Lost, Lethargic & Losing Hope: Reigniting Your Passion & Purpose In Teaching
I’ve been struggling with writer’s block…
Which is a funny thing to type, because I don’t think of myself as a writer.
And, maybe, that’s part of the problem - we’ll come back to that…
But if you’re losing your passion for the job or you’re just feeling a bit disconnected or dejected with work, then this is for you.
See, I’ve been feeling this friction towards writing, work and putting myself out there lately and I think what I’ve realised from this is also relevant for you.
Ultimately it’s been the combination of a few things:
If you're online, you may have noticed that there’s been a big shift in the algorithm on many of the social media platforms and, now more than ever, social media feels more like being back at secondary school. Only this time, it’s not those who are the best at sports or whose parents can afford the latest trainers who are the most popular... It’s now who can shout the loudest, who can be the most negative and who can churn out the most content! But, hey, maybe that’s me just being pessimistic and a sore user?
I do believe though that whilst social media can do, and has done, so much good for education, there is now a tendency for those with big platforms to say stuff that ultimately leads to us staying stuck. I say this because, on top of the constant undercurrent of negativity, I never really see a clear next step suggested for how we can make change with whatever challenge is being narrated. It is so, so important that we all feel seen, heard and represented, but there is a limit where being "a voice" can become simply stirring the pot for self-promotion.
The neuroscience of negativity supports this too: we have a negativity bias in our brains, we have ironic processing theory (where we focus more on things we try to not think about) and then we have confirmation bias. Personally, this has really affected me lately to the point where I’ve felt extremely drained after scrolling for even a little while!
For you, this might not be social media - though I can imagine the increased amount of negative content is no doubt subconsciously affecting all of us - but it could be the social environment in school. Gaslighting, gossipping, gatekeeping; all things we see when wellbeing is poor in school. With upcoming transitions, new classes and staffing being announced and plenty of changes on the horizon for some of us, we can see this really pick up pace.
To help this, I’m going phone-free. I’m going to buy myself an old-style, non-smart mobile phone and put my SIM card into it a few days a week. I’ve trialled this before a few years ago and it made the world of difference.
I’m also going to closely curate my feed. We can all choose to unfollow and restrict those who are not adding positively to our lives. We can also now go into our settings on some platforms and actually delete and add topics we’d like to see more of in our algorithm!
Of course, you can put these steps in place too for social media, but it’s not always this easy in school! We can, however, professionally choose to limit our interactions with certain colleagues, communicate instead through email, avoid conversations we find draining or even curate our paths around school so we can reduce how much time we spend in certain areas. These are boundaries and it’s okay to put those in place!
Another issue I’ve faced is that I’ve had some knock back. I’ve also had some really exciting things happening but, funnily enough, thanks to my negativity bias, my brain hasn’t really spent much time on those! In recent months, I’ve had a few proposals to work with new schools be rejected - ouch! Rejection sucks! Your brain never goes to, “maybe the time isn’t right?” or “perhaps they really have had that change from the council?” it just goes to, “I’m awful”, “I’m not worth that” and, “this isn’t going to work - nobody wants my help!”.
Now, as someone who works in school, you’re constantly getting kicked in the teeth (sometimes literally!). Every minute of every day has its rejection: the photocopier rejects your pleas to “please print!”, that child rejects your offer of co-regulation, that colleague rejects your ideas or input for that project. But, as a social species, we’re wired to avoid rejection; to keep it at arm’s length as much as is possible for fear of isolation and impending doom!
Some of us are even more open to the discomfort and anxiety that can come from this; Rejection Sensitivity Dysmorphia is where we experience an extreme reaction to even perceived rejection and is very common among neurodivergent individuals.
It’s near-on impossible to avoid all rejection but there are a few things I’ll be doing that you could do. First of all, come back to your strengths: create a confidence collection - write down all your wins, successes and positive traits to help balance your brain’s reaction. Try turning the obstacles into an opportunity; what has this perceived “no” opened to the door to? What can you do now instead? A lack of printing because of a busted photocopier may lead to outdoor learning - no marking, anyone?!
The final thing that I feel has blocked up my “passion pores” lately and stopped me putting myself out there is a disconnection with the purpose behind what I do. I’ve felt okay, but just okay. A bit separate, a bit isolated, a bit numb. Days have ticked by and I can’t really tell you times I’ve felt that buzz of purpose, like when you’re delivering your input and everyone’s engaged, the learning is clicking and you feel awesome! I think you can probably relate to that in one way or another.
