Self-care in a selfless field

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^{Teaching as a selfless calling, an act of entertainment and as the most micro-managed profession}
^{6 self-care tips}
^{Creating a culture of wellbeing and self-care in your school}

As an educator, you hold a ‘special’ role in society. On the one hand, you get those who love the nobility of the profession, and on the other hand you get those who love to hate it! What doesn’t show, from the outside, is how the increased demands of the job slowly begin to outweigh the rewards. The number of educators seeking help for their mental health is rising, but still the very concept of mental wellbeing remains far from the corridors at schools.

Teaching – a selfless calling

It is common to hear the analogy of the oxygen mask – the usual instruction which a flight attendant gives in the event of a volatile situation. “Place the oxygen mask on yourself first before helping your children (or anyone else who needs help).” It is obvious that the reason for this is that you’ll need to be able to assist them without concern for yourself – that you’ll be a better helper if you take care of yourself first. This is exactly what teaching is about!

Teaching – an act of entertainment

Do you feel that your time in the classroom is often an act of entertainment – where you’re trying to hold the attention of learners long enough for them to actually learn? Do you sometimes feel that you’re constantly competing with socio-emotional factors from learners who are dealing with major life events and, possibly, trauma?

Unlike other professions, the physical nature of teaching means having a significant amount of attention being drawn from you throughout the work day. There is a small amount of cognitive down-time, if any, and, coupled with the physically, hands-on nature of the job, it is no wonder that the demands take its toll and lead to teacher burnout. It is said that a teacher makes more spontaneous decisions in a day than a surgeon does!

There is research on the extraordinary number of decisions that a teacher has to make at any given moment —- more decisions minute-by-minute than a brain surgeon.
American Society Today

Teaching – the most micromanaged profession

Open up your browser and type in: What is the most micromanaged profession. Leave a comment below to let me know what you find on the first page of the search results.

There is an element of control in classrooms – what to teach, what not to teach, what charts to put up, where not to put them up, when to sit/stand/go to the loo… The list goes on! Our classrooms have become micromanaged environments.
Each minute of our workday is managed – There are duties to perform before school, after school, and for extra-curricular activities. In fact, teacher’s after-school hours are also controlled when they are expected to complete their marking and do lesson preparation at home.
Teachers in South Africa follow a 4-year professional degree path… as do pharmacists, optometrists, audiologists and many other professions. However, teachers are not considered professional enough when it comes to making decisions regarding what to teach and how to teach.

I’ve heard it often enough: Self-care is just another thing that teachers have to DO – another task to complete. I concur. Teachers have a lot on their plate. However, as in the air travel analogy I mentioned above, self-care must become one of the more vital tasks that teachers complete.

The thing about self-care is that we all do it differently. What might feel relaxing to me may not be to you. Here are a few ideas to get you started on your self-care journey. Pick and choose the ones that work for you. Then tune out, switch off and enjoy the calm.

Make time to relax. If you are a scheduler, then mark off time in the week to just relax. Keep no arrangements, appointments or tasks for that time. Designate a corner of your home to spend this time, visit a local art gallery or create a weekly private tradition at a local coffee spot. Do what works for you.
Be present. Live in the moment. Experience your day first-hand, not as an observer or bystander. Be mindful of your surroundings, take your head out of your phone, look around you and take in your surroundings. Immerse yourself in staffroom conversations, keeping eye contact and stay in present. You will soon discover the little joys you had been missing out on.
Take care of your physical self. Increase your level of hydration, challenge your step count or join the gym. Do what works for you. There’s no error in the adage: If you look good, you’ll feel good.
Keep your personal life private. Creating boundaries between your home and work life is obvious, yet often disregarded. On the one hand, keeping your work-home lives separate means that school could become a joyful escape from the monotony at home. On the other hand, keeping them separate increases the value of your time at home where you are not inundated with marking and planning.
Growth mindset. Always set out to learn something new, no matter how small it is. Be it by learning a new hobby such as crochet, or empowering yourself by upgrading your computer skills, or learning how to do gardening by watching YouTube, just keep learning!
Positive mindset. Take time out to learn and reflect on your achievements and failures. Accepting your mistakes and being open to new things is the first step towards self-improvement. There is no use dwelling on past negativities if you are not learning something from them. Some affirmations to help you with this:

I did then what I knew best; now that I know better, I will do better. (Maya Angelou)
There is no use crying over spilled milk. (Proverb)

As a teacher, you have chosen a noble, yet selfless, field to ‘grow’ in. Take care of your body and mind, and don’t forget to take care of you first.

How to create a culture of wellbeing in your school

A positive school culture is the foundation for ‘well’ habits. When educators are happy and motivated, everyone benefits! However, creating a supportive environment where educators thrive does not happen without the active participation and healthy mindset of administration.

Set expectations for and respect work/life balance of staff

When do you expect your staff to be on their A-game? Let them know and encourage them, as far as possible, to keep their school work for school hours. Respecting work-life balance allows you and your teachers to live more wholesome lives and recharge fully before reporting to duty again.

Celebrate milestones

Is someone celebrating paying off their car? Did someone just buy a house? Did someone finally have a breakthrough with a remedial learner? Help them to celebrate life. In fact, surprise them by celebrating Random Tuesday!

Use and encourage affirmations

A simple search of the vast internet will supply you with an array of affirmations for teachers. Choose a few that resonate with your school’s culture. Use them and encourage your teachers to use them too.

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In the first Staff Meeting next term (or next year), take your teachers through the process of choosing a word that they want to focus on throughout the term. For example, ‘balance’ or ‘enjoy’. Create a banner of that word in your Well Staffroom as a daily reminder to slow down, enjoy, be mindful and relax. Find ways to draw them back to that word throughout the term (or year).

Host staffroom wellness days

When arranging for physical health screenings, don’t forget to arrange an emotional health session, too. We can all benefit with a Wellness Recalibration every now and then.

Start a staffroom challenge

Join the social media hype and encourage your teachers to join the latest fun challenge that suits your school’s culture.

Practise forgiveness

Be forgiving towards your colleagues and, most importantly, yourself. We are all a part of many systems and have many demands on our attention that extend beyond our professional reach. When situations arise that make personal time necessary, be forgiving. Exercising forgiveness, and respecting each person for all of the systems they are a part of, will help build a healthy school culture and lead to a more understanding you.

Take care of yourself, too

Airplane protocol dictates that you put on your own oxygen mask before attempting to lend assistance to anyone else. The same goes for self-care. Remember to put YOU first.

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My book, 'Kismet for roses to blossom', is available nationwide (South Africa) as well as on Amazon.

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