do immediately to overcome that stage of burnout. This scale has identified four levels.

Level 1: Passionate but Overwhelmed

Low feelings of self-efficacy (I'm not good enough)

Negative coping strategies (addictions, unhealthy habits)

Limited pursuit of passions or hobbies outside of work

Passion can lead to burnout. It's very difficult to burn out of something you don't care about deeply. A passion for teaching leads to commitment, which encourages you to work harder and take on more tasks. This tipping of the scale begins the cycle of burnout. The following are some indicators:

Level 2: Overwhelmed and Becoming Cynical

While the first level is infused with passion and a variety of positive feelings, level two of burnout may be the first time you actually feel exhaustion. At this point, you begin to take on an unmanageable load of work and pour your heart into your students. Instead of seeing the hoped-for results (higher pay, easier course loads, less paperwork, positive results on evaluations and student exams, etc.), you notice more work and responsibilities being sent your way. This is the point where you may begin to feel cynical toward the profession.

High levels of stress

Quick to become irritated (at work and home)

Bringing work home and not completing it

Feeling like there is never time for friends or family

Guilt from not doing enough for students

The indicators are as follows:

If level two describes you, a strong mentor can help you manage your responsibilities and reduce your feelings of stress and cynicism. Understanding the roles of mentor and mentee and how to find a good mentor is invaluable.

Level 3: Cynical and Approaching Exhaustion

Continuing from level two, the third level of burnout reaches you at your most cynical point. You may feel like it is impossible to be a good teacher. This stage may have you feeling like everybody and everything is at fault for the state of education. You continue to take on too many tasks and overextend yourself at school, but without the feeling that it will make a difference. The cynicism and exhaustion of this step may follow you home, impacting relationships and time spent outside of work.

Isolation (in and out of work)

Feelings of paranoia (every school policy, program, etc., is out to get you and make your teaching day harder)

A constant feeling that school goals and your goals will not be met

A refusal to engage in professional development

Indicators may look like these:

Once you have reached this stage, two strategies can create a positive, meaningful impact. Role reduction and mental health support from outside of the workplace are both effective ways to mitigate the damage of the third level of burnout.

Level 4: Complete Exhaustion and Breakdown

My sincere hope and wish is that no reader of this article identities with level four. Once you have reached this point, there are two options: quit or recommit. Burnout has spread throughout your life, challenging your personal wellness and your professional goals. Level four is pure survival mode, leading teachers to decide to leave the classroom (or transfer to another school) or to dig deep and restore their initial passion for teaching.

Feelings of exhaustion every day (including holidays and summer)

Drastic increase in sick days/mental health days

Lack of optimism for career and personal life

Unusually frequent physical symptoms (colds/flus, stress-related illnesses, hospitalizations)

The following are signs of level four:

All hope is not lost at level four, but it's vital to take action before your health deteriorates further. At this stage, prioritizing and purpose seeking are two incredibly useful strategies.

It's never too early to work against burnout. Wherever you fit on this scale, try applying these strategies to protect your wellness and your career.

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How Burned Out Are You? A Scale For Teachers

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A four-stage framework can help teachers understand the burnout process-and what they can do to protect their well-being and career.

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https://notwaitingforsuperman.org/teacher-burnout-assessment/

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Job burnout: How to spot it and take action

Feeling burned out at work? Find out what you can do when your job affects your health.
By Mayo Clinic Staff
Job burnout is a special type of work-related stress - a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.

"Burnout" isn't a medical diagnosis. Some experts think that other conditions, such as depression, are behind burnout. Researchers point out that individual factors, such as personality traits and family life, influence who experiences job burnout.

Whatever the cause, job burnout can affect your physical and mental health. Consider how to know if you've got job burnout and what you can do about it.

Job burnout symptoms

Ask yourself:

Have you become cynical or critical at work?

Do you drag yourself to work and have trouble getting started?

Have you become irritable or impatient with co-workers, customers or clients?

Do you lack the energy to be consistently productive?

Do you find it hard to concentrate?

Do you lack satisfaction from your achievements?

Do you feel disillusioned about your job?

Are you using food, drugs or alcohol to feel better or to simply not feel?

Have your sleep habits changed?

Are you troubled by unexplained headaches, stomach or bowel problems, or other physical complaints?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you might be experiencing job burnout. Consider talking to a doctor or a mental health provider because these symptoms can also be related to health conditions, such as depression.

