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As we emerge from the post-COVID era into ongoing economic uncertainty and geopolitical instability, the world is changing quickly. Many educators feel overwhelmed with concerns about financial instability, excessive workloads, work-life balance, and future uncertainty, leading to exhaustion, stress, and, in some cases, burnout. Over one-quarter of workers reported experiencing burnout symptoms at work. In 2024, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH) released a report on the wellbeing of workers in Finland. Initiated in 2019, the study aimed to establish a "traffic light" model for detecting workplace burnout, focusing on symptoms like chronic fatigue, detachment, and impaired cognitive and emotional control. The multi-year study found that workers' ability to function effectively has weakened, with symptoms of burnout increasing. By the end of last year, over one-quarter of workers reported experiencing burnout symptoms at work. In addition, there is an increasing level of employees at work when sick, with 41% of employees who FIOH surveyed reporting that they have worked at least twice while sick in the past six months, a trend due to poor wellbeing at work. How can universities support teachers’ wellbeing in preventing burnout and empower them in sustainable ways? Understanding Burnout: More than Just Stress Burnout is a prolonged state of mental weariness arising from chronic exposure to stress, distinct from ordinary stress, and often linked to absenteeism and turnover. It includes exhaustion, cynicism, and inefficacy like feelings of lack of support, poor relationships, and limited participation. Alongside burnout, work-related stress and work-life imbalance are significant issues affecting employees' well-being (Stankevičiūtė & Savanevičienė 2021). For us teachers, these challenges can be particularly pronounced, as the demands of educating and supporting students often extend beyond the classroom. This intensifies stress and impacts overall well-being. Sustainable work and wellbeing for teachers: A "Win-Win" approach Sustainable work and wellbeing for teachers involves more than just addressing immediate stressors; it requires a comprehensive approach to human resource management and organizational culture. Sustainable work and people management involve maintaining, renewing, and restoring human resources while reducing harm to employees and enhancing organizational profitability (Stankevičiūtė & Savanevičienė 2021). Sustainable work and wellbeing for teachers requires a comprehensive approach to human resource management and organizational culture. The sustainable principles include: Employee Competencies: Developing employees' potential and focusing on long-term orientation through strategic HR planning and future-focused recruitment. Voice of Employees: Creating conditions for employees to contribute ideas, engage in decision-making, and receive information. Employee-Employer Relations: Treating employees as equal partners, ensuring procedural fairness, and promoting equal opportunities. Care of Employees: Maintaining a healthy workforce through well-being initiatives, stress reduction, work-life balance, and fair compensation. Care of the Environment: Integrating sustainability by promoting eco-friendly working conditions, alternative commuting options, environmental training, and aligning environmental considerations with HR. By embracing these principles, educational institutions can create environments where teachers feel valued, supported, and empowered to succeed in their multifaceted roles as educators. They will be better equipped to mentor and guide their students and also provide emotional support and motivation. Inner Development Goals: A Framework for Teacher Wellbeing Sustainable well-being requires attention to our inner world, including caring for our minds, bodies, and hearts, and being aware of the environmental, social, and economic systems we inhabit. In May 2021, a collective of international scientists, experts, HR and sustainability professionals established the Inner Development Goals (IDG) framework, which outlines transformative skills for sustainable development. The IDG framework comprises five dimensions and 23 skills necessary to address the 17 interrelated UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). The five dimensions are: Being – Relationship to Self Thinking – Cognitive Skills Relating – Caring for Others and the World Collaborating – Social Skills Acting – Enabling Change Although educational settings have a good track record of addressing the dimensions of thinking, relating, collaborating, and acting, there needs to be skill development and prioritized space for contemplation and reflection of the teachers’ relationship to themselves. What does wellness feel like? And, also as important, what does unwellness feel like? Embracing Wellness Dimensions in Educational Settings In our book "Making Sense of Work Through Collaborative Storytelling" (Silva & Silva 2022), we write about how we introduce eight wellness dimensions at the workplace that can help individuals, including teachers, prioritize aspects of their lives, fostering a holistic approach to well-being: Emotional: Awareness and expression of feelings. Environmental: Responsibility for maintaining a healthy personal and wider environment. Financial: Satisfaction with financial situations and control over resources. Intellectual: Desire to learn new concepts and seek mental challenges. Occupational: Alignment of work roles with values, talents, and purpose. Physical: Maintaining good nutrition, activity, and sleep. Social: Developing a sense of connection and support systems. Spiritual: Connection with meaning and purpose in life. These dimensions can serve as an inner inventory as to what makes teachers feel well and unwell to support teachers in recovering from negative work outcomes as well and be proactive in tending to their needs. Some steps to communicate and prevent unwellness at work include Name It: Recognize and acknowledge harm. Be Present: Recenter and focus on physical sensations. Take Space: Appropriately take time for oneself. Shift State: Use recovery strategies to shift one's state. Respond: Address the situation constructively. Making wellbeing a priority for sustainable working life In an ever-changing world, sustainable well-being and work in higher education require a holistic approach to prevent exhaustion and chronic stress. By integrating sustainable practices and focusing on both internal and external wellness dimensions, we can create healthier, more resilient educational environments. Prioritizing the well-being of teachers is not just beneficial for them but also for the students they educate and the broader educational community. Embracing frameworks like the IDG can help us navigate the complexities of mental health and sustainability in the workplace, fostering a balanced and supportive ecosystem for all. Prioritizing the well-being of teachers is not just beneficial for them but also for the students they educate and the broader educational community. As Gabor Maté, author of “When the body says no”, states: “knowing oneself comes from attending with compassionate curiosity to what is happening within." This blog post is part of a series for teachers focusing on sustainability in education. Previously published posts in the series include: Exploring the Intersection: AI and Sustainability in Higher Education and the introduction to the series Stories in Education for Sustainability: A Teachers' Series. Writer Tricia Cleland Silva serves as the coordinator for the Metropolia Sustainability in Education team. She is a senior lecturer in the master degrees of Health Business Management and Leadership and Development in Nursing. She holds a PhD in Management and Organization. Her co-created method of Collaborative Story Craft and Story Mediation inspires her roles in sustainable development and inclusion within higher education and various communities of practice. She is also a parent, owns and runs a family business with her partner and an immigrant professional from Canada. References Cleland Silva, T., & de Tarso Fonseca Silva, P. 2022. Making Sense of Work Through Collaborative Storytelling: Building Narratives in Organisational Change. Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. Maté, G. 2003. When the Body Says No: Exploring the Stress-Disease Connection. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Stankevičiūtė, Ž., & Savanevičienė, A. 2021. Can sustainable HRM reduce work-related stress, work-family conflict, and burnout? In International Perspectives on Employee Engagement. New York: Routledge. pp. 88-107. Suutala, S. Kaltianen, J. & Hakanen, J. 2024. How is Finland Doing? Report on wellbeing at work from summer 2021 to 2023. Helsinki: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH). Transformational skills for inner development. Inner Development Goals -website.