Imagine it … a job where you could stare blankly into the computer screen doing data entry while blasting 90s alternative music in your earbuds?

A job that doesn’t require so much darn enthusiasm?

If so, I am here to tell you that you aren’t alone.

Teaching is a performance art. It requires energy, stamina, flexibility, confidence, and a whole lot of love. And most days striving for that #winning performance is FUN. Work doesn’t seem like work, the kids are engaged, technology hasn’t failed, and you are up to date on grading.  The art of teaching is fulfilling, even though you go home exhausted.

Conversely, there are the “desk-job-longing” days, and it can take tremendous effort to move forward. It could be that nothing is going right — the copier is jammed, parent emails are stacking up, you’re behind on lesson planning, etc. Or it could be that you are just plain worn down, with no energy left to muster.  In these moments where we are desperately seeking strength to forge ahead, it’s imperative to reach into our resilience “first aid kit” for some self-service triage.

One day, deep into hybrid learning, I had just taken attendance in person and online. I had the projector on for the students in the classroom, I was screen sharing with the students at home, I had gotten the microphone to work, and I was settled in a chair to start the lesson on camera. The first two sentences were hardly out of my mouth when the phone rang. ALL.THE.WAY. ACROSS.THE.ROOM.

Internally, I was exasperated. The amount of organization and energy required for asynchronous teaching was off the charts and I was holding on by a string. I put the online learners on hold, took off my headset, and walked across the classroom, and answered the phone.

Turns out the secretary had called the wrong room. She apologized, and instinctively I said, “That’s okay, I needed the exercise.” My irritation had washed away almost instantly because of many years of practicing reframing my thoughts.

Emergency care for your body, mind, and spirit is located in your head.  Mindset is so powerful that it plays a significant role in decreasing stress, improving health, and increasing happiness. Our brains are first aid kits with the built-in capability to create a lasting foundation of resilience.

But, therein lies the paradox. Even though we have all the supplies readily available to us, it can be extremely difficult to access them in moments of stress.

However, with practice, there are things you can do right in the moment to build resilience when the job you love seems to be kicking your butt.

7 First aid supplies for resilience emergencies

Breathe

Every mindfulness instructor is going to tell you to use breathing and/or visualizing as a calming technique– and that is because it’s incredibly effective. This is a coping strategy that can be done in just a few minutes.

To quiet your mind and bring awareness away from your worries, take a few deep breaths. The supply of oxygen to your brain increases and the parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated.  In turn, you feel connected to your body, which promotes a state of calmness. It’s easy to do in the moment.

I have been known to use deep breathing while I walk around the classroom, checking on assignments, with students none the wiser.

Do not argue with reality

I’d argue that all stress comes from arguing with reality and insisting that “things should be different.” Thoughts like, “Parents should respect me”, or “The administration is unsupportive”, or “There is not enough time to teach this curriculum” ultimately do not serve you because they create tension and frustration. They argue with “what is”.

Author Byron Katie says, “When we don’t argue with reality, action becomes simpler, fluid, kind, and fearless.” We cannot change the world around us in order to be happy or have a smoother day. Instead, accepting the reality of “what is” gives the power back to you.

Perseverating on how we believe things “should be” is unproductive; accepting “what is” helps you move forward.

Identify what you can control 

Can you stop a parental firestorm in its tracks when it’s headed your way? No, but you can control how well you are prepared for it to hit.

By focusing on what specifically in a situation you can control, a sense of empowerment follows, and positive emotions are triggered.

For example, you may not be able to control the new schedule rolled out for the upcoming school year but you do have control over making what happens in those minutes work for you and your students. Let that inform your action and you will feel good about how you choose to respond.

Talk to someone you trust

Sharing emotions reduces stress while simultaneously making us feel close to another person. Find a friend to lighten your load and relieve your stress from the situation at hand.

This doesn’t mean complaining to everyone in your school corridor who will listen. Instead, get your feelings out to one person who will support and guide you to healthy decision-making.

Just remember that repeatedly venting over and over to the same person can cause friction in a relationship. There is a fine line between healthy venting and toxic complaining. Be selective about how often you are venting and prompt the other person to offer their perspective.

