Staff
Take care of yourselves!
The staff of Bishopshalt work tirelessly to ensure that all the students are well cared for and get all the help/resources that they need. Although the welfare of our students is important, have you stopped to think about yours? What can you do to make sure that you too take care of yourselves? Both staff members and students need to practice self-care and take time out to de-stress. You may not think that this is possible with the copious amounts of work you have to complete - but sometimes you have to learn to prioritise your mental and physical health before your duties, especially when it is suffering. By doing this, you reduce the risk of overworking yourself which can cause unnecessary stress and burnout - which is common amongst the hardworking nature of teachers and staff.
Click on the link below to find out more about stress and burnout:
What can you do to help yourself
In order to help students, you need to help yourself first! Here are a few tips for managing workload and stress:
Set boundaries! - know your limits when it comes to marking and helping your students. You are human, not superhuman, so forgive yourself when you have to accept that you cannot carry the weight of ALL of your students' worries on your shoulders! Limit the amount of time you spend replying to your emails by setting specific times in the day to going through them. As students, we know that you are busy all the time and will understand if it takes you some time to respond, we can wait.
Limit caffeine intake - it is all too common for teachers to rely on many cups of coffee throughout the day to keep you awake. But, this will inevitably make you experience frequent low energy dips which prolong the cycle of needing coffee. Instead, make sure you are getting enough sleep - at least 8 hours - and eat balanced meals to nourish both your soul (chocolate) and your body (fruit/veg/wholegrains). By drinking at least 2 litres of water during the day, you reduce the risk of dehydration which can make us feel tired!
Movement - sitting down all day can be very tiring - we have all experienced this, especially during lockdown. Try to reduce sitting for long periods of time by getting a short walk in to stretch your legs. The fresh air can help relieve any built-up stress from the work you've been doing.
Finally, rest! - take time out in the evenings or the mornings to breathe and relax. Maybe your choice of unwinding is to read books, taking a nice hot shower or listening to a podcast/watching a series or film. Whatever your preferred method of relaxing is, make sure you do this DAILY. Show yourself some gratitude for how hard you've worked and forgive yourself if you didn't manage to complete everything you wanted to do! Take it as a sign to give yourself a break to enjoy the things you love most!
Remember, students want the best for you as you do for them!
More information
You can also take a look at our 'Healthy Mind' and 'Mental health problems' pages for information on how to care for your mental and physical health.
Alternatively, these websites have specific information on how staff can look after themselves: