As a teacher, you consider the wellbeing of your students each and every day. You provide those young 'uns with the best education possible and give them ample opportunities to challenge themselves, learn, and grow. You offer them occasional boosts, and when they have difficulty with a task (or even when they test your patience), you dig deep to find a way to get them to the next milestone.

That takes a lot of time, planning, compassion, and dedication—so much, in fact, that your own needs are often neglected. But guess what? Ignoring your own needs by, say, failing to get adequate sleep, skimping on your spinach because you only have time for a quick NutriYum bar, or rarely taking time off from your teaching duties in order to care for yourself is not a sustainable model. Time to ditch the sugar bar, sweetums.

So, in order to be able to continue teaching and to continue giving your best to your students, you need to make sure you also give your best to yourself. If your tank runs out of gas and you don't have anything in reserve, you may find yourself sputtering toward burnout. And that isn't going to help anyone.

Are You at Risk for Burnout?

If you're taking a sec right now to ponder how well you're doing in terms of balancing your work-life with your life-life, you may consider taking this quick quiz from Mindful Teachers. You may feel too burnt out to click on a whole separate link, but with just 10 questions, "How Burnt Out Are You?" may help you answer just that.

Need a second opinion? Head over to the teaching community at Monster.com and take the "Are You At Risk for Burnout?" quiz. (Yeah, we have a thing for quizzes). You have to register (for free) to see your results, but it has 13 questions that will take less than two minutes to answer.

You're not too burnt out for two minutes, are you?

If you are—or if you just don't feel like taking a quiz—read up on teacher burnout here or, at the least, check the list of symptoms below to see if you're headed for trouble.

Common symptoms of teacher burnout include

• getting sick more often (everything from colds and flus to more frequent headaches, backaches, and joint pain);
• losing interest in classes and activities you used to enjoy;
• feeling like your bad days outnumber your good days (or even—gasp!—that there are no more good days);
• feeling exhausted most of the time;
• believing that nothing you do will make a difference;
• feeling underappreciated;
• having a hard time caring about anything, even things that aren't related to work;
• beginning to disengage with your co-workers and students (i.e., no longer eating lunch with others, skipping out on gatherings or special events, etc.);

Of course, all teachers—well, all people, let's be real—feel underappreciated or exhausted from time to time. But if these feelings are pervasive and start to feel like the regular way of things, it's time to take some time for yourself.

If it's real serious, you should seek professional help immediately, as you may be dealing with a depressive episode. If that's the case, you'll need help pulling yourself out of the emotional morass. So please (please, please, please) take advantage of your healthcare and seek assistance. School counselors aren't just for the students, and they can point you in the right direction.

Not so far gone? Glad to hear it. If our big bad burnout list doesn't fit you to a T, awesome. But even awesomer? Keeping it that way.

If you're not currently at risk for burnout and you're aiming not to change that, it's a good idea to set up a regular schedule of self-care to ensure that you can continue to be well and offer your best to the others in your life. That includes students, colleagues, family, friends, and that's right—yourself, too. To that end, follow these self-care tips on the regular.

Preventing Burnout

The big three: sleep, diet, and exercise.

Sound familiar? That's because these are the big three for basically any human. Especially teachers. (Why especially? So you can pass it on to your students, of course). Getting healthy food, regular movement, and sufficient rest in adequate measure will do wonders for your body and mind. And by extension, for the bodies and minds of your students, too.

If you're not sure what it means to eat, sleep, and exercise well, you'd be smart to seek out support from friends and professionals. Classes and programs at your local YMCA, other gym, or adult education group can offer you guidance, and you can also find some great programs online. One great go-to is Kenzai, which takes its name from a Japanese word meaning "sustained vitality."

Kenzai is a thoughtfully constructed and customized online program, and it can help you take control of your fitness, nutrition, and sleep habits (that's right, all three in one go). Try it for free with a limited account, or really dive in and complete the entry-level Kenzai Body Program, which includes wealth of information, guidance for your diet and exercise regime, and help from online trainers and a community of peers. It's hard to beat that, right? And for serious: Kenzai Body requires a serious commitment, so it is not for the faint of heart. But hey—you're a teacher. We know you can do anything you put your mind to.

So now that our sales pitch has succeeded and you're slapping on your running shoes, let's move on to other areas of self-care.

Commune with your colleagues.

Get a group together for…well, anything really: lunch; yoga; a weekly Zumba class; a Friday night out; a venting, brainstorming, or planning session; a Bachelorette viewing party; a walk in the woods; a board game night; a fitness and nutrition challenge; a bike trek; or even a team road race. (Why are so many of those so athletic? Maybe we've still got Kenzai on the brain…)

Plus, add some purpose to your outing. Organizations such as the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, and Team Challenge sponsor all sorts of events that could inspire you and your colleagues to come together for a common cause.

