You love what you do. You really do. Watching students grow in confidence, guiding them to real-world success, and being part of their journey is incredibly fulfilling. But let’s not sugar-coat it – being a trainer/assessor can also be exhausting.
We can be honest and say that being a trainer is rewarding, exciting, and full of purpose. But it can also feel like a juggling act with flaming pins. đĽľ
Marking late at night. Or on weekends… Chasing students for submissions. Updating resources. Delivering back-to-back classes. Answering emails during your lunch break (if you even take one). It adds up fast. And before you know it, youâre running on fumes.
Burnout doesnât usually hit all at once. It creeps in quietly. A little tiredness here, a little frustration there – until suddenly, everything feels too much. But hereâs the thing: it doesnât have to be that way. Letâs talk about how to spot burnout before it starts, and more importantly, how to protect your energy, passion, and well-being in this amazing job we love.
Thereâs this unspoken expectation that we need to be all things, all the time: the subject matter expert, the counsellor, the admin superstar, the tech troubleshooter, the motivational speaker, the cheerleader, and the walking, talking RTO policy manual.
And we often wear these hats back-to-back with no time to breathe between. One minute youâre helping a student navigate their assessment, the next youâre trying to troubleshoot a broken HDMI cable five minutes before class starts. Then you remember you havenât marked those 30 assignments due last week. Sound familiar?
đĽ Recognise the Signs Before You Hit the Wall
Burnout can be sneaky. One minute you’re powering through, the next you’re crying over your keyboard because the printer jammed again.
These are the signs to watch out for:
- You feel exhausted, even after a full nightâs sleep
- You dread going into the classroom
- Small tasks feel massive
- Youâre more snappy or emotional than usual
- Youâve stopped enjoying the work you used to love
I remember a time when I was teaching six units across three qualifications and trying to update learning materials for a new course all at once. I kept saying yes to everything. One morning, I couldnât even remember what day it was. That was my wake-up call.
đĄ The fix? Learn to spot those early red flags and take them seriously. Burnout doesnât make you a bad trainer – it just means youâre a human. Congrats!
Burnout doesnât announce itself with a loud bang. It creeps in like a slow gas leak. You start feeling a little tired. Then you notice youâre dragging your feet more than usual. Your once-excited teaching voice starts sounding a bit… flat. You sigh more. You sleep less. You stop laughing in class. Eventually, you wake up and realise youâve hit a wall – and that bright, bubbly trainer energy youâre known for feels literally kilometres away.
I remember one particularly tough term. I had back-to-back cohorts, rolling intakes, and a new LMS system that nobody (including me!) really understood. I was working weekends, eating lunch at my desk, and waking up in the middle of the night because I forgot to read a session guide. It wasnât until I snapped at a student – something I never do – that I realised I was beyond tired. I was burned out. And worst of all? I was starting to resent a job I normally loved.
What helped wasnât just taking a weekend off. It was rethinking how I approached my work. I started to ask: Where am I giving too much? Where can I ask for help? Where can I just… stop?
As trainers, we often pride ourselves on going above and beyond. But sometimes, enough really is enough.
One of the hardest lessons I learned was that boundaries arenât selfish. Theyâre essential. Saying no to that extra class didnât make me lazy – it made me sustainable. Stepping away from emails after 9pm didnât make me unprofessional – it made me human. And being honest with my manager about my workload didnât make me weak – it built trust between us.
đ§ââď¸ Set Boundaries (and Actually Stick to Them)
Boundaries. They sound simple, but theyâre not always easy – especially when you’re the kind of person who wants to help everyone. And you know ya girl wants to help everyone…
You do not need to reply to emails at 11pm.
You do not need to say yes to every new course, extra duty, or last-minute student request.
And you absolutely do not need to feel guilty for protecting your own time.
I used to take my laptop everywhere – even weekends away! But guess what? The work never ended, and I was never really present. Once I started setting clear âonâ and âoffâ hours, I felt more focused during work time and more rested when I stepped away.
đĄ Things that helped me reclaim my boundaries:
- Block out lunch breaks in your calendar – and then take them.
- Set email expectations with a simple footnote.
- Practice politely saying – Iâll look into that tomorrow.
- Give yourself permission to stop for the day – even if your to-do list isnât finished (and it never is!)
Another thing that shifted things for me was connection. I found other trainers who were feeling the same way and we started checking in regularly. Sometimes we talked about resources. Sometimes we just vented. And sometimes we laughed about the ridiculousness of it all (because sometimes if you donât laugh, you cry, right?). Having those honest conversations reminded me that I wasnât alone – and that made all the difference.
