Teacher wellbeing: How to feel less overwhelmed

5 ways to support wellbeing

1. Celebrate (and remember) the wins

Despite the challenges, the main thing that keeps educators in the profession is remembering why they love their job. One teacher told me that on tougher days, what really helps them is writing a pros and cons list, helping them recall all the things they enjoy about teaching. 3 Whether you are an NQT or headteacher, having your own list to refer to can be a great resource on days you are feeling overwhelmed. It can also be great to share wins as a wider team. If you don’t already have one in your staff room, suggest a ‘Wow wall’ where staff can share wins and good practice, or a kindness wall where staff can leave anonymous positive messages for each other.

2. Develop and maintain a supportive culture

Teachers also cite having a supportive work environment as a really important factor that has helped them remain in the job or at a specific school 4. As TeacherTapp has highlighted, one of the key solutions for managing stress is having colleagues to discuss school-related issues with, so try not to isolate yourself if you are having a bad day – reach out to a trusted colleague or line manager.

If you are feeling particularly low, there are services available for you to seek support, such as:

• 24-hour advice from The NHS, or book an appointment with your GP.
•  Call CALM’s helpline on 0800 58 58 58 from 5 pm to midnight every day, to speak to a trained support worker.
•  Mind can be reached on 0300 1233393 between 9 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday (except for bank holidays) or  you can email them at [email protected].
• Samaritans are also available to contact 24 hours a day, every day, on 116 123, or you can go online for support.
• If you prefer messaging, Shout 85258 is a 24/7 service you can reach out to as an alternative method of communication.

3. Research and CPD to help build confidence

If you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck in a rut, as the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) asserts, “ongoing professional development is vital for confidence and job satisfaction”. 5 It is also important to remember that you cannot know everything — teaching is a journey of continuous learning.  Your school should be providing you with an ongoing programme of CPD to ensure you have the knowledge and skills to thrive in your role but, if you are looking for an additional challenge, speak to your line manager about what else you could be doing to progress your knowledge and career. You could also do some research into relevant courses and find opportunities such as Teachmeets.

4. Nurture your ‘soft skills’

CPD is not just about traditional knowledge, it can also be about soft skills. To thrive in education, and progress in your career, it is important to continue to develop your soft skills.  Jo Jenkinson, an experienced headteacher, highlighted three soft skills she prioritised to be ‘the best teacher’ she could be:

• Be a great communicator with all stakeholders – Recognising that it “can be a challenging task”, Jenkinson encourages teachers to hone their oral communication skills with children, parents, staff and colleagues. “Practise active listening, be clear and concise, build trust and rapport and be mindful of nonverbal cues, while also seeking feedback and adapting your approach based on the specific needs of each group”, she advises.
• Be passionate – Quoting educator and motivational speaker Rita Pierson, Jenkinson states: “‘Every child deserves a champion.’ Knowing that the difference you are making to each and every child’s life, can carry you through even the most trying of days.”
• Embrace change – “Being great at seeing change positively will serve you very well in a school as the rate of new initiatives being brought in can sometimes be overwhelming,” Jenkinson concludes.

5. Remember your work/life balance

“90% of teachers reported high workload, stress and poor wellbeing as the main reasons for leaving teaching”, according to the Department for Education’s Working lives of teachers and leaders: wave 3 report. 6 This makes taking the time to switch off one of the most important things you can do.

Top tips from educators for establishing and maintaining a good work life balance include:

• Don’t put your work email on your phone; it just makes it too easy for work to take over home life.
• Use an egg timer on your desk to track time for tasks before/after school. This can help prevent staying late every night.
• Good enough is good enough; not every lesson should be outstanding. Children often learn better in more standard lessons than flashy ones anyway.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel – use online resources/content as a base.
• Use tech including AI to save time with planning, preparation and resourcing.
• Prioritise self-care – make time to do the activities you enjoy
• Leave the house at least one evening a week. It’s easy to get stuck in the routine of going from work to home but time with friends, going to the gym or a club/activity can make a huge difference.
• Always eat lunch outside if it’s sunny.