Possible causes of job burnout

Job burnout can result from various factors, including:

Lack of control. An inability to influence decisions that affect your job - such as your schedule, assignments or workload - could lead to job burnout. So could a lack of the resources you need to do your work.

Unclear job expectations. If you're unclear about the degree of authority you have or what your supervisor or others expect from you, you're not likely to feel comfortable at work.

Dysfunctional workplace dynamics. Perhaps you work with an office bully, or you feel undermined by colleagues or your boss micromanages your work. This can contribute to job stress.

Extremes of activity. When a job is monotonous or chaotic, you need constant energy to remain focused - which can lead to fatigue and job burnout.

Lack of social support. If you feel isolated at work and in your personal life, you might feel more stressed.

Work-life imbalance. If your work takes up so much of your time and effort that you don't have the energy to spend time with your family and friends, you might burn out quickly.

Job burnout risk factors

The following factors may contribute to job burnout:

You have a heavy workload and work long hours

You struggle with work-life balance

You work in a helping profession, such as health care

You feel you have little or no control over your work

Consequences of job burnout

Ignored or unaddressed job burnout can have significant consequences, including:

Excessive stress

Fatigue

Insomnia

Sadness, anger or irritability

Alcohol or substance misuse

Heart disease

High blood pressure

Type 2 diabetes

Vulnerability to illnesses

Handling job burnout

Try to take action. To get started:

Evaluate your options. Discuss specific concerns with your supervisor. Maybe you can work together to change expectations or reach compromises or solutions. Try to set goals for what must get done and what can wait.

Seek support. Whether you reach out to co-workers, friends or loved ones, support and collaboration might help you cope. If you have access to an employee assistance program, take advantage of relevant services.

Try a relaxing activity. Explore programs that can help with stress such as yoga, meditation or tai chi.

Get some exercise. Regular physical activity can help you to better deal with stress. It can also take your mind off work.

Get some sleep. Sleep restores well-being and helps protect your health.

Mindfulness. Mindfulness is the act of focusing on your breath flow and being intensely aware of what you're sensing and feeling at every moment, without interpretation or judgment. In a job setting, this practice involves facing situations with openness and patience, and without judgment.

Keep an open mind as you consider the options. Try not to let a demanding or unrewarding job undermine your health.

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Show references

1. Depression: What is burnout? Informed Health Online. https://www.informedhealth.org/what-is-burnout.html. Accessed May 13, 2021.

2. West CP, et al. Interventions to prevent and reduce physician burnout: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet. 2016; doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31279-X.

3. Bianchi R, et al. Is it time to consider the "burnout syndrome" a distinct illness? Frontiers in Public Health. 2015; doi:10.3389/fpubh.2015.00158.

4. Bianchi R, et al. Burnout and depression: Causal attributions and construct overlap. Journal of Health Psychology. 2018; doi:10.1177/1359105317740415.

5. 5 things you should know about stress. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/stress/. Accessed May 13, 2021.

6. Kryger MH, et al., eds. Sleep, occupational stress, and burnout. In: Principles and Practice of Sleep Medicine. 6th ed. Elsevier Saunders; 2017. https://www.clincalkey.com. Accessed May 13, 2021.

7. Bystritsky A. Complementary and alternative treatments for anxiety symptoms and disorders: Physical, cognitive, and spiritual interventions. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/search. Accessed May 13, 2021.

8. Gilmartin H, et al. Brief mindfulness practices for healthcare providers: A systematic literature review. American Journal of Medicine. 2017; doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2017.05.041.

9. Swenson S, Shanafelt T. Mayo Clinic Strategies to Reduce Burnout: 12 Actions to Create the Ideal Workplace. Oxford University Press; 2020.

10. Bianchi R, et al. Is burnout primarily linked to work-situated factors? A relative weight analytic study. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021; doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2020.623912.

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Job burnout can affect your physical and mental health. Understand the signs and know when to take action.

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Systemic Issues with Burnout- Leaders take note

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Journal Article on Teacher Burnout and SEL

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Journal Article on Teacher Burnout and SEL

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https://www.managementcenter.org/resources/using-sphere-control-build-resilience/

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Burnout, frustration, and overwhelm are rampant realities in social justice and educational equity organizations, sectors, and movements at large. If you're like a lot of managers and staff we know, you might feel like you're often tasked with making the impossible possible, trying to do the most with the least. With the responsibilities we shoulder in increasingly complex environments, it's hard not to feel overwhelmed, stuck, helpless, or just plain annoyed sometimes.

