TEACHER DEVELOPMENT

5 Ways Teachers Can Destress

Last Updated 1 October 2023/ By Zineb DJOUB

We have been fired up by the back-to-school season. Yet, our enthusiasm and passion to start off a new school year may turn into making us stressed out. In fact, the beginning of the year can be the most stressful period of time for teachers. The issue of routine has started paralyzing them, while new experiences, for those new or moving on, can increase their fear. What can also contribute to teachers’ stress is meeting their needs and dealing with the unexpected which threatens their well-being. It is still the beginning of the year and much work is coming up. So, we need to destress to keep up the momentum. Here are 5 ways teachers can DESTRESS.

1. Develop healthy routines

Self-care can support you in overcoming your stress. So, give yourself a break: exercise, meditate, go for a walk, write in your journal, read, stretch yourself out and listen to music, podcasts, or audiobooks (you can do so anywhere and anytime using Audible), watch your favourite movie, go to the spa, go out with your friends/family, and practice your hobby. Do not forget that self-care also means drinking water, eating nutritious food, and sleeping well.

Spoil yourself from time to time. Invite yourself somewhere nice, cook your favourite meal, get yourself new clothes or things you like, change your hairstyle, and travel.

Oganization is also part of your self-care because it makes your life easier and avoids stress. So, it is important to organize your time and keep things tidy. To learn more about how to keep your time and workspace well organized, see Organization Tips and Tricks for Teachers.

Finding yourself rituals or actions that boost your self-motivation can also support you to destress. Here are 3 Ways to boost self-motivation.

 

2. Experience the new with your students to break up routine

Trying something new with your students from time to time is a way to destress. For instance, you can think of students writing their class magazine, designing their class blog or podcast, collaborating virtually with other classes, doing projects, creating and performing their plays, holding workshops, etc.

Yet, deciding on ‘the New’ does not necessarily relate to your teaching content or syllabus. The intent is to break up routine to distress while providing opportunities for students to create and take more ownership over their learning process.

To do so, those new tasks need to be less challenging for you and your students. This means they do not require much preparation from you, and your students can do them with your help. Instead of providing grades, you can give your comments and reward them on that basis.

To destress there is a need for some fun. So, select tasks that are more interesting and amusing to go through. You will laugh with your students and enjoy their creativity.

Watching your students’ efforts and success can bring you certain stress relief because you have not just enjoyed doing so, but you have also discovered the genuine inside them and paved the way to their success.

3. Organize shared distressing activities with colleagues

This can be an organized trip at weekends or holidays, a meal, playing games, exercising or practicing yoga together, telling jokes during breaks, doing voluntary work related to your school or other contexts, etc. The objective of spending such time together is not to develop intimate relationships with your colleagues but to share moments of distress where enjoying time, sharing, and caring about the other one are prevailing.

During those moments, you need to focus more on the individual self rather than on the teacher and her associated tasks (do not talk about school). When you meet your colleagues the next day, you will remember those moments; you smile, laugh, and retell them. This brings joy to your hearts, making you thus destress.

4. Let it all out to destress and know how to act

What increases teachers’ stress is their silence or resistance to share the problems and difficulties they are facing in their jobs with their colleagues and people who can help, i.e., mentors, principals, etc. Sharing them with their friends and family members may not help them find solutions and can end up depleting them.

So, you need to talk to your colleagues and decide on a schedule for meeting sessions at least once a week. During such sessions, each one of you is provided with the chance to discuss her problems and difficulties. Then you collaborate to make relevant decisions to overcome them. You can also share successful stories to inspire others to learn and progress in their career.

Whatever kind of support teachers receive, collaboration, peer feedback, or inspiration, being a member of a community that cares makes you feel more secure and thus less stressed.

5. Connect with teachers worldwide

Taking part in forums, joining discussions and networking with teachers worldwide can help you share your thoughts and destress. Yet, I found attending conferences abroad the best way to achieve that. This does not only support you in connecting with teachers, but it also opens up your eyes to different cultures, ways of thinking, and learning to raise the bar further.

Whenever I travel to participate in education conferences, I feel my energy has been boosted and all my stress is left behind me because I have talked to teachers and learned from them. Though I do not know them, I feel we belong to the same family and we are all here for the same objective “Learning to make Teaching better”.

You may think that presenting at conferences is stressful. Yes, it can be so mainly if you are not used to it. But, if you feel not ready to present, you can just attend. It is worth doing because you can meet other teachers and network. Still, selecting relevant conferences to attend is required.

These are the 5 ways to distress.