THE 4-MINUTE TEACHER BURNOUT RESET
A short nervous-system tool for overwhelmed educators.
Use from this page or download the free PDF, 2 pages and 5 pages available below.
1. Name Your State (10 seconds)
Acknowledge what’s happening inside:
overwhelmed
tight
irritated
buzzing
numb
shut down
Naming it reduces limbic activation by up to 40%.
“Right now I’m overwhelmed and tight.”
2. Shoulders + Jaw Release (20 seconds)
Drop your shoulders.
Soften your jaw.
Let your tongue fall from the roof of your mouth.
This interrupts the stress reflex and signals safety.
3. The 6-2-8 Breath (60 seconds)
Evidence-based relaxation pattern:
Inhale 6
Hold 2
Exhale 8
4–6 cycles.
This restores clarity, patience, and prefrontal cortex functioning.
4. Orienting: “Find Three” (60 seconds)
A trauma-informed grounding technique.
Look around and choose:
1 object with a colour you like
1 object with an interesting shape
1 object that feels familiar or safe
This widens awareness and reduces tunnel vision.
5. Hand-to-Body Co-Regulation Cue (30 seconds)
Place a hand on your chest, collarbone, or back of your neck.
Quietly say:
“I can pause. My body is safe.”
This activates the ventral vagal system.
6. Constrict + Release (20 seconds)
Gently tighten fists, arms, shoulders, and abdomen for 3 seconds — then release fully.
Repeat twice.
This uses the parasympathetic rebound effect.
7. Choose One Micro-Intention (10 seconds)
Pick one for the next hour:
Slow
One thing at a time
Gentle
Curious
Kind
Anchoring intention increases emotional steadiness.
QUICK-REFERENCE CARD
THE 4-MINUTE TEACHER RESET — QUICK STEPS
Name your state
Drop shoulders + jaw
6-2-8 breath
Find three objects
Hand on chest
Constrict + release
Micro-intention
Why This Works
This practice is drawn from:
Trauma-informed classroom science
Polyvagal Theory (Porges)
Somatic regulation research
Mindfulness and educator resilience studies (OISE, SMHO)
Neuroscience of emotion & stress (Lieberman, 2007)
Quick resets throughout the day improve:
patience
clarity
emotional availability
classroom management
burnout prevention
compassion fatigue recovery
No therapy language.
Safe for educators.
Aligned with school-board mental health frameworks.
Created for Ontario Educators
This tool is designed to be:
trauma-informed
secular and inclusive
neurodiversity-affirming
emotionally safe
culturally sensitive
printable in black and white
easy to photocopy and share
Teachers deserve real support — not platitudes.
This tool is a small, simple way to help you feel like you again.
Download the PDF – Free
Easy to print.
Easy to share.
Easy to use.
This resource is educational and trauma-informed.
It is not therapy and is not a crisis tool.
Created by Darren Elliott, RP — Online Therapy Ontario & Love Loops Press