Sphere of control is a concept that helps people focus their precious time and energy on the things they can control so that they can make a greater impact where it matters most. While in most spaces it's regarded as a tool for productivity, we see it as a tool for resilience. It's not just about getting things done; it's about recognizing your power. Generally speaking, this matters because seeing where we have choices and agency is key to our sense of well-being. For managers specifically, creating space for others to exercise their voice, choice, and agency is part of a trauma-informed approach.

We think that anyone can apply the concept of sphere of control (at work and beyond), but we've found that it's particularly helpful for people with marginalized identities or who have less positional power in their organizations.

How to use it

Below are four steps for using sphere of control to get unstuck, accompanied by examples. Take 3-4 minutes to think through the following:

1. Name the situation.

What's the situation that's causing your feelings of overwhelm, frustration, helplessness, stuckness, or anger?

2. Identify what's outside your sphere of control.

Think about what you have no direct control over. This might include things in your political, social, organizational, or personal context, immovable project constraints (such as deadlines or budgets), and other people's attitudes, behaviors, or feelings.

3. Identify what's inside your sphere of control.

Think about what you can directly control. This can include your mindset or approach, proposals, and actions you can take. The things inside your sphere of control can range from the immediate and relatively small task, like "talk to my manager about the situation" to a bigger or more dramatic change, like "find another job." Consider your full range of options.

4. Do one thing within your control.

For many people, simply naming what's in their control is enough to feel a sense of power and agency and get out of the rut of helplessness. However, we recommend that you go one step further and take action on one thing you have control over.

What mindsets, approaches, or values can you apply?

What actions can you take?

What can you do to prevent or prepare for the situation if it happens again?

How might you react if/when the situation arises?

What proposals can you make?

Sphere of control in action

Here's an example of how you might think through your sphere of control:

1. The situation

I'm a middle manager and I've been advocating to get key staff vacancies filled for months. My team doesn't understand what's taking so long, and I share their frustration. We're getting close to (hard-won) approval on a recruitment. Problem is, I know HR is totally backlogged and our salaries aren't competitive. I worry this may take awhile even once we have the green light.

2. Outside the sphere

Quick fixes to structural problems with HR capacity and salary policies

COVID-19 leading to high turnover and fewer applications

How long it will take to get approval and the length of the hiring process

What's happened in the past that led to these vacancies

3. Inside the sphere

Talk to my manager about the impact on team morale and capacity

Work with team to adjust goals and reprioritize

Finding creative ways to boost capacity, like advocating to hire a contractor or temp

Start talent scouting so we can move quickly when hiring is approved

Find another job if nothing changes in the next six months

4. One thing I can do

I will talk to my manager about the impact on team morale and capacity; in the meantime, I will also work with my team to adjust their goals and reprioritize.

Things to keep in mind

Your sphere of control isn't static.

While there are some things you may never have direct control over, you may find that it expands or contracts depending on your context, relationships, roles, and personal capacity. Consider how you might grow your sphere of control. What relationships or skills could you build? How might you shape your trajectory (within your organization or beyond)? Managers, consider how your actions might impact your staff's sphere of control. What might you do to contribute to your staff feeling like they have choices and agency?

Sphere of control is not a cure-all.

Sphere of control is helpful for thinking through issues and figuring out where you have agency. For larger and more complex problems, it might help you mitigate some of the impacts, but your actions alone likely won't solve the problem altogether. While this may feel like a downer, it's important to let go of the things that are outside of your control so that you can focus on where you can have the greatest impact.

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Using Sphere of Control to Build Resilience - The Management Center

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Sphere of control is a concept that helps people focus their precious time and energy on the things they can control so that they can make a greater impact where it matters most.

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22 Anti-Bias Education Journal Prompts on Identity for 2022 - AmazeWorks

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Transitioning into a new year, we often engage in self reflection and strive for personal growth as we set resolutions. AMAZEworks hopes to help cultivate this reflection through this list of 22 journal prompts to guide you through reflections on identity for 2022. We encourage you to engage in these questions on your own and [...]

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Your journal creates an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and explore difficult emotions.

