From a global pandemic to a youth mental health crisis, teachers, school counselors, and school employees must balance their lives and challenges with supporting their students through increasingly difficult times. In some cases, this may mean teaching, care-taking (whether for children or other loved ones), and managing typical day-to-day challenges. While resources related to mental health often focus on supporting students, parents, and others, less focus has been paid to maintaining mental wellness for teachers and educators who are also trying to find balance. Here you’ll find some tips for maintaining your own mental wellness while supporting your school community.
10 Mental Health Tips for Teachers Balancing Life and Teaching
Here are ten teacher mental health tips you can start practicing today.
1. Control the Controllable
There are certain things that you simply cannot control, but there are some things that you can control: how you spend most of your time, what you choose to prioritize, what types of media you consume (and how frequently), and your mindset, to name a few. By focusing on the things that you can control and prioritizing the ones that are healthy, you can help to put your mental wellness front and center.
2. Carve Out Time for Self-Care to Maintain Your Mental Health
A multi-billion dollar wellness industry ensures we are aware of and focused on our physical health. But it is just as important to maintain mental health by carving out some time to prioritize the other things that help us feel balanced, whether it is reading, journaling, meditation, or spending time doing a hobby. And, if you are someone who isn’t sure what you can do for your self-care, simply the act of doing something can help maintain your mental health.
3. Get Your Body Moving to Help Your Mental Wellness
One of the biggest challenges for busy educators is building in time to be active. In addition to the activity you may naturally get at school, you might try taking a walk around your building or neighborhood with a friend, with some music, or even just with your thoughts to reset and breathe in some fresh air. Getting outside and getting moving will help manage your mental wellness.
4. Model Self-compassion
Now, more than ever, we need to be incredibly kind to ourselves to help maintain mental wellness. We teach students this all of the time– the basics of self-compassion, kind self-talk, and growth mindset. Now is the time to also turn it inwards. In doing so, you’ll benefit your own mental wellness and also be able to model it for others in your life.
5. Set Reasonable Expectations (for yourself and others)
Collectively, we need to acknowledge that teaching is not what it was 5 years ago. Post-pandemic teaching is just different, and that is okay. Students are struggling with different issues, as are teachers. By setting small, realistic goals and expectations around what matters most to you and your students, you will be setting yourself up to feel much more fulfilled and help maintain your mental health.
6. Communication is Vital for Maintaining Mental Health for Teachers
All teachers have many things on their plates. Let people know what is going on– especially colleagues and supervisors. By being transparent about what you are experiencing and what things may be helpful, you can bring them in and potentially expand your own network of resources and support. You may also be modeling healthy communication for other colleagues to follow suit.
7. Be unapologetic
We live in an “I’m sorry” culture. Consider how often you apologize, and the ways in which you can stop. Be unapologetic about taking time for yourself, setting realistic goals, setting boundaries, and being clear and transparent about what you are capable of (and what you need). This is one of the hardest things to do for many, but oh so important for maintaining mental health and wellness.
8. A Dedicated Work Space Can Improve Mental Wellness
This is a psychological trick that helps you to both be more productive, and to disconnect from work more easily. If you can, block out enough time to finish your daily tasks at work and be completely present when at home. This may require staying at work a little longer in the evening or coming in a bit earlier in the morning, but it will send an internal message to your own brain that signals when it should be in work mode and when it is time to disconnect. If you must bring work home with you, try creating a dedicated workspace – even if it is just one corner of your home that you designate as “work only” to create some separation so that you can really relax in your other spaces.
9. Set Work Hours – and Stick to Them
By controlling and identifying specific times in which you do your work, you also create dedicated time for yourself. As mentioned in the previous tip – try to complete your work at school so that when you’re home, you can really be home. It may be tempting to scroll through emails while watching TV at night, but even that can lead to increased stress or distraction. If you’re not at work or it’s not a dedicated work time at home, give yourself permission to be unavailable to maintain a healthy balance.
10. Reach Out
If you feel like you are having a tough time, and are struggling in any way with enjoying things, balancing your mood, or finding time to take care of yourself– or if you have any thoughts of hurting yourself– please reach out to a counselor. Psychology Today has a fantastic therapist directory, and your health insurance can also help you locate a counselor, most of whom now offer telehealth services. Education is a demanding profession and you deserve to receive the same kind of help and support you so often provide for your students and community.
Resources:
- Crisis Text Line: Text SHARE to 741741
- National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK
- SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP
- NAMI HelpLine (M-F 10am – 6pm EST): 1-800-950-6264
- Disaster Distress Hotline: 1-800-985-5990 or Text TALKWITHUS to 66746
Teacher Mental Health Tips FAQs
What is teacher mental health?
Teacher mental health refers to the psychological and emotional well-being of educators. It encompasses their ability to manage stress, maintain emotional balance, and nurture positive relationships with students, colleagues, and parents. Good mental health enables teachers to effectively perform their roles, including lesson planning, classroom management, and providing support for students. However, given the high-stress nature of the teaching profession, maintaining good mental health can be challenging, making it essential for educational institutions to provide sufficient mental health resources and support.
Why is mental health for teachers important?
Mental health is significantly important for teachers due to the high-stress nature of their profession. Teachers face multiple demands, such as lesson planning, grading, classroom management, and administrative tasks, which can lead to stress and, if not addressed, burnout. Their mental well-being directly impacts their effectiveness in the classroom and their ability to support students’ emotional and academic needs.
Additionally, teachers serve as role models, and their approach to mental health can provide a positive example for students. Good mental health also contributes to greater job satisfaction, improved performance, and higher retention rates in the teaching profession. Mental health support and resources should be readily accessible for teachers to ensure their well-being and the effective functioning of the educational environment.
Erin McClintock is EVERFI’s former lead of impact work in mental health, wellness, and social and emotional learning. She holds a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology, completed her post-masters studies in Trauma and Addiction Counseling, and has extensive experience as a practitioner in community, school, and collegiate mental health.