Wow. This is a first.
Never have we faced such a tough and unknown situation than the one we are all going through now. Covid-19 has changed the way we live, work, socialise, shop and commute in a way none of us would ever have imagined.
With so many restrictions, constant changes and hearing negative news it can have an impact on your mental health and well-being.
Stress, anxiety and fears of how the pandemic will affect our future and everyone around us can easily creep up on us without even realising. Now, more than ever it is vital that we take care of ourselves.
Working in education is probably one of the toughest challenges at the moment and one where there is a huge amount of uncertainty.
Follow these top five tips to help you keep in control, calm and focused.
1. Keep talking
One of the best things to do when you are feeling overwhelmed is to talk.
Talking helps to ease your worries and help you see things from a different perspective. Have a conversation with your manager or a member of the senior team, it will help them see things from view and provide the support you require. It’s also good to talk to friends and family, although they may not be able to change things at work, they can help to give you advice and sometimes it’s nice to talk to people outside of your school colleagues without the fear of being judged or worry about any implications your concerns may have.
It’s equally important to keep talking to your students and check-in with them of how they are feeling. Young minds are constantly developing and taking in new information, however many of them won’t have the emotional capacity to handle or process this in a healthy way.
If you can encourage all the staff to adopt the same practices, it can really help the well-being of the whole school.
2. Stay on top of basic things
Daily life mustn’t stop or change. It’s really important to keep on top of basic things like shopping, cleaning, laundry, eating, sleeping and exercising. If you keep up with the little things, you’ll be able to handle new changes and extra tasks that come your way.
3. Stay connected in the correct way
With so many restrictions in place you can easily find yourself locked away and out of touch with friends and family. Use the technology and social media around you to keep in touch with people remotely. And, if social media becomes too overwhelming then it’s okay to disconnect for a while.
4. Be kind to yourself
We are all constantly learning a new situation which is ever-changing. Don’t be hard on yourself if you’re struggling to adapt to new ways of working. Not only will you be faced with your fears and emotions, but also new types of reactions from others. You wouldn’t be hard on children when they are learning new things in the classroom, so why be hard on yourself?
If you find yourself having to take on more responsibilities, or work a different way. i.e. teaching via online videos, try to keep what you are doing simple. Don’t over complicate your work or do things that are not necessary, keeping to the basics will help keep the pressure off yourself.
5. Plan time for you – and only you
This looks different to all of us, but it’s vital to regularly take time out for yourself.
During the day try to find a few minutes in the day for a bit of peace or get some fresh air. Even if it means taking 10 minutes out to eat lunch without having any distractions around you.
Find small moments in the week to distract yourself and switch off from the things that are affecting your mind. There are lots of things you can do which don’t require a lot of investment, such as:
- Going for walks, bicycle rides or even a class at the gym. If going out is not an option; join a fitness class online
- Jigsaw puzzles – doing a bit at a time will give you the motivation to complete it
- Painting, making a collage, embroidery, pottery
- Playing an instrument – there are lots of tutorials on YouTube
- Cooking, learning a new dish or just experimenting with different foods. There are tonnes of social media groups, recipes and videos online showing you step by step guides
Whatever you do, remember the time is for you, no one else. It’s tempting to keeping looking at our phones, to stop temptation, switch off your phone and leave it another room.
We all need time to reflect, relax and recharge; after all, we’re only human.
Further guidance and support can be found by visiting the following websites.
The government have provided extra mental health support for pupils and teachers - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/extra-mental-health-support-for-pupils-and-teachers
The Education Support Partnership supports all staff in educational settings with mental health and well-being - https://www.educationsupport.org.uk
The NEU has published a guide on protecting mental health during Covid-19 - https://neu.org.uk/coronavirus-what-you-need-know-staff-mental-health-and-wellbeing
MIND is a leading mental health charity that provides support to anyone experiencing mental health problems - http://www.mind.org.uk/
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Taking care of your mental health during lockdown
People who are attracted to teaching jobs are naturally dynamic. They have to manage so many aspects of their pupils' learning, development and lives it is often little wonder they can neglect their own health.
Since 2000, it has been shown by Health and Safety Executive figures that teaching is the most stressful profession in the UK, with almost half of people reporting themselves as ‘highly stressed’. The average profession in the UK sees only 20 per cent of workers classifying themselves as highly stressed.
Last year, statistics released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed the number of teachers taking time away from the classroom due to stress had actually increased by ten per cent over the past four years, with 15 councils across the UK actually recording a 50 per cent increase in the number of stress-related absences.
There is no doubt there are many causes of stress in the UK teaching profession. Firsthand research from TLTP Education has shown growing student indiscipline and increasing instances of abuse are taking their toll, while professional considerations such as Ofsted inspections and league tables in which the results may be taken out of the teacher's hands are also a huge source of anxiety.
With so many possible problems it is vital that teachers are aware of the signs of stress. If they are oblivious, the chances are a person will not be able to manage their stress levels effectively and this leads to a higher likelihood they will need time off work to recover.
What is stress?
Stress is a natural biological response to events that can either make people feel threatened or upset. When something either physically or emotionally dangerous occurs - even if it is an imagined threat - the body's defences respond in a way that is known as the 'fight-or-flight-or-freeze' reaction - otherwise called the stress response.
It is a method or protection and when all is working well, it allows people to stay focused on the task in hand, meet previously unattainable challenges or in emergency cases can save their lives.
However, the stress response can be put out of kilter. Once it activates too many times or over a prolonged period it, can have detrimental impacts on overall wellbeing and go on to affect all aspects of a person's life, including their ability to perform in the classroom.
What are the symptoms?
The signs of stress vary from individual to individual but look out for cognitive issues such as: loss of memory, inability to concentrate, bad judgment, pessimism and worrying.
Behavioural symptoms include: moodiness, agitation, isolation, depression and feeling overwhelmed, eating too much, increased reliance on vices such as smoking and nervous habits such as nail biting.
Although stress is a mental issue it can have physical signs, these include: aches and pains, both diarrhea and constipation, nausea, rapid heartbeat, constant colds and a loss of sex drive.
How do you cope?
Spotting the signs of stress is the first step to dealing with it. There are many factors that will come into play in the management of stress, some which depend on character traits and some which depend on a working environment.
Support network: This can be within the school, but you can also seek guidance from family and loved ones with no experience of teaching. Support creates an effective buffer which protects against a job's stressors, while people who are left isolated are more exposed to them
Self control: Stress is created when control is lost. A person who has the confidence to know they can manage in these situations is less likely to have stress.
Attitude: Optimism can be a great rebuttal of stress.
Experience and preparation: People who are new to teaching may find it hard to see how it is going to get better. At that point, stress can be overwhelming. People who prepare themselves for hard days and weeks are more able to cope with it when it occurs.
