Educators are especially prone to stress. Full days and constant attention to the needs of young students leave little time to focus on oneself. This can impact how teachers handle discipline, provide structure and promote a positive atmosphere in the classroom.
I just led the workshop, The Peaceful Mind: In a Stressful World, at the Pat a Cake School in Greenwich. It was a great opportunity for all of us who attended to share stories about how we deal with stress. Comments and suggestions from the group really put things in perspective and proved very helpful. Here is how I got teachers to de-stressed, by:
- Gaining insight into how they deal with the stresses in their lives.
- Using simple methods to break negative patterns and maintain a positive mindset.
- Using techniques that alleviate tension in both mind and body.
One Technique That Alleviates Tension
Guided Relaxation - While group discussion, is a great way to identify sources of stress, it takes hands-on guided exercises and self reflection to break these patterns. I find a guided relaxation works when you practice tensing and relaxing one part of the body at a time one way to refocus and relax. Try it before you go to sleep. Also- gentle stretching that forces you to slow down and helps your body find balance without straining works well.
One Simple Method To Break Negative Patterns
Get Perspective - It's important to remind oneself that stress is the result of our perception of an event. Sometimes this perception is very hard to shake off! Chatting with a close friend is a great way to get perspective. Another way is to focus on what we can control rather then what we can't!
It is easy to become stressed. It takes a conscious effort to become stress free. And you can do it!
What stresses you out? How do you deal with stress?
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