Teachers’ Day: 8 Stress Management Tips for Teachers

Stress can be an inevitable part of a teacher’s life. Stacks of exam papers are always piling up, student performance is always on the mind, and lesson plans have to be planned in advance. Combine that with the emotional seesaw of personal life. While these instances are inevitable, how a teacher responds to stress can make the difference between a long-lasting, rewarding career and one that is cut short due to burnout. If not managed properly, stress can develop into chronic problems such as anxiety or depression. When it comes to school life, it’s not just students who experience the stress of sticking to a strict routine every day. Teachers also face the burden of working under extreme pressure every day. However, stress can be managed properly with the right strategies. On Teachers’ Day, an expert shares effective stress management tips for teachers.

Stress Management Tips for Teachers

Besides our parents, if there is anyone who can help us evolve and grow to become a better version of ourselves, that person is always our teacher. From helping us excel in academics to teaching us life skills, they are all-round gurus for us. According to the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthNowadays, problems such as stress, burnout and anxiety are becoming more common among teachers.

Here are some effective stress management strategies for teachers from school psychologist Geetika Kapoor:

1. Take a deep breath

The classroom environment can easily cause sensory overload. Before you know it, your heart rate starts to increase, you start to sweat, and your mind starts running a marathon every minute. Deep breathing should not only be a small part of your morning routine, but also of your daily life. When you feel these symptoms in your body, take a deep breath. Deep breathing will help to lower your physical stress response and help you regain control. You can also try the 4-7-8 breathing technique, which involves inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 7 seconds, and exhaling for 8 seconds. According to Frontiers in Psychology JournalThis deep breathing technique can have a positive effect on one’s anxiety and stress levels.

Also read: 6 Best Breathing Exercises to Fight Headaches

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2. Acknowledge the stress

Stress can be viewed as both positive and negative. It is how you view your stress that can make or break the situation for you. Learn to embrace stress in a constructive manner to prevent long-term physical damage. Take a solutions-oriented approach and always look for solutions when faced with a challenging situation. Stay positive in every circumstance and have confidence in your ability to handle anything and everyone with grace.

3. Embrace imperfection

When working with coworkers, you fall into this never-ending trap of comparison and perfectionism. If you always believe that you are competing with every coworker around you and that you have to outperform, you will find yourself in a state of constant stress. If you catch yourself falling prey to this kind of thinking, fight back. Know that you are always enough and that you deserve all the praise and love for the service you provide every day.

4. Learn to control your emotions

What do we do when we experience physical pain? We look for ways to heal the wound and not make it worse, right? So why don’t we take the same approach when we face a failure or mistake? If there was a fiasco at work or things didn’t go as planned, instead of digging deep into the emotional rut, look for ways to break the negative thinking patterns. Try distraction techniques by indulging in other work, such as a creative hobby, reading a book during your break, or listening to a podcast that can help you think logically after a while.

5. Practice gratitude

We can whine about our problems in our profession or we can change our perspective to a positive one by seeing those challenges as opportunities to move in a new direction. When you face a crisis at work, whatever it may be, look for the little things that went well and that you can be grateful for. Open all your senses and enjoy every moment of your day, knowing that the same time will never come again. Move forward with all the resources at your disposal and take advantage of what your job offers you at this moment.

6. Work smarter, not harder

Teachers often confuse feelings of fatigue and burnout with hard work. Hard work is not meant to drain your energy, leaving you feeling exhausted and stressed. Be smart about your work. Find ways to delegate some of your work or invest in tools to make it easier to do.

7. Seek help if necessary

If everything in your challenging profession is going to your head, it is okay to seek professional help. Asking for help will never make you sound weak, it will only make you better at your job.

8. Build meaningful connections at work

When we connect with someone on a deeper level, our bodies produce oxytocin, a chemical that helps our hearts heal. You don’t always have to be on the receiving end of criticism or failure, stepping up to help someone else has the same effect. Teachers are always givers who breathe intelligence into their students. However, they can even build meaningful connections with their colleagues to feel connected and safe at work.