Coping with Stress

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

Many people in school will have made resolutions for the new year and some will be about how to manage their work-life balance. Already the Christmas holidays seem a distant memory as the new term swings into action...

So here is a reminder, why it is important to manage your stress, as too much stress can lead to depression and burn out.

Being under pressure is a normal part of life. It can help you take action, feel more energised and get results. But if you often become overwhelmed by stress, these feelings could start to be a problem.

Here are some tips for managing stress...

1 Look after yourself

In school everyone spends a lot of time looking after the children. The Senior Leadership Team and head teachers look after the staff, but who looks after the senior leaders? It's not always possible to remove the stress, so you need to ensure you are in the best shape to cope. That means looking after your diet and giving yourself time to eat properly rather than 'on the go'. Sitting down to eat is important as it allows you time to appreciate what you are eating and how much. Get enough sleep. Exercise helps people to sleep better. Put at least one slot in your diary every week where you regularly exercise. Choose something you enjoy as you will be more likely to do it! Sleep is so important but difficult when you have million different things whirling around your head. Have a warm bath to help you relax. Leave your smartphone downstairs. Wind down by not looking at your phone, laptop or tablet for at least an hour before you go to bed. Keep a note book by the bed, jot down anything you need to remember - this should help empty your head so you can drift off to sleep rather than dwelling on things.

2 Know the signs of stress

Stress effects everyone differently. Sometimes you might be able to tell right away when you're feeling under stress, but other times you may keep going without recognising the signs. You can also fool yourself into thinking it is easier to just keep going. Stress can affect you emotionally and physically, and it can affect the way you behave.

Know the signs for you, for example headaches, sickness, high blood pressure, feeling disinterested in life, irritable, feeling tired all the time, constantly worrying, feeling lonely, sore eyes, sleep problems, being tearful, eating too much or too little and so the list goes on.

3 Recognise your limits

You may have lots of responsibilities and commitments but you will do all of these so much better and help others much more effectively, if you are in a good mental place yourself. My biggest mistakes have always been made when I have been tired or not coping well with my stress. This always led to much more work in the end. You are being much more efficient and savvy when you take time to care for yourself. Time to reflect is always good to assess how you are and what your limits are. Put the time to reflect and evaluate in your diary. If you enter this into the diary you significantly increase your chances of actually doing it!

4 Take positive action

Are there things you can change? For example, could someone else do the weekly shop? Do you really need to go to that meeting? Do you know how to say no politely but firmly? I remember putting together a few polite 'I am sorry no' sentences. I even wrote them down and practised saying them aloud! It really helped me. Do you actually say no sometimes? Practise being straightforward and assertive.

Have you booked that holiday so you get away and relax with friends? Have you really prioritised all those tasks? Are you tackling one thing at a time or not? Have you delegated tasks? Have you got a hobby or interest outside of school? Meeting new people, laughing and chatting with others all helps put things into perspective and produce the feel good hormones that enable you to relax. Do you know what helps you to relax, for example walking the dog, listening to music ? Have you tried any relaxation techniques? Try the simple 3-4-5 breathing exercise: breathe in for 3 seconds, hold for 4 seconds and breathe out for 5 seconds. Try it!

If you have repeated stress symptoms, seek medical advice and support. Talk to someone. Use your support network. You do not have to cope with it alone. Your support network might be friends and family or someone who is doing, or who has done a similar job, who you feel you can trust. This may be someone in school who could be your line manager or someone externally. Part of my job now as a consultant is working with staff in school who use me as a sounding board. This may be face to face in school, or by phone. If I cannot help, then I point them in the direction of a person or an organisation who can. I spend a lot of time listening. Speak to your doctor for professional medical advice and support.

5 Change how you feel

If you know you are going to be facing a difficult time, can you change how you feel about it? You can shift your emotions. Mindfulness is a practice that you, or a group, can do on a day-to-day basis. It can enable people to change the way they think and feel about their experiences, especially stressful experiences. So it can increase your ability to manage difficult situations and make wise choices.

A growing body of evidence has found that when people intentionally practice being mindful, they feel less stressed, anxious and depressed. The UK Government’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) recommends mindfulness for the treatment of recurrent depression. Research also shows positive effects on several aspects of personal health, including the mind, the brain, the body, and behaviour, as well as relationships with others.

There are different ways to learn about mindfulness and how to practise it in your daily life. It can be learnt in person, either through a group course or one-to-one with a trained teacher. There are books, audios and videos and online courses too.

Book a treat to follow a stressful day. This is one way I helped myself to stop dreading the thought of the stressful day that was ahead. It was a way of rewarding myself for coping and managing the situation. If this also involved exercise, I found that it helped me in several ways at once.

So these are just a few ideas and reminders about the importance of looking after yourself. You are doing a very demanding and wonderful job and it is very important you build up your resilience. The teaching profession needs you! You should enjoy your job being with the children and not resent the time and effort you put in. Your happiness and well being is just as important as the children's!