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.
Watch this video to discover some tips for managing temporary anxiety . . .
Feeling anxious is a natural human response to stress or perceived danger.
Feeling anxious is a temporary emotional state that everyone experiences from time to time, usually in response to a specific stressor or situation. For example, feeling anxious before a big presentation or job interview is a normal response to a stressful situation.
It's possible to manage temporary anxiety. Everyone is different, so what works for someone may not work for you, but here are 4 common ways that people working in education use to manage anxiety.
1. Practice grounding techniques
Grounding techniques are excellent for tackling anxiety head on. When a panic attack is on the horizon or teacher anxiety feels all-consuming, try the 5,4,3,2,1 technique. Focus on
Find five things you can see
Four things you can touch
Three things you can hear
Two things you can smell
One thing you can taste
The goal of the 5,4,3,2,1 technique is to focus your senses on each item as you move through the list. For example, when you reach "three things you can hear", listen attentively to each of those sounds to reduce your anxiety.
2. Reach out to colleagues
Mental health issues among school staff are, unfortunately, quite common, so your colleagues may feel the same as you. Many will have experienced at least some level of anxiety during their careers.
Reaching out to a colleague is an excellent form of peer support. The mental health charity Mind recommends peer support for getting things off your chest. It allows you to receive reassurance, which can boost your mood and reduce feelings of anxiety.
3. Engage in routine self-care
Self-care is an important part of mental health in schools, but it's hard to achieve when you're busy. To maintain your wellbeing in school, try the following:
Healthy habits: Try eating nutritious meals, getting enough sleep, and exercising.
Stress-relief: Participate regularly in activities that lower your stress level.
Breaks: Resist the urge to work through your breaks. Even getting 15 minutes to yourself during each working day works wonders.
Establish boundaries: Saying "no" can feel uncomfortable, especially when work is busy. However, it's important to say "no" to prevent burnout.
Acknowledge feelings: Try recognising that it's okay to feel angry and frustrated — you're human, after all. Acknowledging your feelings makes tackling them easier.
4. Plan ahead as much as possible
Planning is probably the cornerstone of your success, and it's central to reducing teacher anxiety. Even if you're usually adept at planning, focus on the following:
Explore available resources: Keep trying any previously effective approach to a curriculum. Alternatively, ask colleagues for examples of their lesson plans.
Build resilience: Like any smooth-running organisation, teaching requires operational resilience. Ensure you have backup plans in place and leave wiggle room in your diary.
Work backwards: When you know what a learning outcome is, but you're struggling with how to reach it, try working on the plan backwards.
Refine communications: If a class's smooth running relies on a particular supply teacher or teaching assistant, ensure you're all on the same page. Update each other regularly and leave handovers to avoid repeating work.
Review technology use: You don't need to abandon paper entirely, but do go paperless wherever possible. Computer-based forms and communications are easier to organise, search, and file.
You can discover more about anxiety in our 'Managing Anxiety' guide.
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