Teaching staff are vital to our communities and society. The vocation attracts brilliant and dedicated people like you who are compassionate and kind. You want the best for your students, and you selflessly put their needs first.
This is your gentle reminder that you are important, too. Just like you’ll read on the safety card on the back of the plane seat, you have to put your own oxygen mask on first before you can properly help children or others. This is also known in the context of mental health as ‘self-care.’
The World Health Organisation (WHO) acknowledges that there is no official definition of the term, but they define mental health as: “A state of well-being in which the individual realises [their] own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to [their] community.”
Our mental health is not a fixed state; we can move up and down a continuum from mental illness to mental health. Did you know that one in four of us will experience a mental health problem in our lives? And, with the right care and treatment, most of us will make a full recovery?
Practising good self-care can be an excellent way to maintain or improve your mental health so that you feel positive in the classroom which in turn will have a positive impact on your student’s mindset and the general learning environment.
Here are our top tips on the practice of good self-care:
1. Breathe
Getting your breathing under control is the first step to regaining your calm. It doesn’t have to be complicated or take a lot of time. Five minutes of breathwork can make a difference to your day. You could try the method known as ‘box breathing’ used by the Navy Seals, to stay calm under pressure. Imagine the shape of a box…
- Inhale for 4 seconds up the side of the box
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds along the top of the box
- Exhale for 4 seconds down the other side of the box
- Hold your breath for 4 seconds across the bottom of the box
- Repeat until you feel re-cantered and calm
2. Be (more) active
Movement is proven to shift your mood. Look at your calendar; where might there be opportunities within the school day to move? Could you take a walk around the playground instead of going straight to the staff room? Perhaps before getting in your car to drive home, you could take a stroll around the block?
3. Set and maintain boundaries
It’s easy to take the work home with you; there is always more you could do to tweak that lesson plan. Yet having an endpoint to your working day and sticking to it will have a cumulative benefit on your mental health, allowing you the rest and recovery you need to be at your best the next day. We know it’s hard, but you can do it!
4. Connect with others
Feeling a sense of connectedness and belonging can boost our wellbeing. Talk and listen to others both at work and in your personal life. Find a hobby that gives you a sense of purpose and a distraction from the day job
5. Seek help
You are not alone. If you need help, ask. If you don’t already know, find out who within your school you can speak to if you are feeling overwhelmed. Your employer should have a designated point of contact sometimes known as mental health first aiders that can assist you and signpost where further support can be found.
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