Teacher’s mental health and well-being is important to how a classroom runs and succeeds. Becoming stressed or depressed while teaching not only affects the teacher’s life, but also their student’s mental well-being and learning atmosphere.
Given their expanded duties, growing numbers of educators are struggling to cope with the changing demands of their profession, becoming more easily burnt-out. Here are 4 tips teachers can use to improve their mental health and manage their personal and professional life.
- Keep Up with the Basics
Even though it’s repetitive, getting regular exercise, enough sleep, and healthy meals can help relieve stress and improve mental health greatly. Having a routine to enjoy and rewarding yourself throughout can help bring a small amount of positivity to the day or something to look forward to.
- Limit Perfectionism
Acknowledge that not everything needs to be perfect or can be. Letting go of perfectionist tendencies can prevent unnecessary stress and pressure and can lead to enjoying hobbies and interests more. Focus on progress rather than perfection in teaching and personal expectations, while showcasing to students that mistakes happen, and can be fixed.
- Maintain a Supportive Network
Cultivate a network of trusted friends, family members, and colleagues. Having a reliable group to vent to or seek advice from can be an essential emotional support system. With multiple people to confide in, having different points of view or conversations on what is worrying can help find clarity and feel freer.
- Try Online Resources
Mental health websites are excellent for teachers to find support and information to take care of their well-being. Don’t Lose Your Head, NEA Today focuses on stress management and offers practical tips for avoiding burnout. Life and Well-being, We Are Teachers is another site that offers articles, tips, and strategies for promoting teacher wellness and creating a healthy work-life balance. There are thousands of resources online for any situation and mental health need.
What other tips do you use to maintain a positive mental health? Let us know in the comments!
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