The Importance of Educator Wellness: How to Prioritize Self-Care in a Demanding Profession
- Dr. Nicole Forrest
- Mar 3, 2024
- 8 min read
Updated: Sep 14, 2024
Table of Contents
My patience was worn thin like threadbare socks. Deep breaths. My son wouldn’t stop crying after a sleepless day at daycare. Tears welled in my eyes. I give so much all day, that I feel I have nothing to give when I come home.
We’ve all been there…..complete and utter exhaustion with zero patience left. We are more than halfway through the school year and in the full grind of it all. Winter break is a thing of the past and summer is still so far away. This weariness and malaise seem to happen every single year around this time.
Everything keeps piling up at home and work. Just when I can take a breath and get my head above water, a wave crashes over me and I’m struggling for breath. The parameters that I put in for myself so I can stay present at home slide around this time, which is one of the reasons I’m writing this post.
This past week, I listened to George Corous’ recent podcast (you must follow him if you don’t already). The Innovator’s Mindset always gives me just what I need when I need it.
In this podcast, he invited Holli Elliot, a fellow educator, who shared some words of wisdom about taking care of ourselves. Both Holli and George explained that you have to take care of yourself to take care of others. The moment we stop taking care of ourselves is the moment that we can spiral.
In this week’s post, I’ll address why we must prioritize educator wellness. Then, I'll review some helpful strategies we can use to prevent ourselves from getting to the event horizon or the point of no return. If you consistently incorporate some of these strategies, you’ll be able to stay energized and maintain your physical, emotional, and mental health, so you can be the best version of yourself.
Why We Must Make Educator Wellness a Priority
Well, it is no news to any of us in education that there is a mass teacher shortage. Two of the primary factors causing this exodus of teachers and administrators are a lack of well-being and poor working conditions. We so often feel completely discombobulated.
A recent Gallup Survey reported that 44% of K-12 educators feel burned out “very often or always” compared to 30% of other workers. That is practically a 50% increase. The RAND report found similar results.
The RAND report focuses on educator well-being by examining job-related burnout, stress, and symptoms of depression. This report reflects the results of the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal survey results. And what they recently found is unfortunate.
For starters, educators who are mid-career are more likely to report stress, depression, and an inability to cope when compared to colleagues with 20-plus years of experience.
Our female educators are more likely to report higher levels of stress as well when compared to male educators. Talk about the gender gap. This last finding does not surprise me given that those women are probably mothers who leave one mothering role to go to the next without a reprieve.
Outside of the mass exodus impacting the ability of districts to staff schools, a major concern is simply for the individual human. We are putting fellow humans in an unhealthy state. People need work-life balance. When there is persistent stress in someone’s life, it can cause a host of health issues including depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, obesity, and skin and hair problems to name a few. I don't know about you, but I like my hair and want it to stay as luscious as possible for as long as possible.
Our jobs are emotionally draining. We teach not only the curriculum, but also all the social and emotional nuances of being human. Being everything to everyone can take a toll.
Arlie Russell Hochschild explains that teachers should of course bring their humanity and vulnerability to their positions, but, systemically, there needs to be a shift.
“Emotional labor,” or putting on a facade to manage your feelings and others’ perceptions of your feelings, should not become the standard for educators. This explains why after a full day in school, you feel exhausted. While you didn’t physically run a marathon or anything like that, you mentally completed a triathlon and faked it along the way.
Our love for our students must be balanced with our love for ourselves, family, and friends.
7 Ways to Prioritize Educator Wellness
Rather than waiting for systemic change to remedy some of the challenges we face, I want to empower you to make the change. If you follow some of the steps below, you can begin counteracting the overwhelmedness you might be feeling.
1. Acknowledge you are human
You are not a superhero with infinite power and abilities. You are human. You need breaks. You need time to yourself. And there is nothing wrong with that.
Acknowledge that you are human and that it is ok to prioritize YOU. Acknowledge that you can only do so much. Do the best you can with what you’ve got. Once you give yourself permission to be human, provide yourself grace and understanding.
2. Schedule the time
I probably don’t have to tell you, but I love organization. So it should be no surprise that I recommend scheduling “you” time into your day. Whether it's for an hour in the morning when everyone is sleeping or late at night when the kids are in bed, set aside time devoted to you. You deserve it.
Use your calendar and work it into your daily ritual. Have a good 30 minutes to an hour every day dedicated to only you.
Use this time to do whatever you need to reset and recharge. My “me” time usually involves working out in the morning because I have found that it centers my mind and energizes me for the day. My extra jolt of coffee also probably helps with that, too. ☕
3. Harness the power of subtraction
Sometimes when we are looking to solve a problem, we think, “Oh, maybe I need to add this or add that.” Wrong.
What you need to do is subtract. Can you remove something from your plate that will make your life more manageable? Can you get rid of an obligation and prioritize something else that is more meaningful to you?
Research shows that when we try to make an improvement, we generally add things rather than subtract.
I encourage you to chop it off! Consolidate. Combine and condense. You don’t need all those meetings or check-ins. Make things simple. Just saying, “No,” can work wonders for your health.
4. Take care of yourself physically, mentally, and spiritually
If you incorporate a little physical activity into your day, you will reap a ton of benefits. You don’t need to go to the gym either and can just take a walk outside. Whatever you decide to do, exercise provides physical and mental benefits.
