Teaching is an essential and vital career, but it can also be very stressful. It’s difficult for many teachers to balance teaching, lesson planning, homework, marking, and student counseling. Although stress is unavoidable, it is vital for both schools and educators to learn ways to improve the mental health of teachers.
What are the advantages of supporting our teachers? According to studies, stress has been linked to physiological problems such as asthma, heart disease, and migraines. Teachers who are mentally well have a greater rate of attendance. According to surveys, 28% of teachers are “chronically absent,” which means they miss more than ten days of school per year due to stress-related illness. Only 2% of teachers claim that they are not stressed at work.
We all know that teachers prioritize various factors over their mental health. For the most part their pupils, jobs, evaluations, and deadlines take precedence over their personal life. This article will examine why your mental health may suffer as a teacher and what steps you may take to improve it.
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Why your mental health may suffer as a teacher
1. You don’t switch off
This is something we’re all guilty of. It is pretty tricky for teachers to turn off their devices. You may be preoccupied with your pupils, assessments, problems, as well as finding time to complete them all. Being connected and ‘on’ for most of the working week (as well as possibly weekends) can leave you agitated and subconsciously anxious since you’re not making time to relax, reflect, and enjoy yourself.
2. Not planning for the unplanned
Planning is an important aspect of every teacher’s job and can cause enough stress on its own. Although most teachers are well-organized, external factors often cause plans to fall apart. When that happens, especially on a frequent basis, it can cause a great deal of unexpected stress.
It may be helpful to plan for the unexpected where possible by building small contingencies into your plans in case things change. It’s also useful to recognize that plans probably will change and to learn to adopt an attitude of ‘I’ll make those most of it’, rather than being overwhelmed each time.
3. You don’t believe you’re worthy
This one has a lot of depth to it. How many of us deal with the feeling that we aren’t good enough? We can often tear ourselves down and fail to give ourselves the credit we deserve, whether in a career, a relationship, or anything else in life.
As a teacher, you are frequently judged and evaluated on the performance of both yourself and your students. This can cause anxiety and stress, but you must recognize that it is an unavoidable element of the job that has to be accepted. You’re a teacher, and you’ve completed all of the necessary coursework and work experience to earn your position. Repeatedly encourage yourself, and believe, that you are the best person to teach your class.
Ways you can improve your mental health as a teacher
1. Exercise well and eat a balanced diet
When someone’s mental health deteriorates, they typically let go of their nutrition and exercise first. Research has clearly shown that physical exercise has both immediate and long lasting effects on our mental health. Not to mention that it gets the blood flowing and releases endorphins. A simple walk around the block with a collegue during lunch break can make a big difference to your day.
Diet is just as vital as exercise. Your body is similar to a car; it won’t run properly if you don’t feed it the necessary fuel. We’ve put together this list of certain foods you can include in your diet that have been shown to improve mental health and decrease stress and anxiety.
2. Turn off the power
This is undoubtedly the most challenging task. Find a way to unplug from your daily routine – not just from physically working but mentally too. Stop thinking about work. This is time spent doing something you enjoy, something alone, or something that takes your mind elsewhere.
Make a rule with yourself not to read or respond to emails outside of business hours and try to avoid using displays (TVs, phones, and iPads) in the last hour before bed.
This is about making time for yourself. Use it to rest and replenish your batteries before returning to school the next day. Watching Netflix / TV can be fun, although it’s not always as rewarding as actively doing something. Things like reading a book, playing or listening to music, and going for an evening stroll can be great ways to calm your thoughts. Also, try to get at least 7 hours of sleep at night when possible.
3. Make time to see friends and family
A teacher makes numerous sacrifices for the sake of their profession and their students. That does not imply that you have to forego time with your loved ones. Make sure you still have time to keep up with, and have fun with, the people that make you happy.
4. Form a positive attitude
We all like to think we’re optimistic, but are you really? We can all benefit from continually learning how to build positive thinking patterns. There are plenty of online tools, apps and books that can teach you how to to create a good positive mindset.
5. Draw up a vision board
This one is perfect for people who want to visualize their goals, objectives, and priorities. Visualize the teaching experience and life you want to have, and write it down somewhere to serve as a reminder when you need it. Your vision board is personal to you, and you should design it in any way you like. You have the option of keeping it private or displaying it for all to see. You could make a vision board for school and a vision board for home. Perhaps create one in class with your kids to obtain their buy-in on how they want to the classroom to be.
6. Practice mindfulness
If you’re new to mindfulness, it’s the practice of actively and purposefully focusing on the present moment – being aware of your surroundings as well as the physical and emotional sensations your body is having.
It’s as simple as keeping an eye on your class and each youngster without passing judgment. You don’t have to wait for them to be completely motionless and quiet to do this! Practicing mindfulness in a completely serene and quiet environment is not required. It’s all about finding serenity amid the chaos. The benefits of teaching mindfulness to your pupils include increased focus, reduced stress, and higher academic accomplishment.
Be the teacher you want to be
Juggling all of the obligations of being a teacher is complex and your mental health sometimes takes second place. We hope you are able to use some of these ideas to improve your mental health, and start to discover greater levels of happiness and productivity, allowing you to be the best teacher you can be while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
