3 Ways for educators to maintain their emotional Well-being during the Pandemic
Teachers are traversing through uncharted territory.
While before the pandemic oftentimes teachers would serve as breakfast providers, material gatherer, counselor, behaviorist, and oh yeah, subject matter expert in a specific subject. Now they are having to take on more tasks—COVID advisor, safety coordinator, and IT specialist.
While their role title is “teacher,” they have to take on other roles to be able to make it through a day. It takes being a small community leader since each class is like its own little angsty community. Don’t know how to work zoom? Well, you’re out of luck.
The teachers are carrying the weight of the world as classrooms open their doors. Each state has its own COVID rules and regulations, and teachers are just trying to navigate it all. There is a lack of stability not only in their schedules and classrooms but also in the world, adding to their personal difficulties.
All of what is happening in the world today (heck, even just a quarter of it) is a recipe for physical, emotional, and mental fatigue.
Here are three ways to decompress after a day of uncertainty and stress:
Create a go list. Make a list of activities you enjoy and can still do, and after you hop off of your zoom call or leave class, pull out your list and start tackling your list. Get creative and explore parts of town you may have never explored before. This list serves as a reminder of what you find or found joy doing. While you may not want to get out everyday, it is a reminder of the possibility that still exists in our lives.
Meditate. You’ve been talking all day, teaching new lessons and managing your class. Tap into your center by taking a couple seconds or minutes to reconnect to your breath. You’re always taking care of others, but this is your time to reconnect to you. Tap into your breath and let it guide you. Notice where you are carrying stress and where you feel ease. Calm and Headspace are great apps for guided meditations that help you tap back into your center.
Talk to someone (and not just anyone). You probably blow off steam with your colleagues. They GET it. They navigate the same things you’re navigating on a daily basis. This is powerful, but it is also important to talk to someone who you can be completely real with and not make you feel like you have to filter yourself in fear of your boss hearing. While your colleagues get it, they may not completely understand your experience and it may be a susspool that breeds negativity. It is beneficial to get an outside perspective to deal with overwhelm without getting stuck. Connect with a therapist or third party to decompress and be completely real. You don’t have to fake a smile and say that “It’ll all be okay.” Get honest and be seen and heard right where you are.
Truth Tribe is offering discounted therapy packages for educators feeling lost in the vortex of overwhelm. We’re here to give you the space to re-fuel your tank and be seen and heard as you continue making a huge impact in the world. You can’t run efficiently and be who you want to be when you’re in a state of constant depletion. Find a place and person where you can share your truth.
For more information or to schedule your discovery call, email us at hello@truthtribe.com or call us at 713-352-7789
We also host group support meet-ups the second Monday of every month from 6-7:30 pm. Speak your mind and be seen and heard right where you are, as you are.