What Impact Does a Lack of Sleep Have?
Watch the video to explore the impacts that a lack of sleep can have on your physical and mental wellbeing.
Developing healthy coping strategies can help you take charge of and improve your day-to-day well-being. Watch this video to discover some tips for developing them . . .
Developing healthy coping strategies can help you take charge of and improve your day-to-day well-being. Here are some tips to help you develop healthy coping strategies:
1. Identify your sources of stress
The HSE found that 42% of people who saw their GP regarding work-related mental health issues named the main precipitating event as factors intrinsic to their jobs. For those working in schools, causes of stress frequently include workload, clerical and administrative demands, and stretched resources. Understanding the causes of your stress is an important step in developing healthy coping strategies.
2. Assess the impact you can have
Objectively assess the impact you can have on the factors causing stress. Some of the sources of your stress will be outside of your control, so you may only be able to control your response to these. Taking this step can help you manage your expectations and develop a realistic strategy for managing stress.
3. Develop a positive stress mindset
A person's 'stress mindset' refers to the beliefs they have about experiencing stress and the consequences it can have. A Chinese study of college teachers’ work stress suggests that viewing stress in a positive light can help to moderate its negative effects.
Coping with stress is an ongoing process. Fostering a positive mindset may help you more effectively handle the causes of stress that you're unable to change. A positive stress mindset may also help build resilience to the causes of workplace stress that are unlikely to vanish in the near future.
4. Build relationships with your colleagues
Individuals whose occupations involve high levels of interaction with others and are in the public sector report statistically higher rates of work-related stress. Teachers and other school staff fall squarely in this category. The positive news is that research continues to reveal that having high-quality interpersonal relationships with colleagues can help protect you from the adverse effects of stress. A recent study from Brazil found that this is also true of teacher burnout.
5. Try healthy coping strategies
Many healthy coping strategies are things that need no equipment or any extended length of time. An example is meditation. People often think you need a huge amount of time and resources to meditate, but all that’s needed is a couple of minutes to focus on your breath. For example, this could benefit teachers after a stressful lesson or administrative staff before handling a difficult phone call. Other healthy coping strategies include mindfulness, talking with a friend, and finding peace in nature.
6. Experiment with different strategies
Finding a way to effectively cope with stress is an individual journey which often involves an element of trial and error. Allow yourself time to try out different strategies — and give the strategies you try time to work.
Remain open-minded and be kind to yourself when exploring different options. If you find that a strategy isn't helping, simply move on to the next one. You might find a particular style of coping works for you in one circumstance but not another. Having a range of healthy coping strategies to draw from can be extremely empowering.
7. Seek external support
Maintaining social support networks is often underrated, but can be incredibly beneficial. Spending time with friends and family helps to keep a healthy work-life balance which can be an important factor in coping with work-related and teacher stress.
While few want to be reminded of their experience of teaching virtually, the internet is great for maintaining social connections. A weekly video call or online game can make a huge difference in how you feel.
Please remember that if your stress levels become overwhelming, it's important to seek professional help, and we've put together a useful list of places to approach for support in our guide called 'Where to get help with your wellbeing'.
Watch the video to explore the impacts that a lack of sleep can have on your physical and mental wellbeing.
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Watch the video to explore some quick tips for cultivating and maintaining a positive mindset.
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Developing healthy coping strategies can help you take charge of and improve your day-to-day well-being. Watch this video to discover some tips for developing them.
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Watch the video to explore the differences between pressure and stress, and how pressure can lead to stress.
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