THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK OVERLOAD AND BURNOUT IN TEACHERS: CONTEMPORARY CHALLENGES AND PATHWAYS TO PROMOTE PROFESSIONAL WELL-BEING

Abstract

This article discusses the relationship between work overload and burnout in teachers, analyzing contemporary challenges in everyday school life and pathways to promote professional well-being. The objective was to systematize theoretical foundations on burnout and work intensification in teaching, highlighting emotional impacts and repercussions on pedagogical practice, and to identify coping strategies at individual, collective, and institutional levels. Methodologically, this is a narrative literature review with a qualitative approach, based on classic and contemporary studies on burnout, occupational health, and teaching work. The findings indicate that overload—marked by task accumulation, bureaucratic demands, and performance pressure—is associated with emotional exhaustion, affective distancing, and reduced sense of efficacy, consistent with burnout. It also shows that exhaustion can reduce instructional flexibility, hinder classroom management, and weaken bonds, affecting school climate. The study concludes that promoting professional well-being requires reorganizing demands, strengthening collaborative work, management support, and continuous care policies, alongside personal strategies of self-regulation and healthy boundaries.