Avoiding Burnout (Primarily for our Bar Support Educators)
Burnout is real! So is the need for boundaries. As academic and bar support professionals, we often find ourselves holding space for students who are overwhelmed, anxious, and under pressure. We listen, affirm, guide, and encourage, all while managing our own responsibilities, expectations, and emotional bandwidth. This is especially true during the bar exam season, when the weight of alumni stress is at its peak and the demand for our time and presence seems endless.
This week’s blog is for the supporters, the educators who answer the late-night emails, calm fears after simulated exams, and remind students (daily) that they are enough. If you have ever felt emotionally drained, fatigued, or like you are running on empty by the end of July, you are not alone. The work of an Academic Support or Bar Support educator goes beyond reviewing outlines and bar exam tutoring. We are crisis managers, mentors, motivators, and somewhat counselors. The emotional labor, the energy it takes to constantly provide care and support, is vital but it also takes a toll. Add to that the “always-on” culture of legal education and burnout becomes more than just a possibility; it becomes a reality.
Let’s talk sustainable practices that can help you stay energized, engaged, and committed to the work without sacrificing your wellbeing. Sustainable practice starts with recognizing that our work is both intellectual and emotional. Acknowledging the emotional labor is real and exhausting is the first step toward mitigating its effects.
Boundaries are the scaffolding that sustain us. Without them, we fall into the trap of equating constant availability with effectiveness. But being available 24/7 is not sustainable, and it does not make us better at our jobs. Consider setting and communicating clear expectations:
- Office Hours: Set consistent times for student meetings and stick to them
- Email Response Policies: Let students know when they can expect a reply (within 24 hours on weekdays, not after 6PM).
- Emergency Protocols: Define what constitutes a true academic emergency and provide resources for after-hours support if needed.
Boundaries protect your energy, model healthy habits for students, and preserve the quality of your support. This all sounds very nice and doable but how does one follow through on this? By nature, a nurturing academic support or bar support educator has a hard time setting these boundaries because they always want to help and always want to be useful. The idea of having missed a student is very difficult to reconcile. But is this sustainable?
Staying engaged in this work long-term requires intentional self-preservation. Here are a few practices that can help, I have used a few:
- Check-in daily with yourself. Before your pour into others, pause and ask: What do I need today? This could be a walk outside, a quiet lunch, or a moment to breathe between meetings. Small moments of restoration go a long way.
- Create space weekly or monthly to reflect on what is working, what is draining, and what is bringing you joy in the work. This keeps your practice intentional and aligned with your values. This is challenging to do.
- Leverage Peer Support. Find or build a professional community of fellow ASP/BAR professionals who “get it”. Whether through listservs, group chats, or monthly calls. When you connect with colleagues, you reduce isolation and foster resilience.
- Engage in Seasonal Planning. Bar exam season is intense, but it is also predictable. Build your academic calendar with cycles of intensity and recovery in mind. Block time after the bar exam to rest, regroup, and recover. There are cycles throughout the semester as well and you can do the same when balancing academic year planning.
- Let go of the superhero/supershero mentality. You are not the solution to EVERY problem. And you do not have to be! Trust your students’ capacity to rise to the occasion. Guide, support, and empower but do not carry every student’s entire journey.
Students benefit most from educators who are present, healthy, and energized. When we care for ourselves, we model balance. When we set boundaries, we model professionalism. When we honor our own humanity, we give students permission to do the same.
As you pour into others this bar season, remember to refill your own cup. Burnout does not have to be the cost of your commitment. With sustainable practice, you can continue doing this essential work, not just this season but for many seasons to come.
(Goldie Pritchard)
