Would You Like to Improve Your Sleep?
Sleep is so important but it is often effected when we have stress or worries. It maybe that you struggle to initially get to sleep, or you may wake in the night. Often it is our thoughts that prevent us from sleeping. When we don’t get the sleep that we hope for then it can cause us more anxiety as we worry about our ability to function and make decisions. The more we worry the harder it becomes to sleep forming a vicious cycle.
The good news is that there are different strategies that you can try that can improve your chances of a better night sleep. Having a regular routine of when you go to bed can help us get into better sleep patterns. Journaling and recording thoughts about our day before going to bed can help us to park some of our thinking before trying to sleep.Â
You may also like to try mindfulness and tapping techniques to help improve your sleep. Rutger’s University found that people who regularly practice mindfulness produce 97% more melatonin, which aids sleep. The production of melatonin can be increased by as much as 300 per cent for some people. Tapping helps to reduce the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, making it easier to get to sleep.
Please find attached a link to a video about sleep which includes a tapping and mindfulness practice that you can try.Â
Teacher Self-Care
Self-care sounds self-explanatory- we just need to look after ourselves. I find that I have good intentions for self-care but in practice it takes a bit of work. In teaching there is always a never-ending list of things that you could do to make your classroom and teaching the absolute best that it can be but if you tried to do it all you would burn out.
I’ve found some of the best methods of self-care are the simplest ones that I can include into my day without feeling like it’s another thing to do. When life is already busy just pausing and taking time for yourself can feel like it is impossible. We need to find ways that we can make time for ourselves without it feeling like a burden or too much effort. We need to know that we will feel better after doing something for ourselves, that there are real benefits for making time for our wellbeing.
If we constantly neglect our own needs, then it can have a detrimental effect on our lives. If we keep pushing and putting everyone else’s needs first and think about ourselves last, we can become resentful. By prioritising ourselves even for ten minutes a day it can have a huge impact to our outlook and how we feel. Having a small amount of time dedicated to something just for yourself at first can feel indulgent but in time I’ve come to realise I’m nicer to be around by taking that short amount of time.
Sometimes it can be hard to know where to start- how to make time for yourself. It can be small things such as having a peaceful bath or shower. It may be taking five minutes to stop and have a cup of tea without doing anything else at the same time. You may decide to put on your favourite song and just listen to it or dance around singing at the top of your voice. You might go to your room and read an undisturbed chapter of a book. These are all simple acts of self-care, but they make a difference especially if you make a conscious decision to do them. Consider if any of these small acts of self-care are things you would choose or if you have thought of something you would prefer instead.
Let’s start by thinking about what it feels like when you look after yourself. Answer these questions honestly and you will start to come up with simple ideas for your self-care. You may choose to consider answers in your head or journal your responses by writing them down.
Things to ponder:
· What is your favourite thing you do when you are looking after yourself?
· When do you most need to practice self-care?
· What happens when you neglect self-care?
· What one thing could you do today that feels like self-care?
Managing Time
As teachers we must be conscious of the time all the time! When we are teaching lessons, we need to be aware of the time to maximize learning. We need to ensure we follow school timetables to help the school run efficiently. At parent consultations we are mindful of timings to guarantee that we see all the scheduled parents. We worry about how much we have to do and whether we have time to do it all.
We strive to be efficient in our time management to make the most out of all learning opportunities. We often unfortunately beat ourselves up if we are not efficient with our time management- blaming ourselves for not working productively or making the most of learning in lessons. We know that unless our lessons are well paced then learning behaviours can decline. Making the most effective use of learning time takes preparation and planning- it doesn’t just magically happen.Â
There are things that you can do to be kinder to yourself about your time management that can help you feel you are making the most of the learning opportunities and looking after yourself at the same time.Â
It can help us to prioritize what we need to do by what would help us to feel better or by what will have the biggest impact on the pupils we teach. We only have so much time within a week and it is OK for us to recognize that we can not do everything. If we can be kind to ourselves we are likely to be more productive when we chose to focus on the tasks we have prioritized.
If you find yourself worrying it can help to just pause for a moment and decide what you can do right now that would have the most impact for your wellbeing or for the impact of learning in your class. When we start worrying our stress levels can rise and therefore, we work less efficiently. If you continue to worry speak to someone in your school you trust to see if they can help you.  The attached video contains a mindfulness practice and tapping script that you can use whenever you are wanting to make the most of the time you have. Â
How Small Changes Can Make a Big Difference in Teaching
In teaching there is always so much to do, so why do we want to be worrying about wellbeing as well? With over a fifth of teachers leaving the profession in the first two few years of their career and stress and workload being cited as the main reasons for leaving- a conversation about wellbeing is essential.