Practice self-compassion

This means treating yourself warmly, gently, and fairly. Why is being kind to ourselves so difficult? As teachers, I can safely assume we are all doing the best we can with the information we have at each moment. With self-compassion, you practice accepting–rather than judging– yourself.

The teacher in the next classroom might have all their report card comments done way before you, created an amazing lesson entirely from scratch, and seems to have classroom management perfected. That is okay! None of that is a reflection on you.

Take pride in your own unique strengths, talents, and characteristics. Give yourself a break; you are amazing.

Recognize any positives in challenging situations

Staying positive in a negative situation is tough, but you can honor difficult situations and emotions while also choosing to focus on positive elements or outcomes.

This recently happened to me when I found out my principal and mentor were moving on to another opportunity. Initially, I felt sad and disappointed for myself even though I truly was happy for him. Ultimately,  I chose to focus on the fact that I wasn’t losing a mentor, but also gaining an additional teacher in the new principal that was hired.

Does this mean I wasn’t sad or disappointed anymore? No, of course, I was. But by recognizing that there were actually good things possible in the situation I eased the negative impact. With many years of practice, I can identify the positive in any negative situation almost automatically.

Complete the stress cycle

When we face anything the brain perceives as a threat, stress is the body’s natural response. Called the “stress cycle”, it has a beginning, a middle, and an end. Let’s say you just got out of a difficult meeting with an angry parent. It was high tension and even though the issues were resolved, your body is still stuck in the middle of a stress response. It takes completing the stress cycle for your body to fully move on from the perceived threat.

Sisters Amelia and Emily Nagoski write in their book “Burnout” about six evidence-based strategies to complete the stress cycle: physical activity, creativity, laughing, crying, physical affection, and deep breathing. The most efficient is 30 minutes of exercise each day, but all work wonderfully. Take the time out of your day to complete the stress cycle.

When you build up your resilience, life flows a bit more easily. You may find that your vibe rubs off on your students. You may share the same strategies with them in moments of need, teaching them a bit about social-emotional learning in the process. And, you may also find that co-workers start to find you not only optimistic, but confident and unshakeable.

Coincidentally, these are also fantastic qualities found in the best performance artists, as the show must go on.  We carry on our daily performance as educators not only because we must, but also because we know the next day will be better. The mood will have shifted, or our energy will have resurfaced.

Besides, we all know that “desk jobs” really aren’t that great anyway.

The post 7 “first aid supplies” you can use for resilience emergencies during the school day appeared first on Truth For Teachers.

Now we are desperately trying to make sense of the past year while still knee-deep in “the muck”. Emotions felt include but are not limited to: helplessness, anxiety, fear, and general malaise. Concerning, yes, as teaching requires our physical body, mind, and heart, and our emotions impact the whole self. Simply put, how teachers feel on a daily basis matter. It matters not only because we are real people with our own lives and families, but also because of our impact on society.

Just like when a child thrives when a parent is well, the classroom thrives when a teacher is well. We focus on our students so intensely, at times to our own detriment, and now we must reflect inward to take a long good look at our own wellness. Because strong mental health and overall well-being will in turn directly affect and profoundly influence our students and school community.

The good news? Yes, we are burning out, but we have the power to regain some brightness, by doing what I call “freeing our shine.” Let me explain. Every baby is born with a light that shines brightly. You know what I am talking about.  This light is apparent in their laugh, smile, and in their eyes. You can see it immediately, feeling the intensity with your own wonder. As we grow, the shine in some of us begins to dim. Some lights are altered due to trauma or circumstance (like COVID), or by realizing the world isn’t what we thought it was going to be (teacher life in general). When this happens we need to reach back inside ourselves and adjust the dimmer switch or maybe even entirely change the lightbulb. Whatever it takes to get that light shining again.

At this moment all teachers’ lights need to be adjusted, to varying degrees. The thing is, we have to do this for ourselves. The electrician isn’t coming, this is a total DIY project. But there is more good news. We are already used to saving ourselves in education! We do this daily. Teachers are innovative, motivated, creative, and resourceful.  We can do this. The time has come more than ever to turn our attention and focus on our own well-being. Free that shine.