Exercise improves brain health and can reduce short-term feelings of anxiety. If you stay committed to exercise, then long-term benefits include improving your thinking, learning, and judgment. Who doesn’t want a little more mental clarity as they age?
You must also take care of your mental health. Applying some of the suggestions in this post can help with that, but if you are very overwhelmed and suffering from debilitating anxiety or depression, then seek help from a licensed professional. You can even reach out to your HR department for resources.
Finally, and most importantly, having faith and connection to your spiritual life can give you a sense of fulfillment like you wouldn’t believe. Having a fulfilling spiritual life can positively impact your physical, mental, and social health. So do some soul-searching and find a way to reconnect spiritually.
5. Disconnect
Nowadays, you’d think we were all born with some device in our hands. And ever since COVID, the boundaries between work and life have been blurred. Technology is a wonderful thing. It can streamline processes and make our lives so much easier. But you have to disconnect.
I encourage you to put parameters in place, to disconnect and be with your loved ones and yourself!
If you need to look at your device, create a time frame or have a cut-off time to check email or respond to texts. Over the past week, I have been doing this and have been more present at home with my family. So join me in disconnecting and being with your loved ones.
6. Practice Gratitude
The act of expressing gratitude can improve various facets of your health. One study found that individuals who consistently write gratitude letters show significantly better mental health than those who don’t.
Additionally, you can create a stronger bond with the person you are expressing gratitude to, improving your overall relationship. Gratitude has also been shown to help with better sleep and immunity. And who doesn’t want to be a healthy, well-rested powerhouse?
7. Take a day off
If you need one of those mental health days, then do it. The ship will sail without you. If it just takes one day for you to recharge and enter your job in a better head space, then go for it. Try not to feel guilty either because you need to take care of yourself.
One Last Thought
I had to take my daughter to the dentist this past week, so I took a half day. As she scurried out of the oversized reclining chair, grabbing her bag of goodies (Bluey toothbrush and sparkle toothpaste included), I asked, “Do you want to get some McDonald’s and go home with Mommy?”
She belted out, “YEEAAAH!!!!”
We hopped in the car and made our way through the drive-through, ordering a kid’s meal and the beloved Shamrock Shake. She immediately started guzzling that green dream down in the car. We don’t typically order fast food, so this was a special treat. Plus, I got to steal a fry or two… 🙂
We returned home and sat at our kitchen table - just the two of us. We hung out and colored, read some books, and watched CocoMelon. Taking this half day and spending time with my daughter helped energize me so I could finish the week strong and stay focused at work and home. It also gave me a chance to strengthen my relationship with my daughter.
Even though she might not remember this day when she is 30, I will. And these little memories make life both fulfilling and beautiful. So when you feel overwhelmed and stretched thin, take a breath and reconnect with what means the most to you.
References
Adams, G.S., Converse, B.A., Hales, A.H. et al. People systematically overlook subtractive changes. Nature 592, 258–261 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03380-y
Benefits of physical activity. (2023, August 1). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/index.htm
Brown, J. & Wong, J. (June 7, 2017). How gratitude changes you and your brain. Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_gratitude_changes_you_and_your_brain
Ghaderi A, Tabatabaei SM, Nedjat S, Javadi M, Larijani B. Explanatory definition of the concept of spiritual health: a qualitative study in Iran. J Med Ethics Hist Med. 2018 Apr 9;11:3. PMID: 30258553; PMCID: PMC6150917.
Hochschild, A. R. (2022). The managed heart. In Working in America (pp. 40-48). Routledge.
Kaplan, E. (2019, July 19). Teaching your heart out: emotional labor and the need for systemic change. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-your-heart-out-emotional-labor-and-need-systemic-change
Marken, S. & Agrawal, B. (2024, February 7). K-12 workers have highest burnout rate in U.S. Gallup.com. https://news.gallup.com/poll/393500/workers-highest-burnout-rate.aspx
Marks, H. (2023, October 8). Stress Symptoms. WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/balance/stress-management/stress-symptoms-effects_of-stress-on-the-body
Murphy, C., Marcus-Quinn, A., Hourigan, T. (2021). Exploring the Ripple Effect of ‘Always On’ Digital Work Culture in Secondary Education Settings. In: Marcus-Quinn, A., Hourigan, T. (eds) Handbook for Online Learning Contexts: Digital, Mobile and Open. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67349-9_23
Rshamma. (2021, October 12). The importance of gratitude on your Well-Being. Institute of Youth Development and Excellence. https://iyde.org/blog/the-importance-of-gratitude-on-your-well-being/?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAuYuvBhApEiwAzq_YiVPFR6WM8wRFVX9kKMMLvIKGkngMlQlPjfvrrZPduBfW8IE2YQqZnRoCo-MQAvD_BwE
Steiner, Elizabeth D., Sy Doan, Ashley Woo, Allyson D. Gittens, Rebecca Ann Lawrence, Lisa Berdie, Rebecca L. Wolfe, Lucas Greer, and Heather L. Schwartz, Restoring Teacher and Principal Well-Being Is an Essential Step for Rebuilding Schools: Findings from the State of the American Teacher and State of the American Principal Surveys. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2022. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA1108-4.html.
Walker, T. (n.d.). Make Educator Well-Being a priority now | NEA. https://www.nea.org/nea-today/all-news-articles/make-educator-well-being-priority-now
Comments