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Teacher Wellbeing
If you work in education then regardless of your title you are contributing the growth and wellbeing of learners. This means that your wellbeing is of pivotal importance.
Happy healthy people really do make a positive difference to learner outcomes, socially, emotionally and academically!
This page has information and inspiration for you and your wellbeing.
Teacher Wellbeing- research highlights
In my masters research exploring teacher wellbeing, especially for mid-career teachers I used the following definition for teacher wellbeing:
“Teacher wellbeing is when a teacher is flourishing in their workplace, as an individual and in relationships with others, through maintaining a sense of balance between their spiritual, mental/emotional, physical, and social needs.”
There's no silver bullet to teacher wellbeing.
We all have the same basic needs but just like our fingerprints and the spots on giraffes, we are all unique in the exact ways that we meet these needs.
Physical activity is a great example for this:
Some of us love swimming or biking, others prefer team sports. Some of us love manual labour like gardening or building. Some like to walk and others like to run. Some enjoy finding ways to move whilst spending time in nature.
None of it is necessarily right or wrong, just might be different to what you prefer.
On top of the basic needs there were four key areas that seemed to make a positive difference for teacher wellbeing (see below)
For more information please follow these links:
Thriving or Just Surviving- research summary written for NZARE blog
Full research paper- can be accessed here on ResearchGate
Tips and tricks to support your wellbeing
One thing at a time
If you are feeling overwhelmed, try the counter-intuitive approach of doing one thing at a time.
Multi-tasking, especially complex tasks, can slow us down and have us make errors that we wouldn't if our attention was focused on just one thing.
Routines
Setting up routines can save stress by reducing cognitive load.
Have a routine for morning and getting set for your day- I make my lunch and lay out my clothes the night before.
Have a routine for when you leave work- I write my top 2-3 things to do and lay out the things I need for these before I leave so they are ready to go.
Meal Planning
Knowing what you are eating for the week ahead makes shopping easier and reduces decision fatigue at the end of the day. Pre-planning can also help you eat a more balanced, nutritious diet as you are less likely to grab take-aways or unhealthy snacks when you are trying to decide what to have for dinner tonight!
Move regularly
Find ways to shift and move your body throughout the day. We weren't designed to sit all the time.
Stretch, dance and move with your students.
Go for a walk at a break if you can- even 5 minutes fresh air can help.
Find a form of exercise you enjoy and add that to your week if you can.
Gratitude
It is said that we are negatively biased, that it is easier for us to notice what is going wrong than what is going right.
Gratitude helps to shift this.
There are so many things to be grateful for in our days. Start to look for them, notice them, talk about them.
Vitamin N
Connecting with nature in some way has a number of health benefits.
If you don't have green spaces near you then house plants and images of nature can still be helpful.
Teacher Wellbeing
...some inspiration to share...