everything curriculum | July 2021


First things first


I believe your starting point is to acknowledge that you are experiencing a prolonged stressful situation. Stress affects us all differently however there are common signs you could look out for, mentalhealth.org provides an indicative list which may be of use.


Make a list of events that leave you emotionally drained. This can be diverse and non–related situations, which could build up over time. Use this list to keep a diary of when you experience your symptoms in these situations. You should be mindful not to dwell on these situations, otherwise the situation could become a self–fulfilling prophecy… “I feel stressed sometimes before I walk into the staff room because of XYZ...” may become “I am walking into the staff room so I will be stressed.”


Use your diary to indicate the situations and try one of the techniques here to help you. In this edition I’ve focused on the area of mindset. In the next edition, I’ll be providing further tips relating to the areas of: It’s good to talk and taking action.


Mindset


Be mindful Mindfulness is a mind–body approach to life that helps us to relate differently to experiences. It involves paying attention to our thoughts and feelings in a way that increases our ability to manage stressful situations and make wise choices.


Research has suggested that it can reduce the effects of stress, anxiety and related problems such as insomnia, poor concentration and low moods.


Try to practice mindfulness regularly. Mindfulness meditation can be practiced anywhere, at any time.


Move on, don’t dwell on past negative thoughts Feelings of guilt, remorse and regret cannot change the past, and they make the present difficult by sapping your energy. Make a conscious effort to do something to change the mood when you feel yourself drifting into negative or stressed thoughts, e.g. employ mindfulness techniques or do something active that you enjoy. Learn from it and have strategies in place for next time. Learn to forgive yourself for past mistakes.


Think positively Smile whenever possible – it’s an inexpensive and effective way of improving how you feel. Try and find something positive to say about a situation, particularly if you are going to find fault. You can visualise situations you have handled well and hold those memories in your mind when going into stressful situations.


Be your own best friend Positive self–talk is vital. What would you say to your best friend if they were having a bad day? Would you tell them they were a useless, outdated teacher who couldn’t cope? Probably not. And yet we often say these things to ourselves. Talk to yourself as you would talk to your best friend.


Prioritise


If you have a long list of things to finish, prioritise: • What is the most pressing piece of work to complete?


• What can I finish before the end of the school day?


• Can this be left for another time?


These are all questions you can ask yourself when feeling over faced by the never–ending jobs building up in your inbox. As a teacher, it’s difficult to be completely caught up, so set realistic goals to meet for the week, or if that’s too much, just daily tasks.


It becomes rewarding when you’re able to finish all that’s set for the day. You’ll find yourself feeling less guilty for not working later and get to spend valuable time with friends and family.


Write down six highlights of the day Our minds tend to dwell on the negatives of the day – the classes we had problems with, the colleagues who don’t agree with us.


Decide to train yourself to see the positives. At the end of each day, write down six highlights of the day. A highlight can be quite a small thing. Get into the habit of noticing what is working and do more of that.


Work together It’s really helpful to feel like you’re part of a team right now. If you and your colleagues can pull together, things might feel less daunting.


Collaborating gives an opportunity for a variety of voices to be heard… cultivating a feeling of shared experience: we’re not alone, but in it together.


By working together we’re able to come up with the most effective strategies we can. One thing that’s key is having consistency across the board – making sure every member of staff is singing from the same song sheet.


Working together includes the pupils. Making sure pupils understand why. Why we’ve got a one–way system, why they’re coming to school at different times, and at lunch time. By understanding why, the pupils can adapt more easily.


What you are doing is not going unnoticed, and it is really appreciated.


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