It’s not even Thanksgiving, and a lot of the preschool teachers I talk with already feel like they’re running on empty. That bone-deep tired is what preschool teacher burnout often looks like this time of year.
I hear it in trainings, at conferences, and in the hallway at drop-off. “I’m so tired, and December hasn’t even started.” If that’s you, I want you to know two things. You’re not alone. And you’re not doing anything wrong.
The months between Halloween and winter break ask a lot of early childhood educators. There are conferences, family events, costume changes, extra crafts, sick days, coverage gaps, and a room full of little ones who can feel the excitement in the air. It adds up. Teacher stress doesn’t usually arrive all at once in December. It builds quietly through October and November.
So today I want to give you something small. Not a whole new routine. Not one more thing on your to-do list. Just a few two-minute resets you can use inside the day you already have.
Why small resets matter for preschool teacher burnout
My doctoral research focused on early childhood educators, mindful self-care, and burnout. One thing I believe deeply is this: small, regular moments of care matter.
When we talk about self-care for early childhood educators, people often picture a spa day, a long bath, or a weekend away. Those are lovely. But they don’t help you at 2:45 on a Tuesday when nap time ended early and three friends need you at once.
What helps in that moment is something you can do right there, in the room, with the kids. Self-care doesn’t have to be a spa day. It can be two minutes, done often.
And here’s the part I always come back to: your kids need you steady more than they need you perfect. Taking care of you is part of taking care of them. Adult wellbeing is the foundation of early learning.
5 two-minute resets for preschool teachers
These fit inside your actual day. No extra time needed.
1. Take a long exhale
Breathe in for a count of 4 and out for a count of 6. Do it three times during a transition. The kids can do it with you. Call it “smell the flower, blow out the candle” and you’ve just taught a calming strategy, too.
2. Put your feet on the floor
While you wait for hand-washing to finish, press both feet into the ground. Notice the floor under you. It sounds simple, and it is. That’s the point. It brings your attention out of the swirl and back into your body.
3. Drink when they drink
When the kids get water, you get water. Every time. So many teachers I know go hours without a sip because there’s always something else to do. Tie it to a moment that already happens, and it stops being one more thing to remember.
4. Name 3 things
Quietly name three things you can see, hear, or feel. The hum of the fish tank. The soft rug under your knees. A little voice singing to the block tower. It brings you back to the room and out of your running list.
5. Drop your shoulders
Check your jaw and shoulders. Are they up near your ears? Let them soften. Try it every time you play the clean-up song. After a week, the song becomes your reminder.
Three gentle mindset shifts for the season
The resets help in the moment. These reminders help with the bigger picture. I share them with love, from someone who has been in your shoes:
- Not every holiday activity has to be Pinterest-worthy. The children will remember how the room felt, not whether the snowflakes were perfect.
- Leaving on time isn’t lazy. It’s sustainable. You can’t pour from an empty cup, and you can’t refill it at 7 p.m. in an empty classroom.
- Rest isn’t a reward for finishing the to-do list. The list is never finished. Rest is part of the work.
Directors: you can help refill your team’s cup
If you lead a center, you have a big influence on how your team feels heading into the holidays. Small, consistent support from leadership can make a real difference. Here are five simple ways to protect your preschool team’s energy:
- Protect planning time. Guard it like nap time. Don’t fill it with coverage unless you truly must.
- Take one thing off their plate. Ask, “What’s one thing we can skip or simplify this season?” Then actually skip it.
- Say thank you, specifically. “Thank you for how calmly you handled drop-off today” lands better than “Thanks, everyone.”
- Ask one check-in question. “What would make this week 10% easier for you?” Then listen.
- Model leaving on time. Your team watches what you do more than what you say.
A steady team makes a steady center. And you deserve that steadiness, too.
Save a little charge for yourself
If you’re already counting down to winter break, I see you. You give all day to little ones who need you. This season, I hope you’ll save a little charge for yourself.
Pick one reset from this list. Just one. Try it tomorrow during a transition, and notice how it feels. Then share this post with your co-teacher or your teaching team so you can remind each other. Self-care is easier when someone is doing it with you.
Get your free Pre-Holiday Checklist
If you’d like a simple plan for the weeks ahead, I made a free Pre-Holiday Checklist for preschool teams. It’s a few calm steps now so December feels lighter.
- For directors: appreciation, coverage and calm-week planning, supplies before the rush, and one clear December plan.
- For teachers: protecting your classroom rhythms, low-prep festive ideas, boundaries, and tiny refills for you.
- For everyone: a shared “start now” list so your whole team works from the same plan.
Print it, check it off, and share it with your team. Keep what serves your center and skip the rest.
Grab your free Pre-Holiday Checklist here.
You deserve to walk into winter break with something still left in your cup.
With care,
Dr. Tiffany
Dr. Tiffany Gibby is an early childhood educator and state-approved trainer in Georgia and South Carolina. Her work focuses on early childhood educator burnout, mindful self-care, and adult wellbeing as the foundation of early learning.