This is life!

It’s hard what we’re all experiencing now because simply we’ve never expected it. Why?

We used to think that we, human beings, own the world. With our minds, genius ideas and innovations, we can change instantly everything and have all what we want just by ‘a click ‘.

Those pandemics our ancestors experienced would never recur because our world is different from theirs. It is more developed and so SAFE.

Yet, the truth is completely different. We should expect everything and never believe that we master our life and future. We need to plan for things to get organised, but without assuming that all our plans and expectations will come true.

There is nothing wrong with dreaming of a better life and working hard to realize it. But, shrugging off the unexpected and believing strongly that tomorrow we’ll live our dreams can make us obsessed with the myth that « life gives us all what we want, the way we want it ».

We are likely to get depressed when the unexpected arises or find ourselves unable to achieve our goals.

So, we need to focus on the present and let go of the future. Because just God knows what the future holds for us.

Still, we can’t master the future, but we can master our minds. Now, we are living this ordeal experience, ‘the unexpected’ which we need to embrace. We should stay positive to survive in these difficult times. This positivity is the only tool to overcome our fears and anxiety and so protect our bodies from the virus since “continued anxiety can have chemical effects on our body as well as our immune system” Dr Joe Dispenza.

How to stay positive

You’re thinking about your job. You miss your students, school, and even those irritating or stressful moments of your work routine: gobbling down your breakfast and rushing to work, commuting, correcting piles of exam papers, planning lessons, etc. You’re talking to yourself every day, wishing you were there doing your job, instead of being at home.

I know this depletes you, but you must be proud of yourself. Because those thoughts and feelings prove that you’re PASSIONATE about teaching; you can’t do without it. Your passion is the key to your success.

Besides, if your students are telling you they miss school, be happy. You’re doing a great job, that’s why you’re ADMIRED.

If you’re teaching remotely, don’t overwhelm yourself and your students with the technology and beat yourself up when things don’t work. You and your students are already stressed out because you’re spending all the time at home and not doing what you like and you’re used to.

Simplify things and focus more on making connections with your students via this virtual world. Talk to them about what they are doing during the day, and invite their parents to join you, to work with their children to accomplish tasks. Plan for more distractive and fun activities, laugh with your students, and enjoy this autonomy that you’ve long craved for.

You’ll feel more pumped up. And because your positivity is contagious your students will also feel so.

What matters most in these times is not teaching that content to our students. We’ll explain it further and provide much more practice when we meet them.

It’s their well-being that we should care about more. Indeed, we need to connect with students whose mental health can easily be affected by the terrible circumstances they’re facing (death of a family member, their parents may have lost their job or financial issues, they are missing a person they love…).

We need to show them that our love and care are limitless, we’re present in their lives even when schools’ doors are shut.

All these hard times will pass and we’ll get back to school. So, we don’t want to see our students suffer from psychological trauma, depression, ADHD, or any other mental illnesses. We want them to get back safe, more attentive, and energised to learn and catch up with our content.

Therefore, staying positive, and accepting that what’s happening now is a challenge that we all need to face up to keep going. Doing so, you’re not just helping yourself survive and thrive in these times of anxiety and stress, but you’re also supporting others to feel better; your family, your students, colleagues, parents…

How to thrive

Think back about your daily routine during work. How often have you been self-caring or having some time for yourself? I can’t tell you how often I have procrastinated exercising though it is necessary for my health. I’ve tried to push myself (getting new gym leggings), but I could not make it because of too much WORK.

Now, I’m home working out every day without equipment and I feel much better.

So, instead of thinking that we’re trapped at home and our freedom is restrained, we should seize this opportunity to do the things we could not do because of work.

Reading is also part of self-caring because it cultivates the mind, educates the soul, and makes you more aware of your inner world (the self) and the outer world.

Because teaching is tiring and overwhelming, you may not be able to read regularly. Now, this is your opportunity, you can read a lot of books of your interests, note down those lessons you’ve learned and reflect on them.

In addition to that, there are plenty of inspirational podcasts which you can listen to. You’ll not only get energised, but you’ll learn a lot from those lessons of failure and the experiences of others. Check out this list of inspirational podcasts here.

Staying at home, you can now take more care of your pet or adopt more. You can grow more plants, learn a given skill, meditate, and do more useful things rather than watch the negative news and get depleted.

Also, I can’t forget to tell you that a lot of people need our help now more than at any time before. And there is nothing that can give us joy and gratitude other than supporting others. Help with whatever you have.

Even with your words, talking to the people living with you, phoning your relatives and friends, and posting on social media, you can instil hope and help them feel less anxious.

And the last word to tell you; you’re a source of hope to your community because you are THE TEACHER, who educates minds and souls and enlightens their lives when darkness invades the world. So, believe in yourself and in the change you can make. Be positive to have the necessary energy to make this happen. I trust you, you can DO IT. Take care.