Many people keep a journal in their teenage years, either by choice or due to a school assignment. Perhaps it's been years since you've considered putting pen to paper and expressing your thoughts and dreams. But journaling can have benefits for anyone at any stage of life.

For centuries, people around the world have turned to journals as trusted friends.

Reflecting on daily experiences, relationships, and personal values can help you get in better touch with your thoughts and feelings. It can lead to greater peace of mind.

"I can shake off everything if I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn," wrote Anne Frank, who kept a now-famous account of her daily life and dreams for the future while in hiding during the Holocaust.

A journal also offers a safe space to express difficult emotions, making it easier to work through distressing thoughts that you might struggle to share out loud.

Are you interested in giving journaling a try? Do you feel a bit stuck when it comes to getting started? Try the 64 prompts below to kick-start your creativity and write your way toward well-being.

We've organized these prompts into categories that focus on relationships, emotions, how you feel about work, and more.

Love and relationships

Having strong, supportive relationships can help improve overall well-being, protect against mental health concerns like depression, and boost resilience, which refers to your ability to weather life's many challenges.

Writing about relationships with loved ones provides the opportunity to:

explore the ways these bonds strengthen you

express your gratitude for loved ones

recognize when relationships no longer serve you

explore what you want out of future relationships

Consider giving these prompts a try:

1. Who do you trust most? Why?

2. What are your strengths in relationships (kindness, empathy, etc.)?

3. How do you draw strength from loved ones?

4. What do you value most in relationships (trust, respect, sense of humor, etc.)?

5. What three important things have you learned from previous relationships?

6. What five traits do you value most in potential partners?

7. How do you show compassion to others? How can you extend that same compassion to yourself?

8. What are three things working well in your current relationship? What are three things that could be better?

9. What boundaries could you set in your relationships to safeguard your own well-being?

10. What do you most want your children (or future children) to learn from you?

11. How can you better support and appreciate your loved ones?

12. What does love mean to you? How do you recognize it in a relationship?

13. List three things you'd like to tell a friend, family member, or partner.

Work and career

If you work full-time, you spend the majority of your waking hours on the job. That makes your career a pretty significant part of your life.

Having a fulfilling job can promote a sense of purpose and satisfaction with life. On the other hand, having a job that demands too much of you or fails to utilize your unique talents can wear you down and lead to burnout.

Taking some time to explore your current career can help highlight what you enjoy about your job and when it might be time to pursue a change.

Here are some prompts to consider:

1. How do you use your personal strengths and abilities at work?

2. How do your co-workers and supervisors recognize your strengths?

3. How does work fulfill you? Does it leave you wanting more?

4. What part of your workday do you most enjoy?

5. What about your work feels real, necessary, or important to you?

6. Do you see yourself in the same job in 10 years?

7. What are your career ambitions?

8. What three things can help you begin working to accomplish those goals?

9. What can you do to improve your work performance?

10. What does your work teach you? Does it offer continued opportunities for learning and growth?

11. Does your work drain or overwhelm you? Why? Is this something you can change?

Self-reflection

Exploring your values, opinions, and personality traits in writing can teach you more about who you are as a person.

This in-depth reflection can strengthen not just the relationship you have with yourself, but also the connections you build with others.

Some ideas to explore include:

1. What values do you consider most important in life (honesty, justice, altruism, loyalty, etc.)? How do your actions align with those values?

2. What three changes can you make to live according to your personal values?

3. Describe yourself using the first 10 words that come to mind. Then, list 10 words that you'd like to use to describe yourself. List a few ways to transform those descriptions into reality.

4. What do you appreciate most about your personality? What aspects do you find harder to accept?

5. Explore an opinion or two that you held in the past but have since questioned or changed. What led you to change that opinion?

6. List three personal beliefs that you're willing to reconsider or further explore.

7. Finish this sentence: "My life would be incomplete without ..."

8. Describe one or two significant life events that helped shape you into who you are today.

9. When do you trust yourself most? When do you find it harder to have faith in your instincts?

10. What three things would you most like others (loved ones, potential friends and partners, professional acquaintances, etc.) to know about you?

Uncomfortable emotions

Journaling can help you express and begin to navigate difficult and painful emotions. That's part of what makes it such a valuable exercise.

Burying unwanted emotions and thoughts can seem helpful at first. Pushing those feelings away means you avoid the pain and discomfort they cause, right?