As far as this stuff goes, it's not so much what you do as it is that you do it with others. Whether you see yourself as an introvert or an extrovert, and whether you're into running or not, community is key to elevating your mood. It can give you a sense of belonging and provide support when you need it most. So however you make it happen, make it happen.

Explore hobbies and activities outside of work.

Often a career like teaching can be all-consuming. You work 40+ hours during the week, put in an extra 20-30 hours grading and planning, and then, in the few hours you have to yourself, wind up chaperoning a dance or gathering with other teachers to talk about work (or maybe go for a run, if you liked our previous point).

If that suits you, wonderful.

But if having everything in your life revolve around your career is becoming a stressor, put an end to it.

How? Start by making a list of things you enjoy doing that don't involve work and find time to pursue them on a regular basis. If you're not sure what those things are, start exploring new pursuits. Adult ed programs, town recreation programs, local arts groups, craft stores, sports teams (is there an Ultimate league nearby?), and local libraries can all be great sources for finding out what's available in your community. Explore your zone and try out a new pursuit to get a feel for what's out there. Even if the first couple things you try aren't a home run, it's worth it to experiment with what might appeal to you until you establish a regular activity that'll give you that much-needed break from teaching.

Set boundaries. And stick to them.

Teaching can be all-consuming, primarily because it's a job that's never really finished. There are always more lessons to plan, more parents to talk to, more students to help, more duties to perform.

But you can't devote every waking hour to one pursuit without losing your mind. So don't.

Say "no" when necessary, protect your private time when you're away from school, set a schedule for work (and play and rest), and never look back. You have to protect your time with the same fierceness and passion you bring to your career. Saying "no" to some things will allow you to say "yes" to the ones that really matter.

Unplug and unwind—but do it right, darn it.

It's tempting in this world of on-demand video and streaming content to just plop down on a sofa and spend your down time vegging out with a bag of potato chips and a Big Gulp. And sometimes, sure—that's exactly what the doctor ordered.

But if diving down the rabbit hole that is the Internet or falling asleep while binge-watching episodes of your favorite Netflix series is your regular approach to dealing with stress, you may find that it loses effectiveness (and you lose energy) over time.

So be sure to mix in a healthy measure of unplugged time to help you unwind. Go for a walk, get out in nature (even if just for five minutes at a time), dance, sing, read a book, listen to music, watch birds or boats or clouds pass by. Getting into a green space is as therapeutic as it gets for the body, the mind, and even for your retinas. Yes, science says so: green is the easiest color for human eyes to absorb and therefore has a relaxing effect on the entire human system, so green bathing is seriously where it's at. And after you soak up your green, sure, catch up on your TV viewing. You'll have a more relaxed mind to do it with.

Take regular breaks.

We know, we know. You're thinking, "When?!"

And it's a good question. But consider this:

"Practicing gratitude for as little as 15–20 seconds, can lower stress hormones, increase the flow of oxygen to every cell of your body, and harmonize your heart's rhythms with your body's other systems." Thanks, Christiane Northrup, M.D.

So, did you get that? Fifteen to twenty seconds. That means if you stand still, close your eyes, breathe deeply, and think about something for which you are grateful, you can get all of those benefits. That's like, three deep breaths. And if you can spare that many inhales and exhales three or four times a day, you could notice a serious difference in your state of mind and your level of calm.

And when you get a chance for a longer break, take it.

We're not saying a couple of 20-second breaks a day are enough—not by a long stretch. These quick gratitude breaks can be a nice pick-me-up during busy times, but be sure to build in regular real breaks for yourself as well.

Start positive.

Whether it's waking up to music, meditating, going for a five-mile run, or putting butter in that first cup of coffee (yes, it's a thing), find a pleasant way to start each morning that will set the tone for the rest of your day.

Laugh.

Find the people—friends, family members, colleagues, authors, comedians, actors (and possibly politicians?)—who make you laugh and seek them out often. Whether it's getting together with a buddy, going to a comedy show or a funny movie, re-watching all 275 episodes of Cheers, or checking out a new clip of a tripping dog online that tickles your funny bone—get there. We all know the cliché, "laughter is the best medicine." And we all know it's a cliché for good reason.

Put a few—or all—of these self-care tips into practice and you'll be in good shape to give your best at work, at home, and at play for years to come. As long as you build in some happy-making moments into your routine, and know yourself well enough to take a break when the time is right, you should be set.

Ready, set, Kenzai.