10 sustainable approaches for a healthy, happy year
The start of a new academic year always means, for me, a full inbox and busy notifications from teachers – and not just those new to the profession – wanting to create a working life that allows them to have a sense of balance. For too long there has been an expectation that teachers will absorb excessive demands on their time outside a reasonable working week, and it is heartening to see increasing numbers seeking solutions that put wellbeing at the top of the agenda.
First of all, there are no prizes for working yourself into the ground. Being vigilant about how work demands are affecting your mental and physical health is crucial. This means acknowledging that you will cope with work better some weeks than other weeks, as we all experience fluctuations in energy and resilience. This is perfectly normal.
If you are seeking a great year in which balance prevails, these ideas may help:
- Induction matters – If you are new to the profession or new to your role, induction really matters. Make sure you know what you are entitled to and who you need to talk to if this entitlement does not actually happen. No one can successfully begin a job or a new role without adequate induction. Speak up if necessary.
- Find your tribe – having supportive and understanding colleagues can make a huge difference to your working life. With luck you will be working with these people every day, but if you feel a little isolated at your school, seek out your tribe online or through local school networks. It is great to have people you can talk openly with about any issues you are facing, or life in general.
- Pace the term – this is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to help ensure work is sustainable and does not encroach too excessively on the rest of your life. Look at the pattern of the term ahead and highlight the extra busy times. That’s when you need to book some treats and guard your wellbeing closely. When you know extra pressures are unavoidable, cut out anything that doesn’t have to be done. You will be able to pick these tasks up again when your time is not so pressured.
- Ask for help – as soon as you start to feel in need of support, ask for help. Do not wait until you are overwhelmed. Timely support can help to ease your working life tremendously, but when life is so busy it can be easy to set concerns aside. Try not to do this. Speaking up sooner rather than later can mean small issues never develop into draining, intractable issues.
- Learn to relax – this does not always come naturally, especially for those who do busy, all-consuming jobs. Relaxing does not necessarily mean doing nothing. It can help, if you find it hard to switch off, to have a creative hobby, so that your brain is busy on something other than school work. Making, baking, painting, crafting – the possibilities are endless. As long as it is something you look forward to doing, and something you can immerse yourself in, you will feel the benefits of doing it.
- Focus – teachers are often juggling multiple tasks at a time and can be easily pulled away from one focus to another as needs dictate. This can be incredibly draining, and time consuming to refocus. It is so important to create blocks of time in which you cannot be disturbed so that you can get tasks done without interruption.
- Time limit tasks – Putting time limits on tasks that need doing is a great way of ensuring that they stay contained. Most tasks will expand according to the time you make available and many tasks can be time managed efficiently if we are strict about how long we devote to them.
- Move on – not everything will go according to plan, and rough days and bad days will happen. It is so easy to dwell on these when you feel exhausted, but the best strategy is to do a relatively quick assessment of lessons to be learned and to move on as swiftly as possible. If you find yourself mulling over the events of the day in a way that makes you feel stressed or anxious, consider talking to a coach or mentor, or contact Teacher Support on 08000 562 561 for free counselling 24/7.
- Go home – making sure that you have an evening away from school is so important for your sense of balance. There may well be times when you are needed late at school but these occasions should not become the norm.
- Have an attitude of gratitude – one of the surefire ways of helping us to feel better about ourselves and our lives is a daily habit of gratitude. This can be as simple as keeping a gratitude journal where you write down three things you are grateful for each day. This could be a lesson going particularly well, your good health, a helpful colleague, a job you enjoy or a roof over your head. Just getting into the habit of acknowledging what you are grateful for helps you to keep the good stuff in life front and centre of your mind.
Keep your mental and physical wellbeing firmly in mind as you go through the term. Being vigilant and aware of when stress levels are rising will give you a greater chance of avoiding burnout.
Take care, and enjoy the new school year!
About the author
Elizabeth Holmes
After graduating with a degree in Politics and International Relations from the University of Reading, Elizabeth Holmes completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education, University of London. She then taught humanities and social sciences in schools in London, Oxfordshire and West Sussex, where she ran the history department in a challenging comprehensive. Elizabeth specialises in education but also writes on many other issues and themes. As well as her regular blogs for Eteach and FEjobs, her books have been published by a variety of publishers and translated around the world. Elizabeth has also taught on education courses in HE and presented at national and international conferences.
