Safeguarding your Mental Health
Being a teacher is one of the most rewarding jobs but also one of the most demanding jobs. Teachers are masters of juggling numerous tasks at once and attending to their students’ needs. As a result, teachers may tend to put the wellbeing of their students before their own needs. However, it is necessary that teachers take the time out to take care of their own wellbeing, for their own benefit and the benefit of their students.
Remember, you must take care of yourself before you take care of others!
10 Tips for Teachers' Wellbeing
1. Reconnect to your purpose
Researchers remind us that having a purpose in life is crucial for our health, longevity, and well-being.Try to do one thing each week that reminds you why you became a teacher in the first place.
2. Adopt a growth mindset in your teaching
Individuals with a growth mindset believe that skill and intelligence are something that can be developed, perceiving success as a result from constant personal development. Here are some ways you adopt a growth mindset:
See your challenges as opportunities.
Reflect each day on what you’ve failed at (and learned from).
Focus on rewarding actions, not traits.
Start using the word "yet" more often, instead of saying ‘I’m not very good at lesson planning’, change it to ‘ I’m not very good at lesson planning yet!’.
3. Set Boundaries
Without boundaries, being open and available can quickly turn you into being overwhelmed and overworked. Setting your own boundaries can include not answering emails after a certain hour in the evening, not working during your designated lunch hour or not lesson planning during the weekend.
4. Make sure to reward yourself
Consider simple and practical ways to reward yourself whenever you reach a goal or sub-goal: take a walk in nature, soak in a warm bath, cook your favourite dinner or indulge in a massage.
5. Ask for help
There is nothing wrong with asking for help when you find yourself stuck at work. Asking for help, can help you manage your workload better, improve your productivity and efficiency as well as learn new things from others. If you have a teaching related query, contact your senior teacher. If you need help with materials, contact the library. If you need help with a specific teaching issue such as teaching mixed levels or teaching large groups, attend one of the many voluntary workshops offered by EDUA.
6. Connect with other teachers
People with good connections are happier, less stressed, more engaged at work and even physically healthier. In the workplace, these links help us learn, become engaged in what we are doing and feel loyal to our workplace.Therefore, attending any of EDUA’s teacher events can help you achieve all of that!
7. Be efficient: Pareto's principle 80/20 rule
The Pareto Principle (or the 80/20 principle), named after the Italian economist, Vilfredo Pareto; that 80 % of consequences come from 20 % of causes. Using this mental model, you could achieve more by focusing more on this 20 % of our work.You can use the 80/20 rule to prioritise the tasks that you need to get done during the day. The idea is that out of your entire task list, completing 20% of those tasks will result in 80% of the impact you can create for that day. So in order to get the most impact done, identify which tasks have the most impact and focus on those for the day.
8. Focus on your sleeping habits
During sleep, your body is working to support healthy brain function and maintain your physical health. Develop good sleeping habits by:
Setting a consistent sleep schedule, by going to bed at the same time and waking up at the same time.
Creating a bedtime routine such as having a warm bath or reading a book.
Avoiding blue light for at least 90 minutes before bedtime.
Limiting caffeine and nicotine use during the day.
If possible, get some of that morning sunshine by going on a walk or just by simply soaking up the sun on a bench in a park. Sunshine regulates your circadian rhythm by telling your body when to increase and decrease your melatonin levels. Melatonin is a hormone associated with our sleep-wake cycle. So, the more daylight exposure you can get, the better your body will produce melatonin when it's time to go to sleep.
9. Build emotional resiliance
Emotional resilience refers to one’s ability to adapt to stressful situations or crises. Building emotional resilience can be achieved by the following:
Adapting a self-care routine for your body and mind such as eating well, staying active and avoiding unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Managing negative thoughts by accepting that change and setbacks are all part of life, so it is important to maintain a hopeful outlook.
Build connections with others. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other teachers in the company.
10. If you get stuck, seek professional help
If you are struggling, and need more professional help, do seek support. Remember it is OK to not be OK.
Click here to access a list of English speaking therapists.
Mental Health Resources
These resources are here to help you learn more about your mental health from apps, podcasts, Youtube Channels and websites. Please note that if you do find yourself needing more professional help, contact your general practitioner for further guidance or any of the English speaking therapists from this list.
Apps
MindShift CBT App
Breathe2Relax
Headspace
Meditopia
Simple Habit
SuperBetter
Moodfit
Podcasts
Mental Illness Happy Hour
The Happiness Lab
The Hilarious World of Depression
How Can I Help? With Dr. Gail Saltz
Ten Percent Happier
Happier with Gretchen Rubin