Sue Langley: Burnout Iceberg & The Invisible Forces Driving Staff Burnout in Schools | Episode 162

Sue Langley: Burnout Iceberg & The Invisible Forces Driving Staff Burnout in Schools | Episode 162

From The School of Wellbeing with Meg Durham by Meg Durham

April 2, 2026 · 45 min

About this episode

Meg Durham and Sue Langley discuss the systemic causes of burnout in schools and the importance of context in addressing it.

“Burnout is a sense of feeling overwhelmed by stuff. There is more coming at us than we have the ability currently to handle.” – Sue Langley What’s really driving burnout in schools? In this episode, Meg Durham sits down with Sue Langley to explore burnout through a systems lens. Together, they unpack why focusing on behaviour alone is rarely enough. Because burnout isn’t just about time management or resilience. It’s shaped by patterns that become normal, structures that influence workload, and beliefs about dedication, sacrifice, service and success that contribute to the way we work. This conversation widens the lens without dismissing personal responsibility. Individual habits matter. Boundaries matter. Deliberate action matters. But behaviour does not exist in isolation, it exist with a context. If burnout has ever felt like a personal shortcoming, this episode offers a different perspective. One that replaces self-criticism with curiosity and opens the door to wiser, more sustainable action. ---- Chapter Markers: 02:05 – What burnout really is 09:10 – Why behaviour change isn’t enough 16:40 – The Systems Iceberg explained 27:30 – Patterns that quietly become normal 38:20 –…

People in this episode

Host: Meg Durham

Guest: Sue Langley

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