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"Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won't accept." -Anna Taylor
"Love yourself enough to set boundaries. Your time and energy are precious. You get to choose how you use it. You teach people how to treat you by deciding what you will and won't accept." -Anna Taylor
Stress
Stress
Stress
"I'm so stressed out!"
"I can't handle all of this stress!"
"You're stressing me out!"
Did you know that not all kinds of stress are bad? Everyone experiences stress at some point, with over 80% of people in a "Healthline" poll citing stress within the past month, and 20% of that severe stress. Stress can be a good motivator, it can make you focus, and can be for things that are exciting, like a wedding day or the Olympics. It is when stress is prolonged over a long period of time that it can become a problem, creating a "fight or flight" response in your body, which increases hormones released into the body, such as cortisol and adrenaline. (Healthline, 2018.) Prolonged "fight or flight" responses can lead to serious long term health effects such as high blood pressure, altered immune system, and it can even stunt your growth!
Eustress
Eustress can be a positive type of stress. It comes from stepping outside of your comfort zone and can has positive benefits including excitement, more confidence, inspiration, autonomy, and resilience. It can also help our bodies by pushing our bodies to become stronger. (Healthline, 2019.) It is only when the stress begins to feel overwhelming or when we push ourselves far beyond our limits that it can become distress.
Distress
Distress is what we think of as "bad stress." These types of stressors can come from major life changes like moving, having a baby, or changing careers. This type can also be caused by long term stressors like a demanding job, a longterm illness, financial difficulties, or martial issues. Long term distress is what causes many of the negative long term side affects we associate with stress such as heart disease, anxiety, obesity, and fatigue.
Acute stress
Acute stress is the most common type of stress. It is when the body and brain senses an immediate threat, such as having to make a phone call, almost merging into a car on the highway, dropping your coffee on yourself, or having a job interview. These types of situations can help your body prepare strategies on how to deal with large stressors by practicing with smaller stressful situations.
Chronic Stress
Chronic stress is prolonged stress over a long period of time. You may experience this stress so long that you don't even notice it's there. This kind of stress can lead to serious health problems if not addressed.
("Stress in a nutshell", n.d.)
Negative Affects of longterm stress:
headache
anxiety
insomnia
weight gain
altered immune system response
high blood pressure
lack of energy
type 2 diabetes
osteoporosis
brain fog
depression
chronic pain
lower sex drive
digestive problems
eating too much or not enough
stress ulcers
(Healthline, 2018)
(The American Institute of Stress, 2019.)
Stress in Teachers
Stress in Teachers
Educators feel stress more than ever, leading to higher burnout and attrition rates
Factors that contribute to teacher stress:
Professional issues
Emotional exhaustion/burnout
Low self efficacy or difficulty feeling accomplished
Limited support from staff or colleagues
Difficulty connecting with students and their behavioral issues
(Advanced Courses, n.d.)
Did you know that stress can affect teachers differently than people in other professions? Here are some facts about mental health and stress in the teaching field:
73% of educators have experienced mental health issues (Marko, 2015, p.II)
With the additional stress of the pandemic, 84% teachers say they are more stressed now than they did before the pandemic (Gewertz, 2021.)
One quarter of teachers reported they were planning on leaving the profession after the 2020-2021 school year (Gewertz, 2021.)
Not only are teachers feeling stressed, they are also unlikely to report it. Out of 12 professions studied in a Gallup poll, teachers were "the least likely to report like their 'opinions seemed to count at work". (Klein, 2014)
Exercise can improve mood and self-reported performance for educators (Coulson, McKenna, & Fields, 2008.)
Teachers may show more physical symptoms of stress than other professions, including
Higher level of fatigue
Throat & voice problems
Foot pain
Lowered immunity
(Advanced Courses, n.d.)
self care inventory.pdf(Advancement Courses, n.d.)
How can teachers take care of themselves?
Ideas from the article, "7 Self Care Tips for Teachers (Venet, 2014)"
Have a pick me up like chocolate, tea, or a protein boost
Do a few yoga moves or get out of the building for some fresh air
Write thank you notes or gratitude list
Take a mindful moment to breathe and relax in between classes
Do something creative to unwind like painting, playing music, knitting, or baking
Connect with others by spending time with loved ones, making positive phone calls home, spending time with animals, or volunteering
Look for the good by having a folder of positive quotes, feedback from students, or letters
CHILL by watching tv, reading a book for fun, listening to music, dancing, or eating chocolate
Move your body by going for a walk, taking a class at the gym, or doing yoga.
Practicing
Self-Compassion:
Talk to yourself the same way you would talk to your best friend.
Recognize our common humanity-- remember we're all in this together and we all struggle sometimes.
Practice mindfulness and "in the moment" exercises like self squeeze or focused breathing.
(Zakrzewski, 2012)
Some other healthy psychological strategies that can help teachers :
-Use adaptive self reflection to help you learn from the experience and clarifies actions
-Revive self worth after rejections through using self affirmations, like making a list of 5 attributes you really are proud of about yourself and why that is valuable
-Move on from situations instead of brooding and ruminating, which can lead to cardiovascular disease and depression
-avoid guilt so that you can enjoy your life experiences and not avoid those people or situations you associate with guilt
-foster relationships to avoid loneliness, which suppresses your immune disease, puts you at great risk for depression and Alzheimer's and can shave years off your life.
-strengthen your self-esteem by writing a letter to yourself like you would to a friend who was struggling with these thoughts to help it be your "immune system" of mental health or the armor you wear throughout life
(Emotional First Aid, 2013)
Strategies for Self Care at work
Self Massage
Stretching
Caring for your feet
Going outside
Hydrating
Deskercise
(Advanced Courses, n.d.)
Resources
Resources
Resources
Advancement Courses (n.d.) Self-care for teachers
Coulson, J.C., Mckenna, J., & Field, M. (2008.) Exercising at work and self-reported work performance. International Journal of Workplace Health Management, 1(3), 176-197. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldinsight.com/doi/abs/10.1108/1753835081092653
“Daily Life.” The American Institute of Stress, 18 Dec. 2019, https://www.stress.org/daily-life.
“Emotional First Aid.” Performance by Guy Winch, YouTube, Google Talks, 16 Aug. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBqoA1V6Fgg.
Gewertz, Catherine. Teachers’ Mental Health Has Suffered in the Pandemic. Here’s How Districts Can Help, Education Week, 4 May 2021, www.edweek.org/leadership/teachers-mental-health-has-suffered-in-the-pandemic-heres-how-districts-can-help/2021/05.
Healthline Editorial Team. “The Basics of Stress.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 25 Feb. 2020, https://www.healthline.com/health/stress#causes.
Klein, R. (2014, April 9). American teachers feel really stressed, and it's probably affecting students. Huffington Post. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/09/gallup-education-report_n_5119966.html
Lindberg, Sara. “Why Eustress Is Good Stress.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 3 Jan. 2019, https://www.healthline.com/health/eustress.
Svard, Isabelle. “Stress in a Nutshell - and the Connection to Leadership ...” Dandy People, Dandy People, https://dandypeople.com/blog/stress-in-a-nutshell-and-the-connection-to-leadership/.
Venet, A. (2014). 7 self-care strategies for teachers. Retrieved from.
https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/7-self-care-strategies-teachers
Zakrzewski, Vicki “How Self-Compassion Can Help Prevent Teacher Burnout.” Greater Good, 11 Sept. 2012, https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/self_compassion_for_teachers.
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