The Perfect Morning: A Teacher’s Solution to Burnout

 Did you know 44% of teachers leave the profession within five years, citing burnout as a major cause? (Walker 2016)

A recent study on teachers leaving the profession found that “the risk of teacher attrition from burnout may be worse than it has ever been” (University of York, 2021).

No wonder teachers are leaving education– Teaching is hard.  Many careers are hard. Most people spend 80,000 hours—25% of their lives—working. For educators, constant stress can have serious consequences.

Burnout and the Cost of Overwork

I remember when I was teaching in the classroom I would get to school early, work hard all day, stay after my contracted hours at school, and then go home and take time to grade. On top of that, there are family responsibilities and the rest of life, leaving educators very little time to recover.

Short-Term Relief, Long-Term Cost

To cope with an impossible schedule and more being added onto their already full plate, many teachers turn to unhealthy habits like overeating, drinking, or binge-watching shows— further adding to their burnout.

Unfortunately, these quick fixes provide only fleeting relief, while poor nutrition, neglected wellness, and lack of sleep gradually accumulate, creating a vicious cycle. Self-comforting and self-medicating behaviors may ease today’s stress but steal energy from tomorrow. 

Most of these issues could be solved if teachers had more time.  More time to get their work done and more time to rest and recover. But getting more time is impossible, right?

What if there was a way to break this cycle of stress and unlock extra time with a new system of serenity?

My Journey to Perfect Mornings

I used to stay up late doomscrolling, which left me exhausted and unproductive. Starting Perfect Mornings transformed my life. I now wake up refreshed, exercise regularly, and have quiet time for myself, which improves my focus, patience, and overall well-being.

Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life

My solution to help with stress and unlock extra time for wellness is The Perfect Morning.  

The Perfect Morning can soothe teacher burnout by improving sleep, and providing time to reflect, regroup, and relax before the day begins. Physical exercise enhances health, meditation improves spiritual wellness, and journaling supports mental clarity—all essential for managing a stressful job.

Imagine starting your day and feeling amazing. What if you could have energy and peace of mind to face the challenges of the day… Everyday?

The Perfect Morning

The Perfect Morning is a customizable routine of energizing habits that prioritize your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.  

Take a moment to reflect: If you could add one habit to your morning, what would it be?

The Perfect Morning can soothe teacher burnout 

• Who: Anyone who needs healthy habits
• What: a Routine in the morning
• When: 1-2 hours before you start your day
• Where: a place for quiet focus or intense exercise 
• Why: To take extra time to do what is important to you
• How:  Let me explain…

Imagine starting your day and feeling amazing. What if you could have energy and a piece of mind to face the challenges of the day… Every day?

The Perfect Morning is a customizable routine of energizing habits that prioritize your mental, physical, and emotional well-being.

Take a moment to reflect: what’s one habit you’d like to add to your morning?

All perfect mornings start the evening before.  

Set the Stage the Night Before

Setting the stage for the perfect morning will make all the difference in the world.  Here are some things that I have done the evening before:

• 👟 Set out your workout clothes
• ✅ List your top three priorities for tomorrow”
• ☠️ Think about your #1 problem or goal
• 🙏🏼 Spend time in gratitude through prayer or meditation (Calm App)
• 📖 Read a fiction book
• 📵 Go Screen-Free 60 minutes before you sleep
• 😴 Sleep 7 hours before you wake up

Preparing for a Perfect Morning sets the tone for a focused and motivated day ahead. Evening rituals allow your mind to unwind and reflect on what truly matters. Combined with a good night’s sleep, they create the momentum needed to start your morning with purpose.

Build Your Perfect Morning Routine

A perfect morning starts an hour or two before your day begins, giving you the time you need to invest in your body, mind, and spirit wellness.  

My perfect morning starts at 4 AM and the following list of rituals are options I choose from.  Sometimes I only do 1 or 2, but other mornings I can fit in a lot more. 

• 🏃🏻‍♂️‍➡️ Intense Physical Workout (15-45 mins)
• 🚿 Cold Shower (1-3 mins)
• 🍳 Eat 30g of protein (10-15 mins)
• 📵 Screen-free after waking (60 mins)
• ✍🏼 Write in a Journal 
• 5-Minute Journal (5 mins)
• Morning Pages (30 mins or 3 pages)
• Write Anything about #1 problem or goal (5 mins)
• Write big picture/vision in bullet points (5mins)
• 🎧 Read/Listen to Uplifting Content (15 mins)
• ❤️ Lovingly Interact with Family
• 👦🏻 Play with kids as much as possible
• 🔎 Focused work on passion projects or creative endeavors 
• 🎵 Listen to instrumental music 

For more inspiration, check out ‘The Miracle Morning’ by Hal Elrod or ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear.

Create Your Perfect Morning

Five Simple Steps to Build Your Perfect Moring

Prepare the Night Before

1. Get Planning: Decide what evening practices you will need to succeed in the morning.  Will you set out workout clothes?  Where will you write out the next day’s priorities?  Have you set your alarm to wake up early for your perfect morning?  Take a few minutes to jot down these ideas.

2. Get off your phone!  This will be the hardest challenge to overcome if you are addicted to your phone like I am.  You can charge it in another room in the house.  Or you can set app and time restrictions in your phone settings and let your spouse or friend set the secret pin code.  Do whatever it takes to stop the doom-scrolling at night! For example, Replace phone time with reflecting on the next day’s top 3 priorities.  

3. Get Active:  Start your early perfect morning with 15 or more minutes of intense exercise.  This can be running, walking, biking, treadmill, or functional exercise.  For example, I like to alternate between running and a functional exercise I can do inside without equipment. You should do whatever exercise works best for you.

4. Get Alone: Find a place in your house, where you can be free from interruptions and distractions.  Have your journal and any reading, devotional, or meditation resources you need.  For instance, I have my Bible, journal, and candle close by.  I like to light a fragrant candle to change the environment’s sight, and smell, and create a sense of ritual. 

5. Get Writing: Take time to write in a journal.  The purpose is to reflect.  For example, if you don’t have a lot of time, purchase a 5-Minute Journal, that has questions to prepare and reflect on your day.  If you have a little extra time, write about your #1 problem or priority.  If you have the time, try Morning Pages, which is a 30-minute or 30-page brain dump of anything and everything on your mind. 

“People who practice regular morning routines report 10% higher happiness levels and 13% better productivity rates.” 10 Science-Backed Benefits of a Morning Routine (MyVA360)

Whether you’re a tired teacher, an overworked assistant superintendent, or a weary worker, the Perfect Morning might just take you from burnout to breakthrough.

Ready to transform your mornings and overcome burnout?

Download The Perfect Morning Habit Tracker now to get started!  

What does your Perfect Morning look like? Mine starts with 30 minutes of quiet reflection and a hot cup of coffee. ☀️☕ #PerfectMorning #TeacherWellness pic.twitter.com/llVrKuAmek

— HansTullmann (@HansTullmann) November 27, 2024

What does your Perfect Morning look like? Share your routine in the comments or post using #PerfectMorning to inspire others.

Start small, stay consistent, and watch how The Perfect Morning changes not only your day—but your life.