Beyond the To-Do List: Educator Stress (Especially in June)

It’s June here in Canada. For many of us, this is “that” time of year. The final stretch. Field trips, year-end assemblies, transition meetings, report cards. And under it all, this mix of exhaustion, emotion, and a kind of invisible weight that doesn’t quite have a name.

I’ve been in education long enough to know this feeling well. And I’ve spoken with enough educators—across roles, ages, and regions—to know this isn’t just about being tired. It’s about running on empty. It’s what happens when we’ve been holding so much for so long, and our nervous systems finally say, Enough.

But here’s the thing: while this may be June in Canada, it’s not June everywhere. In the U.S. many educators are already on break. In Australia, the school year is still underway—heading into winter. Educators in Ecuador just returned from holidays. Our calendars might not match, but our stress often does.

Because stress isn’t about the date on the page. It’s about what we’re carrying—in our bodies, our hearts, and our minds.

And here’s the other truth: not everyone is struggling.

For some, June brings a second wind. There’s joy, connection, laughter, and a real sense of satisfaction—it feels good to see the results of all the planning, the care, the effort. To feel like the pieces came together, that goals were met, and that the hard work mattered. Some educators are genuinely thriving right now—feeling that buzz of momentum and meaning. And that’s just as real.

At the same time, others are feeling the weight of it all. For some, it’s less about thriving and more about holding on. Getting through. Wondering if they’ll make it to the last day without breaking down or burning out. And for many, the picture is mixed—moments of joy and pride layered with fatigue, emotion, or even grief.

Whatever your June looks like, it’s valid. And worth noticing.

One of the most powerful insights I’ve gained through Self-Reg is that what we feel often isn’t about the thing we think it is. That sudden wave of irritation at a noise, or the tears that show up in the car? It’s not just the surface stuff. It’s everything we’ve been carrying—layers of hidden stress across multiple domains.

We don’t just carry to-do lists. We carry tension. Emotion. The weight of feeling responsible—for everything and everyone. That low, constant hum of care that never fully shuts off, even when the day is done.

Let’s be honest: when we’re maxed out, we tend to reach for whatever helps us cope—even if it’s just for a moment. Stuart Shanker calls these maladaptive modes of self-regulation—things like sugar, endless scrolling, online shopping we can’t afford, binge-watching, or staffroom gossip that hits just the right chemical spike in the brain. It feels good in the moment, but it doesn’t help us restore. More often than not, it leaves us feeling worse.

Reaching for those things isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s a signal—a clue that our systems are managing something deeper, doing their best to keep us going with whatever strategies are available in the moment. Not ideal, maybe. But deeply human.

There’s another piece that often goes unseen by people outside of education: what it actually feels like to hear your name hundreds of times a day, to be needed constantly, to have your attention pulled in five directions at once.

Can I go to the bathroom? When’s lunch? Do we have to do this? How many more minutes? Can I sit by my friend? What are we doing next? Can I get a drink? Is this for marks? Can I do something else? I don’t get this. She’s cheating! They’re not following the rules! Guess what happened last night? Can I sit next to you? I miss my mom. Will you be on recess duty? Do you like my drawing? Can I help you pass stuff out? Can I stay inside at recess? Can you show me again? Am I doing this right? Where do I start? Wait, what page are we on? Is this due today? What does this word mean? Do I need to write in full sentences? Where do I go now? Is it time to pack up? Who do I give this to? This is boring! Why do we have to do this? Can we do something fun? I already did this last year. My pencil broke again. I lost my paper. He’s looking at me!

Someone always needs something. And this is just the students. 

It’s a constant stream of requests, questions, and needs—hundreds of micro-demands throughout the day, each requiring attention, decision-making, or emotional presence. It takes a toll. A toll that builds in our nervous systems long before we even realize it.

That’s why, in Self-Reg, we talk about becoming a Stress Detective. Not to “fix” ourselves. Not to pathologize or judge. But to notice—with compassion—what’s really going on. To pause long enough to ask, “What am I carrying?”

Self-Reg gives us five lenses to help explore that question: the biological, emotion, cognitive, social, and prosocial domains of stress. These aren’t tidy boxes. They’re deeply connected systems, and when stress builds across them, it doesn’t just add up—it multiplies.

So wherever you are in your school year—whether you’re floating, floundering, or somewhere in between—this is simply an invitation to pause.

Not to do more.
Just to notice.
And maybe, to begin restoring a little bit of your own energy, too.

So… what’s in your stress backpack right now?

As you take a moment to check in, consider which of the five domains might be weighing most heavily for you. Maybe one jumps out. Maybe they all blend together. Either way, this is a place to start noticing. I’ll be back in a few days with a deeper look at each domain, but for now, here’s a quick glimpse to get you thinking:

Biological

Noise, heat, hunger, headaches, not enough time to sit or breathe.

Emotion

Strong internal feelings like anxiety, frustration, fear, anger, or grief—even excitement can be a stressor when your system’s already full.

Cognitive

Mental juggling, shifting plans, trying to remember too many things at once.

Social

Navigating team dynamics, constant interactions, feeling out of sync or unseen.

Prosocial

Absorbing others’ distress, feeling responsible for someone else’s wellbeing, or the weight of others’ expectations and judgments.

In my next blog, we’ll take a closer look at what stress can really look like across each of the five domains. But for now, let this be the message that stays with you: you are carrying a lot. Being an educator (in all its many forms!) is one of the most important roles in the lives of children, youth—and in shaping our world. We need you. Now more than ever.

Thank you for all that you do for everyone else every day.

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