Teachers are known for their dedication to others, their long hours, and the sacrifices they make every day. While having a humanitarian job may fill you with satisfaction, it doesn’t always make for the most stress-free working environment.
Unfortunately, burnout is a serious problem in the educational sphere. If you don’t want that to happen to you, you need to find ways to manage stress like a champ. Below are four ideas that will help.
1. Have a System for Everything
One of the best ways to manage stress is to have a system. When you know where to find any supply, any file, any lesson plan or any book, you’ll have a much easier time running your classroom. Consider color-coding your hanging files, always keep plenty of office supplies on hand so you’re never scrambling for a marker or a pen, and use calendars wisely – possibly a different calendar for every subject.
2. Take Time for Yourself
Many teachers work exhaustingly long days, sometimes 12 or 13 hours at a stretch. This puts you in burnout territory, which is no good. Rather than taking that risk, it’s crucial to find healthy outlets for stress that enable you to keep doing your job the way you want to do it.
Teachers use different approaches, but here are some of the most common:
- Exercise: running, walking, yoga, crossfit, hiking, swimming … whatever your thing is, set aside regular time to engage in it and work up a sweat and
- Creativity: whether your creative outlet is painting, building models, interior decoration, or whatever else, enjoy it frequently
- Social time: spending time with others is one of the best ways to blow off steam
3. Give Students Outlets for Stress
One of the most stressful things about your job as a teacher is likely the student stress that rubs off on you. Kids who don’t have proper motivation, who find learning difficult or exhausting, or who have troublesome home lives may significantly add to your already healthy dose of nerves.
Help students find appropriate outlets for their stress by staging your classroom well. Set up a library and media center where kids can go to lose themselves in books and magazines. Outfit your technology with kid-proof cases and accessories, so they can freely use it without you worrying and becoming even more stressed out. Make art supplies available to spark creative learning.
4. Use Your Budget Wisely
Sure, in a perfect world you would buy your students everything they deserve. Unfortunately, as no one needs to tell you, that’s not the state of education today. You can save yourself a lot of stress by accepting this fact and shopping at outlets that keep your shoestring budget in mind. A site like Classroom Direct helps you meet your classroom needs without breaking the bank. Come check us out today – and if you have any questions, feel free to ask … we’re always happy to help!
Now it’s your turn to help your fellow educators. How do you avoid burnout? Please leave your comments below.