đď¸ Streamline Your Systems
Trainer brain is real. There’s admin, marking, class prep, validation, student issues, meeting minutes, and more – and it all competes for your attention.
The more organised your systems are, the less brain space all of this takes up.
One of the biggest game-changers for me was creating a weekly workflow. Mondays were for class prep. Tuesdays were for class marking. Fridays were for self-care and catch-ups. Suddenly, I wasnât juggling everything at once – and my stress dropped a lot.
Use templates for marking and feedback to save time and keep things consistent. Batch similar tasks together – like handling all your emails or calls in one go – to stay focused and avoid constant switching. Lean into tech tools that actually help, like digital calendars, checklists, or project boards to keep things on track. And donât be afraid to share resources and lesson plans with your team – itâs not cheating, itâs smart collaboration!
I also had to give myself permission to take care of me. That looked like walking away from my laptop at 9pm even if the to-do list wasnât finished. It meant booking a full weekend off and actually switching off my phone. It meant prioritising joy – whether that was dancing in my kitchen, painting up a storm, or just sitting in the sunshine doing absolutely nothing. OK – I crochet… but it’s like doing nothing… When I gave myself space to rest, something amazing happened: I remembered why I loved this job in the first place.
Thereâs a myth in our sector that working longer and harder makes us better trainers. But in reality, burnout makes us less effective, less patient, and less creative. Our students donât need perfect trainers – they need present human ones though. When we take care of ourselves, we teach from a place of energy, passion, and clarity. And our students can feel the difference.
đŹ Talk About It (Seriously, Donât Bottle It Up)
Trainer burnout is common – but we donât talk about it enough.
Sometimes we feel like we have to âhave it all togetherâ because weâre the ones leading the classroom. But we can be real humans – because trainers are people too. We carry so much for our students, our RTOs, and each other. Thatâs heavy stuff!!
One of my best decisions was finding a group of trainer friends to debrief with. We laugh. We vent. We share resources. And we remind each other that weâre not alone.
Find a mentor or a trusted peer you can talk to when things get tough – it makes a huge difference. Join an online trainer community where you can share ideas, get support, and feel less alone. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, be honest with your manager – they can’t help if they don’t know. And most importantly, letâs normalise talking about mental health and workload so no one feels like they have to struggle in silence.
You don’t have to struggle in silence. Sometimes just saying, Iâm really tired, is the first step to getting support.
đ§ Fill Your Own Cup (Without Guilt)
Youâve heard it before: you canât pour from an empty cup. But in VET, we really need to believe it.
When weâre rested, inspired, and balanced, weâre better for our students. We show up with more joy, patience, and creativity. Thatâs not selfish – itâs smart.
Take time off. Unplug. Go for a walk. Read something for fun. Learn something new just for you. Say yes to things that light you up outside of work. And most of all, give yourself grace when youâre not at 100%.
I once took a full week off with no laptop, no phone, and no guilt. I came back with fresh ideas, a clear mind, and a new level of patience. My students noticed. So did I.
đĄ Here’s some ideas for reclaiming your personality – fill that cup, baby!
- Schedule one you activity each week. Hobby. Gaming. Nature. Just you. Just Joy.
- Take real breaks – step away from your desk and stretch! Even if it’s during the breaks!
- Say no when your plate is full! No is a complete sentence.
- Treat your wellbeing as essential, not optional. Cuz you are not optional, you are essential.
So if youâre reading this and feeling a little stretched thin, take this as your sign to pause. To breathe. To check in with yourself. You deserve a career that fills you up, not one that drains you dry.
Burnout isnât a sign youâre weak. Itâs a sign that youâve been strong for too long without enough support.
As trainer/assessors, we give so much – to our students, our workplaces, and our communities. But we canât forget to give back to ourselves too.
So letâs change the story. Letâs model balance, not burnout. Letâs choose sustainability over overachievement. Letâs talk about it, plan for it, and lift each other up.
Letâs normalise taking care of ourselves, not just our students. Letâs build communities that support, not compete. And letâs keep talking about what it really takes to do this work â because behind every great trainer is a whole lot of heart, and that heart needs rest too.
đŹ Tell me in the comments: Whatâs one small change youâve made (or want to make) to protect your energy as a trainer?
Because healthy trainers mean stronger outcomes for everyone. đ
Till next time.