Make A Wellbeing Promise To Yourself

How are you looking after yourself?

There are small things that individual teachers can do to take charge of their wellbeing; make a commitment to yourself to ensure you are as productive as possible for the year ahead. Keep yourself healthy, both mentally and physically.

Some ‘out of school’ ideas to get started

1. Over the school holidays, log out of devices, apps and organisational accounts. Work when you choose to work
2. Take the time to do things you enjoy. Plan weekends away and nights out without feeling guilty
3. Challenge your 24/7 availability outside of working hours by having work-communication-free times.
4. Do not respond quickly or at all to things that can wait: Set up an ‘out of office’ reply which says, “I am out of the office until [date]. This message has been automatically deleted; please make a note to resend your message at this time so that it is not lost.”
5. Consider yourself first. Ensure you are fit and well enough, both mentally and physically.

Some ‘back at school’ ideas to get started

1. Promise to politely challenge any extra workload that does not seem to be beneficial to students
2. Tackle problems with solutions, adding further to workplace productivity
3. Seek support when your work-life balance is not right
4. Remember that lessons that take longer to plan than to teach are generally not worth the effort
5. Look after your colleagues, check for signs of stress or burnout and support those who need it.

With teacher wellbeing at the top of the agenda, schools that do not put in place genuine work-life strategies for both teachers and school leaders will be left isolated. I suspect they will struggle to find people to work with them.

Catch up in the new term…