1. Regain Control

This year has been completely out of our control. What an eye-opening group exercise this has been in practicing acceptance! No, we cannot control much of our circumstances but what we can do is stop reacting and start responding. Identify and understand your emotions first, and then use them to your advantage. For example, anxiety and anger are helpful emotions when you need a quick solution to a complicated problem. Fear encourages motivated action and perseverance. Frustration leads to “bigger picture” thinking in brainstorming sessions. And sadness encourages slower systematic processing and paying more attention to detail. No wonder if I am in a sad mood why I love to put my headphones on and “hide” grading papers! As humans, we experience a range of emotions but emotionally intelligent people know how to regain control of their emotions and use them to their advantage.

2. Unlock Your Power of Creation

I am not talking about creating lesson plans or activities. You are already a rockstar at that. I am talking about paying attention to the vocabulary we use, out loud and in our heads, to describe a situation. Words have power, as teachers, we know this well, so manipulate your words the next time you find yourself in a challenging interaction with a parent, or when technology has failed you for the hundredth time in a week. We have the potential to construct our own reality through our thoughts, so reframe the experience with different words. Create your own meaning and purpose in daily life.

3. Trust One Thing

Teachers put a lot of pressure on themselves to do it all, and to do it near perfectly. Instead of having a long laundry list of things you need to do to make your classroom or school or community a better place, trust yourself to pick ONE thing. It could be one thing for each category but it’s easier to keep it simple and choose one thing that can apply to all areas. What is your one thing that could make a daily difference? Maybe it’s your intention. Maybe it’s compassion. Perhaps it’s joy. Whatever it is, trust that one word to guide your focus and see the changes that emerge.

4. Choose Authenticity.

When you value transparency, and are the same person to everyone you meet regardless of the setting, the best version of your true self shines. In teaching this means asking for help from colleagues, admitting when you make a mistake (even to parents), speaking your opinions respectfully in staff meetings, saying no when you cannot commit to a plan, and learning from your mistakes. Not only do authentic people tend to be more satisfied with their lives, but they are also generally viewed as inspirational.  Embrace your true self for an enjoyable and more meaningful school day.

5. Hack Your Happiness 

Pleasure is temporary, happiness is self-created. Inside and outside of the school building you must work towards this mindset every day, and it comes from within. Author of The Happiness Advantage, Shawn Achor, writes that “Happiness is the joy we feel striving after our potential.” You are happy when you progress through life working toward and achieving goals. Create short term, attainable goals to slay and track your successes. Choose a simple goal like organizing a classroom closet that has gotten out of control, trying a completely new strategy you have been meaning to implement, or reading one “non-school” book this month. It doesn’t matter what you choose, when you are making progress satisfaction inevitably follows. You have the power!

6. Commit to Conscious Personal Self-Growth

Personal growth is a choice, and if you are dedicated, an ongoing life-long process of transformation. It leads to reduced stress, better health, improved relationships, increased resilience, greater happiness, and more. As teachers we always look to grow professionally, and so growing personally is a natural leap. Identify how you want to develop and why it’s important to you, seek opportunities to educate yourself in that area, acquire the tools you need, and hold yourself accountable. This conscious evolution leads to success and more meaning in life. I’m not going to lie, the work can be uncomfortable, sometimes even painful. But I promise you, it’s worth it.

“Freeing your shine” is not a destination, it’s an ever-changing process to consciously work towards. You consistently strive to adjust the way you react to daily irritants, obstacles, and stressors to take active steps towards brightness. Acknowledge that your discomfort is a totally valid, normal part of life, and then evaluate how your mindset could shift to make the situation a bit easier. Sometimes this will be really hard. Sometimes you won’t want to do it. That’s okay. Over time and with more practice shifting your mindset becomes natural, and can occur without force. You might find that what you need one moment or day or in one season of your life is not what you may need in another. That’s okay too. Be gentle with yourself, as you would with your students. That’s where the thriving begins.

The post When your passion for teaching dims, these 6 mindset shifts can help you shine brighter appeared first on Truth For Teachers.