Not always. In reality, avoiding emotional distress can intensify it. That pain lies dormant below the surface of your everyday thoughts until you can't keep it back any longer. When it finally comes bubbling up, it may feel more overwhelming than it did originally.

These prompts can help you explore and process challenging emotions productively:

1. What difficult thoughts or emotions come up most frequently for you?

2. Which emotions do you find hardest to accept (guilt, anger, disappointment, etc.)? How do you handle these emotions?

3. Describe a choice you regret. What did you learn from it?

4. What parts of daily life cause stress, frustration, or sadness? What can you do to change those experiences?

5. What are three things that can instantly disrupt a good mood and bring you down? What strategies do you use to counter these effects?

6. What are three self-defeating thoughts that show up in your self-talk? How can you reframe them to encourage yourself instead?

7. What go-to coping strategies help you get through moments of emotional or physical pain?

8. Who do you trust with your most painful and upsetting feelings? How can you connect with them when feeling low?

9. What do you fear most? Have your fears changed throughout life?

Note: If writing about painful emotions makes you feel even worse, there's no need to push yourself. It may help to establish a regular journaling habit before you turn to more challenging topics.

Living your best life

Writing about the little things that add meaning to daily life makes it easier to notice just how much they boost your mood and overall well-being.

Recognizing what you enjoy most about life reminds you to keep making time for those things. It can also promote feelings of gratitude and contentment, as exploring what you love about life can help you realize that you may already have much of what you desire.

Here are some prompts to try:

1. Describe your favorite thing to do when feeling low.

2. What three ordinary things bring you the most joy?

3. List three strategies that help you stay present in your daily routines. Then, list three strategies to help boost mindfulness in your life.

4. How do you prioritize self-care?

5. Describe two or three things you do to relax.

6. What aspects of your life are you most grateful for?

7. How do you show yourself kindness and compassion each day?

8. Write a short love letter to some object or place that makes you happy.

9. What place makes you feel most peaceful? Describe that place using all five senses.

10. List 10 things that inspire or motivate you.

11. What are your favorite hobbies? Why?

Personal growth and life goals

Getting in touch with who you are now doesn't just help you recognize key strengths and values. It can also help unlock a deeper understanding of who you want to become and what you want from life.

As long as you live, you can continue to pursue change and growth.

Try these prompts to explore your dreams and outline potential paths toward change:

1. What parts of life surprised you most? What turned out the way you expected it would?

2. What three things would you share with your teenage self? What three questions would you want to ask an older version of yourself?

3. List three important goals. How do they match up to your goals from 5 years ago?

4. Do your goals truly reflect your desires? Or do they reflect what someone else (a parent, partner, friend, etc.) wants for you?

5. What helps you stay focused and motivated when you feel discouraged?

6. What do you look forward to most in the future?

7. Identify one area where you'd like to improve. Then, list three specific actions you can take to create that change.

8. How do you make time for yourself each day?

9. What do you most want to accomplish in life?

10. List three obstacles lying in the way of your contentment or happiness. Then, list two potential solutions to begin overcoming each obstacle.

If you've never kept a journal before, writing on a regular basis might feel a bit challenging. Even with prompts to help prime your thoughts, you might find it tough to get started.

The best way to start is to pick up your pen and start scribbling away. Your journal is just for you, so there's no need to worry about your handwriting, grammar, or spelling. The important part of journaling is getting your thoughts onto the page.

Some people find that it helps to start with a "stream of consciousness" approach. This means writing down whatever comes to mind on a topic, exactly as it pops into your thoughts, without stopping to worry about punctuation or complete sentences.

A few more tips to help you find your flow include:

Find a quiet place to write. Outside noise and other distractions can disrupt your thoughts, especially if you're new to journaling. If you can't find a quiet space, try listening to instrumental music (anything without vocals) as you write.

Don't worry about getting it "right." When it comes to journaling, you can't really go wrong. If your writing helps you process emotions and learn more about yourself, that's what matters.

Write regularly. You might set aside 15 or 20 minutes to write several days a week. It's OK if you can't find time to write every day. Writing at a specific time each day, such as after dinner or just before bed, can help the habit stick.

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Ready, Set, Journal! 64 Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery

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One great way to learn more about yourself is to write your thoughts in a journal. If you're not sure where to start, these prompts (and tips!) could help.

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Dr. Becky Kennedy- Good Inside Book- Parenting 

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Hi, I’m Dr Becky Kennedy.

