Teachers and education professionals give so much of themselves to their work in the classroom. Dedicating so much time and energy to their students is admirable, but it can lead to serious burnout if teachers don’t take care of themselves in the process. A 2022 survey of teachers and principals across the United States found that “59% of teachers and 48% of principals say they’re burned out, compared to 44% of other workers”. And that was only about halfway through the 2021-2022 school year!
Taking care of mental health plays a key role in helping to mitigate and avoid burnout. With so much on their plates at one time, this can be difficult for teachers and education professionals. But making an effort to take care of your mental health can be so beneficial in the long run. If you’re not sure where or how to start, here are our suggestions for putting your mental health and wellbeing first.
Balance and Boundaries
Finding the right balance between work and the rest of your life can be a tricky challenge. There will always be another email to answer and another assignment to grade. We encourage you to set boundaries – and stick to those boundaries – to maintain a healthy work/life balance. Don’t check your email outside of working hours, or set a specific time when you check and respond to emails. Try not to take work home with you; do work at work, not in your living room, in other words. Arrive to school a little early or stay a little later – but don’t do both in the same day.
All of this is easier said than done, we know. But small changes like these can have a big impact on the effects of work on your mental health.
Communicate and Connect
No man (or anyone, for that matter) is an island, as they say. No matter how stressful the job can get, do your best not to isolate yourself from friends and family. Making time for and connecting with people you love allows you to put some distance between yourself and the job. Talk to people you trust about things you might be struggling with, but try not to focus solely on work problems; don’t forget to talk about your interests, your passions, the things that make you happy and bring you joy. Having a life outside of teaching and the world of education can help ease some of the stress work can bring.
Gratitude
Practicing gratitude can transform your mindset in wonderful ways. Now, this is not about trivializing your hardships or struggles. Everything you may be feeling, whether that’s stress, anxiety, irritation, or burnout, is totally and completely valid. This kind of gratitude is about making an intentional effort to shift your perspective and focus on the parts of your life that make you happy, rather than dwelling on all of the bad parts. No one will ever have a day or week or year that is utterly perfect, but everyone can try to find joy in the small things and small moments, and sometimes that can make up for a lack of a “perfect” day.
Practice Self-Care
While this one may seem a little cliché, that doesn’t make it any less important! Oftentimes, your physical and mental health go hand in hand, and taking care of one will benefit the other. Are you getting enough sleep at night? Trying to eat healthy and exercise? Are you being kind to yourself? Other self-care practices could include spending time outside, journaling to get all those thoughts out of your head, and reducing caffeine intake. If you’re working to improve your mental health, be sure to take note of where your physical health is at. Taking care of the body can only benefit the mind.
Take Time to De-Stress
Here’s something you may not have known: self-care and de-stressing are not the same thing! Self-care is actually part of the de-stressing process and helps with reducing the stress you might feel. Along with practicing self-care, taking time to de-stress might look like setting aside time to do something you enjoy, like reading, knitting, playing video games, or going to the gym. It might be going for a walk, listening to music, and having a nice, long stretch afterward. When you de-stress, you want to keep some space for yourself, for relaxing in whatever way best helps you, not anyone else.
Your mental health can affect much more than just your mood. Taking good care of it, especially in a role like teaching, is vitally important for avoiding burnout and being able to continue doing what you love. Finding balance, practicing self-care, and taking time to de-stress can often feel impossible in the midst of life’s whirlwind, but it is always worth the effort.
Looking for more suggestions for taking care of your mental health no matter your profession? Check out our Mental Health at Work blog! And if you’re a teacher, behavioral health specialist, or education professional on the job market or eager for a change of scenery, head over to our Job Listings page to see all the positions Humanus has to offer!