Bianca McLeish: Self-Preservation & How To Honour Our Limits At Work | Episode 160

“Self-preservation is about intentional actions that protect ourselves.” - Bianca McLeish What if working harder isn’t the answer? In this powerful conversation, educator and school leader Bianca McLeish shares her personal journey from burnout to self-preservation, drawing on insights from her book, 'Teacher Wellbeing Transformed: Break Free From Survival Mode Before Burnout'. Together, Meg and Bianca explore the difference between self-care and self-preservation, why understanding our nervous system changes everything, and the subtle signs that dedication may be tipping into depletion. Bianca offers practical, school-day strategies to regulate stress, protect our energy and work within our limits. This episode reframes wellbeing as essential because learning to work within our limits allows us to stay in this profession longer and without losing ourselves in the process. ---- Chapter Markers: 00:00 Introduction 04:18 Bianca’s burnout story 12:02 Self-care vs self-preservation 19:45 Understanding the nervous system 28:10 Subtle signs of depletion 36:40 Practical strategies for the school day 47:25 Working within our limits 55:10 Final reflections ---- Deliberate Actions: List the three signs you're stretching beyond your capacity. Give one small nervous system regulation strategy a go. Say: "I would love to help, but I am at capacity" to the next request that exceeds your limits. Schedule a two-minute self check-in this week. ---- Episode 160 Shownotes - Click here. ---- Bianca McLeish  Website | LinkedIn | Instagram ---- Meg Durham - Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Weekly Newsletter - Subscribe here Speaker Booking - Complete the booking form to start the conversation. ---- ** The School of Wellbeing is one of Australia's best health and wellbeing podcasts for teachers, educators and school leaders! ** ---- Your Questions Answered: What is self-preservation in teaching? Self-preservation in teaching is the deliberate practice of protecting your energy, emotional wellbeing, and professional boundaries so you can sustain your effectiveness over the long term. In a profession where the workload is open-ended and the emotional demands are high, self-preservation means recognising that your capacity is finite, even when the needs around you are not. It involves making intentional decisions about how much you take on, how you manage stress, and when you create clear stopping points in your day. In practical terms, self-preservation in education might look like setting realistic boundaries around after-hours communication, recognising early signs of teacher stress, regulating your nervous system during high-pressure moments, or saying no to additional responsibilities when your plate is full. It is not about disengaging from students or lowering professional standards. It is about working sustainably so you can continue to teach, lead, and care deeply without gradually eroding your own wellbeing. What is the difference between self-care and self-preservation? Self-care typically ref