I’m a clinical psychologist, mom of three, and founder of Good Inside.

When I was first starting out, I practiced a popular behavior-first, reward-and-punishment model of parent coaching. But after a while, something struck me: those methods feel awful — for kids and parents. So I got to work, taking everything I know about attachment, mindfulness, emotion regulation, and internal family systems theory, and translated those ideas into a new method for working with parents.

We give millions of parents a better way to see and solve challenges in their homes.

In 2020, I joined forces with my friend and colleague, Erica Belsky, also a clinical psychologist and mom of three, to grow Good Inside. Fast forward, we are now a team of more than a dozen on a mission to break down big parenting topics into simple, actionable strategies parents can actually use.

By focusing on the parent behind the parenting and the child behind the behavior, we help families heal — bringing out the good inside everyone.

The Foundations of Good Inside

Sturdy Leadership

We help you develop clarity and confidence, so you can show up as the parent you want to be.

Parent-Child Connection

We strengthen relationships — because your bond is the ultimate parenting tool.

Deep Thoughts, Practical Strategies

We help you understand your child’s behavior and tell you exactly what to do in tricky moments.

Bite-Sized Learning

We break down our method into easy-to-follow, doable strategies that fit into your busy life.

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We empower each other through learning, conversation, and connection.

Apple Podcasts Best of 2021

“Good Inside with Dr. Becky,” for Becky Kennedy’s calming, validating voice to parents everywhere, acknowledging that if this time (and parenting generally) feels hard, that’s because it is.”

How Dr. Becky Became the Millennial Parenting Whisperer

“If you are a parent of a child under the age of, say, 10, it’s unlikely that you made it through the pandemic without coming across Dr. Becky.”

Dr. Becky Doesn’t Think the Goal of Parenting Is to Make Your Kid Happy

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Apple Podcasts Best of 2021

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Saying "no" is an important part of ensuring you feel comfortable throughout your career. There may be times when your employer or colleague asks you to do something you truly do not want to do. Although being agreeable is an important part of being a team player, there are many times when it's best to stand up for yourself and say "no." In this article, we discuss how to nicely say "no" and provide examples that you can use.

Related: Tips for How to Be Assertive at Work

Why it's important to know how to nicely say "no"

Knowing how to nicely say "no" is an important part of asserting yourself and setting boundaries. When you constantly say "yes" to things you don't want to do, you may find yourself in challenging situations. When saying "no," there are plenty of ways to reframe your decision in a polite manner. By coming off professionally, your coworkers or employer may respect your decision and have a better understanding of your reasoning. As an employee, you have the agency to say "no," but knowing how to do so nicely can make it much easier to do.

Related: 11 Tips for Practicing Good Office Etiquette

How to nicely say "no"

Following these steps can help you feel more confident and professional when you want to say "no":

1. Be straightforward

Instead of saying "maybe" or "I don't think so," be straightforward in your answer. Make sure whoever is asking you the question understands that you mean no now and forever. When you say things like, "maybe later" or "some other time" you should mean what you are saying. Otherwise, these types of in-between answers may prompt the person to ask you the question another time.

Related: How to Decline a Job Offer (With Email Examples)

2. Briefly explain yourself

It's polite to give a brief explanation of why you are saying "no." This can help soften your answer and help the person understand why you decline. When giving your explanation, keep it short. It's not your responsibility to give a lengthy explanation with all of the details. After a sentence or two, the other person should be understanding of your decision. Rather than fabricating an intricate reason why you're saying "no," keep it simple and courteous.

3. Bring up an alternative

If you want to be seen as a team player at work, offer an alternative when you say "no." For example, if your coworker asks for your help but you're too busy, you could say, "Sorry, no. I'm really busy with my own tasks right now. If you still need help by the end of the week, please let me know. I can offer my help then." This shows that you want to be agreeable and helpful while also respecting your own boundaries.

The same is true if you're invited to an after-work event but feel too tired to go this time. You can politely decline by saying, "It's been a hectic week for me, and I need some time to relax. Can we reschedule for next Monday?" When you set these clear boundaries, people learn to respect your needs. Everyone can understand that you need some time for yourself, and creating this precedent upfront makes it easier to say "no" in the future.

