Therapy Thursday

Did you know that 61% of teachers experience anxiety higher than most other professions? The good news — you are not alone and it can be managed!

If you struggle with anxiety, it brings on a great deal of emotional stress. But it is important to keep it under control for your health and well-being. I can speak to this topic as I dealt with anxiety for years. A huge contributor to this was a lack of administrative support. Addressing your anxiety is important to get you to a point where you feel secure and grounded.

ANXIETY IS OFTEN CAUSED BY TIME TRAVELING

Time traveling is worrying about what MIGHT happen in the future. Chances what you imagine might happen, won’t. Typically time traveling causes worry because it is focused on fear of the unknown and negative outcomes. It is important that we stay in the here and now, focus on today for tomorrow will take care of itself.

PREPARE & PLAN AHEAD SO YOU DON’T FEEL BEHIND

The truth is that as teachers, we will always feel behind. Behind in grading papers, planning, administrative paperwork, entering grades into the online grade book, updating websites, etc. But being prepared so you don’t feel behind in our planning is important. Feeling unprepared can lead to anxiety, but even if you are prepared, you may still experience anxiety. Putting off planning (procrastinating) can also cause anxiety. Sometimes, when things are hanging over our heads and remain on our to-do lists, it can make us anxious. Commit to one day a week to plan out your lessons for the following week. By doing this, you will get into a routine of getting your plans ready for upcoming classes and you will unlikely feel less frustrated that you have to sit down for 2-4 hours to plan. Even if you get a skeleton outline, this will be helpful to you. The bottom line — don’t procrastinate. Procrastination = anxiousness.

SEEK SUPPORT OR THERAPY

Yes, I said it – Seek therapy. Counseling is simply seeking help from someone who can have an objective view of the situation. If you can find a counselor that treats teachers often, that would be even better. I was in therapy for many years to help me deal with the heavy workload and stress that came with it. My personal life had reached a point of non-existence as I was working ALL THE TIME. Even at the dinner table and in my sleep. Please don’t be ashamed to ask for help, whether that means seeking a counselor or a colleague that can help give you perspective. Teaching is not a profession you can go at alone. Support is necessary; perspective is everything.

DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF!

You have heard me say it time and time again: You can’t fill someone else’s cup if yours is empty. Find one or two things a week to look forward to. Whether that is sports like running, baseball, tennis, or a spa day, or a simple time out to watch your favorite show. It is important that you take back your time and take care of yourself. The school system isn’t going to be there to pay your medical bills when your body has had too much stress and your fell ill. If you don’t take care of yourself — mind, body & soul — it will drive down your immune system. I know so many teachers that have health issues and I wouldn’t be surprised if it wasn’t due to the emotional stress they carried for too many years. There is scientific evidence that carrying too much stress for too long can weaken your immunity. To build it up, you need to be taking your Vitimains — I take Vitamin C, D3, Zinc, and B12. To be completely transparent, I am one of those teachers who developed autoimmunity, and I have several other teacher friends who have as well. Ranging from M.S. to Hoshimotos to Lyme Disease to Fibromyalgia. If you don’t listen to anything else in this blog, please listen to this. Find a way to let go of the stress; it isn’t worth your health.

I hope this helps.

As teachers, we are often overworked and pulled in too many directions. We often put others before ourselves and it is hard to learn to take care of ourselves. Addressing mental health is part of self-care for our minds, bodies, and souls. Remember, if your cup is empty, you can’t fill someone else’s cup. Here are 27 FREE COUNSELING OPTIONS FOR

TEACHERS https://www.weareteachers.com/free-counseling-for-teachers/

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