I think the key to good wellbeing in education is not a huge change in routine but small considered changes that can build to make a big change. Lots of small steps can make a big difference. With greater demands and expectation needs to come greater self-care for educators’ wellbeing and for all of those in our profession.Â
Small changes that can make a difference can be as simple as making sure that you have some time for yourself each day- that may be pausing to have a drink and not doing anything else at the same time, it may be having a long shower or bath, going for a walk, or reading a chapter of a book you want to read. It doesn’t have to be big things- small things can make a big difference. If you started to add those small things up, you would notice a difference. It is easy in teaching to work non-stop, to run to the bathroom between lessons or to realise you have got to the end of the teaching day without drinking very much. This way of working, without looking after your basic needs is exhausting- which is why finding small windows of time for yourself can help.Â
Mindfulness meditation is a proven way to reduce stress and improve both physical and mental health. Researchers have found that mindfulness significantly helps reduces anxiety, depression, and stress. Other studies have found mindfulness can help to reduce pain and boost the immune system.Â
If you are really struggling with your wellbeing please speak to someone you trust, or your doctor. You can also get help from the Samaritans by calling 116 123 or from Education support by calling 08000 562 561.
New School Year - New You
The start of the new school year is always exciting! A fresh start with new classes. Some of the first things that you are likely to do with a new class is to create a calm and welcoming environment and to establish clear expectations. This not only helps the children you teach but also you as the teacher. Having clear expectations and a nurturing environment helps everyone. You may have been visualising how you would like things to be and ideas about how to make your class fully engaged. You may have thought about how you are going to create class expectations that the class feel ownership for. Having the expectations set out and then being consistent with them will help everyone to feel safer and learn.
But have you considered the best way to look after yourself? Have you thought about what you need to ensure that you have nurturing expectations for yourself? Things that you know that if you do them consistently you feel better in yourself. Looking after your own wellbeing is one of the main priorities at the start of an academic year. It is easy to get swept along with all the things you think you should be doing. If, however, you don’t take time to consider your own self-care then everything else becomes a bit harder.
I’m not advocating having a huge unrealistic plan of what you hope to include in your self-care, I’m talking about starting small. Thinking about small, easy things that you can include into your day that help you feel nurtured. What one thing can you try to do each day that would help you to know you have done something that looks after you? Maybe it’s walking the dog before work, listening to your favourite podcast or playlist while getting ready, or maybe it’s taking time to stop and fully enjoy a cup of tea while it is hot and not doing anything else at the same time. It maybe you would prefer to prioritise exercise in your day, having a relaxing bath or finding time to read a chapter of your book. All these things are small things that you can try and if you do them you know you will feel better that day for making time for them.
Building small self-care acts into your day and recognizing that you have made time to do this can be hugely beneficial to how we view our day. Making time for things that we enjoy and that relax us can help us to enjoy our teaching even more. What are you going to ensure you include in your day?
If you are struggling with your wellbeing please speak to your mentor, someone in school you trust, or your doctor. You can also get help from the Samaritans by calling 116 123 or from Education support by calling 08000 562 561.
Why We Need To Worry About Teacher Wellbeing
In teaching there is always so much to do, so why do we want to be worrying about wellbeing as well? With over a fifth of teachers leaving the profession in the first two few years of their career and stress and workload being cited as the main reasons for leaving- a conversation about wellbeing is essential.
As teachers we want to make a difference to the lives of individuals, and we work tirelessly to do that. There are unique pressures and accountability in teaching which can lead to teachers feeling overwhelmed, judged, or questioning what they are doing. Teachers are supporting high levels of pupils and their families with mental health issues whilst referring for specialist services takes time. With the pressures and workload that teachers face, it is not surprising that so many teachers are considering leaving the profession. Research published by National Education Union (NEU) in March 2022 reported that 44% of teachers plan to leave the profession within the next five years. When teachers are supporting children and their families with social, emotional and wellbeing needs, it is vital that teachers themselves have self-care strategies to protect their own wellbeing and reduce stress.
I’ve been teaching for over 25 years, and I’ve been an Assistant Headteacher for over 10 years. I’ve seen the changes in education- there is more pressure than ever before. The expectations are higher, the hours can become longer, and the stress can mount. I believe in empowering teachers to value themselves and have positive self-care. I think the key to good wellbeing in education is not a huge change in routine but small considered changes that can build to make a big change. Lots of small steps can make a big difference. With greater demands and expectation needs to come greater self-care for educators’ wellbeing and for all of those in our profession.
Small changes that can make a difference can be as simple as making sure that you have some time for yourself each day- that may be pausing to have a drink and not doing anything else at the same time, it may be having a long shower or bath, going for a walk, or reading a chapter of a book you want to read. It doesn’t have to be big things- small things can make a big difference. If you started to add those small things up, you would notice a difference. It is easy in teaching to work non-stop, to run from one thing to the next, or to realise you have got to the end of the teaching day without drinking very much. This way of working, without looking after your basic needs is exhausting- which is why finding small windows of time for yourself can help.
Mindfulness meditation is a proven way to reduce stress and improve both physical and mental health. Researchers have reviewed more than 200 studies into mindfulness on healthy people and found that it significantly helps reduces anxiety, depression, and stress. Other studies have found mindfulness can help to reduce pain and boost the immune system.
To find some examples of mindful breathing that you can practice in just a few minutes try watching some of my short mindfulness videos on YouTube Michelle Auton - YouTubeÂ
If you are really struggling with your wellbeing please speak to your mentor, a senior leader in school, or your doctor. You can also get help from the Samaritans by calling 116 123 or from Education support by calling 08000 562 561.