So I’m coming back to my “why” as our lord and saviour, Simon Sinek, would say. I’m going to spend a little bit of time with pen and paper and write down why I am doing the work I do, why it matters to me and why I’m the right person for the job. I’m also going to think about my “highlight reel” a film of the times I’ve felt my absolute best with my work: coaching calls that have just clicked, penny drop moments on a clients face, leadership coaching sessions where SLT have taken onboard staff voice and we’ve come up with a new solution that ticks all the boxes - the stuff that gives me that magic feeling!
This evidence will serve as proof that I am good at what I do, I do make an impact and I am the right person for the job - the same as it will for you. In terms of my writing work, it will also illustrate that I am a writer (heck, I've been approached twice to write books by two of the top ten publishers - and I'm already published once!), it's just that my identity is taking a little time to catch up!
You can absolutely do this too by answering a few questions: what’s one time I felt excited about my work? What’s one time I felt like I made a real impact? What’s one thing I’ve worked on that I felt I could have kept going with for days? These questions will get you closer to your highlight reel. Now the question is how do we get more of, and focus more on, those kinds of moments?
If you have been losing your passion for the job or you have been feeling that bit disconnected or dejected with work, I really hope this has helped.
At the very least I hope that me being honest has shown that you’re not broken, you’re not weird and there’s nothing wrong with you! You’re a human being and this stuff comes in waves. What’s more, those waves knock us off course sometimes. We can find ourselves floating in a direction we didn’t really want to, or one that isn’t really “us”.
Your job now is to simply reset your compass and come back to your course.
The rest will follow.
References
Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C. and Vohs, K.D. (2001) ‘Bad is stronger than good’,Review of General Psychology, 5(4), pp. 323–370. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.5.4.323
Brailovskaia, J., Truskauskaite-Kuneviciene, I., Margraf, J. and Kazlauskas, E. (2023) ‘Finding the “sweet spot” of smartphone use: reduction or abstinence to increase well-being and healthy lifestyle?! An experimental intervention study’,Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, 29(1), pp. 149–161. doi:10.1037/xap0000430
Collie, R.J. (2023) ‘Teacher well-being and turnover intentions: investigating the roles of job resources and job demands’,British Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(3), pp. 712–726. doi:10.1111/bjep.12587
Dodson, W.W. (2016) ‘Emotional regulation and rejection sensitivity’,Attention, October 2016, pp. 16–19. Available at: Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD).
Eisenberger, N.I., Lieberman, M.D. and Williams, K.D. (2003) ‘Does rejection hurt? An fMRI study of social exclusion’,Science, 302(5643), pp. 290–292. doi:10.1126/science.1089134
Jennings, S., McCormack, L. and O’Connor, C. (2025) ‘Neurodivergent experiences of rejection sensitive dysphoria: exposure to, and the impact of, RSD’, University of Birmingham. Available at: University of Birmingham Research Portal.
Nickerson, R.S. (1998) ‘Confirmation bias: a ubiquitous phenomenon in many guises’,Review of General Psychology, 2(2), pp. 175–220. doi:10.1037/1089-2680.2.2.175
Peterson, C. and Seligman, M.E.P. (2004)Character Strengths and Virtues: A Handbook and Classification. New York: Oxford University Press/American Psychological Association.
Pieh, C., Budimir, S., Humer, E. and Probst, T. (2025) ‘Smartphone screen time reduction improves mental health: a randomized controlled trial’,BMC Medicine, 23(1), p. 107. doi:10.1186/s12916-025-03944-z
Proyer, R.T., Ruch, W. and Buschor, C. (2013) ‘Testing strengths-based interventions: a preliminary study on the effectiveness of a program targeting curiosity, gratitude, hope, humor, and zest for enhancing life satisfaction’,Journal of Happiness Studies, 14(1), pp. 275–292. doi:10.1007/s10902-012-9331-9
Rozin, P. and Royzman, E.B. (2001) ‘Negativity bias, negativity dominance, and contagion’,Personality and Social Psychology Review, 5(4), pp. 296–320. doi:10.1207/S15327957PSPR0504_2
Sinek, S. (2009)Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action. New York: Portfolio/Penguin.
Wegner, D.M. (1994) ‘Ironic processes of mental control’,Psychological Review, 101(1), pp. 34–52. doi:10.1037/0033-295X.101.1.34