4. Keep your stance

After you say "no," keep that as your final answer. By giving in and changing your answer to "yes," people may be able to get you to eventually agree to things you don't want to do. By staying firm on your answer, your coworkers and employer will understand they can't persuade you any further. It's okay to feel confident about your decision and be in charge of your own life.

Related: How to Make Important Decisions About Your Career

50 ways to nicely say "no"

Having the ability to say "no" at work can allow you to be more in charge of your career. Use these examples to politely say "no" to your employer and coworkers:

1. "Unfortunately, I have too much to do today. I can help you another time."

2. "I'm flattered by your offer, but no thank you."

3. "That sounds fun, but I have a lot going on at home."

4. "I'm not comfortable doing that task. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

5. "Now isn't a good time for me. I'll let you know if my schedule frees up."

6. " Sorry, I have already committed to something else. I hope you understand."

7. "No, I won't be able to fit that into my schedule this week."

8. "I would love to join you, but I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with work right now."

9. "I'm not taking on any other work right now. Maybe check with another department?"

10. "Thank you for thinking of me, but I do not wish to accept your offer."

11. "Sadly, I cannot help with that. I'm not qualified for that type of work."

12. "The timing right now isn't good. Can you keep me in mind for next time?

13. "How about you try it on your own first, and then I can help you?"

14. "I know this isn't the answer you wanted, but I cannot accept your offer."

15. "I enjoyed helping you last time, but I am too busy to assist you right now."

16. "Thanks, but I'm all good. I appreciate the offer."

17. "I'm not interested this time. I'm sure someone else would love the opportunity."

18. "No, sorry. I need to prioritize my family right now."

19. "I've been feeling too busy at work lately. I will have to decline this time."

20. "I've had a negative experience with that before, so I'll have to decline."

21. "I've done that a million times before. Let's give someone else a chance to try."

22. "I feel honored by you asking me this question, but I still have to say 'no' this time."

23. "How thoughtful of you. I appreciate your offer, but this time I'm simply too busy with work."

24. "I'm not the right fit for this task. I can help you think of someone else to ask."

25. "Unfortunately, that's just not possible. It won't work out this time."

26. "That sounds so exciting, but we'll have to wait for another time."

27. "Are you sure you want me to do that? I would rather not, but I appreciate you asking."

28. "That's not the right choice for you, let's look at this one instead."

29. "I really shouldn't this time, but thank you."

30. "Let me get back to you, but I'm not confident about it working out."

31. "This task doesn't align with my own principles. Could we change what I need to do?"

32. "I told myself I wouldn't do that again. Thanks for respecting my decision."

33. "No, thank you. I would appreciate it if you accepted my choice."

34. "I know that's challenging for you, but I don't have the capacity to help you at the moment."

35. "I can't help, but I have some resources I can forward to you."

36. "Out of respect to my privacy, I hope you can understand my answer is no."

37. "I've been spending too much money lately, can I join you after our next paycheck?"

38. "I'm low on cash right now. Can we do something that's free?"

39. "I would love to help, but I have too much going on. Best of luck with your endeavors."

40. "I've actually changed my mind. I no longer can help you. Sorry for the inconvenience this may cause."

41. "Unfortunately, I cannot say 'yes' this time. I wish you luck in finding someone who can."

42. "I don't feel comfortable with you asking me that. Can you please refrain from doing so in the future?"

43. "How about instead of me doing that, I help you with something else?"

44. "This deal doesn't feel right to me. I'm going to have to decline this time."

45. "This doesn't seem like a healthy decision for me. I will have to regretfully decline."

46. "Agreeing to this would go against what I believe in. Thank you for being understanding of that."

47. "I can't because my own team needs me."

48. "I'm afraid I can't. Let's discuss this another time."

49. "I'm going to pass this time. Perhaps we can discuss this again next month."

50. "This doesn't fall under my job description. Please refer to our manager to learn who to ask."

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How To Nicely Say "No" (With 50 Examples)

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Saying "no" is an important part of ensuring you feel comfortable throughout your career. There may be times when your employer or colleague asks you to do something you truly do not want to do. Although being agreeable is an important part of being a team player, there are many times when it's best to stand up for yourself and say "no."

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Coloring Pages with swear words- not for everyone 

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Coloring Pages with swear words- not for everyone 

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https://swearwordcoloringbook.com/swear-word-adult-coloring-pages/

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https://swearwordcoloringbook.com/swear-word-adult-coloring-pages/