Modules. Online classes. Reports.
Sounds familiar, don’t they?
In fact, they are so familiar and important that you tend to give your all to provide quality learning experience for your students. They are so valuable that sometimes, these things that you love to do become the source of your stress and burnout.
Influencer, mental health advocate, and Beyond Small Talk host Jericho Arceo shares helpful self-care tips so teachers and educators like you can still thrive while staying committed to your noble profession:
1. Engage in self-care
What can you do to take care of yourself? Start with yourself.
In this time of crisis, teachers like you are exerting extra effort on their work to the point of skipping meals or not getting enough sleep. The work may feel endless at times, but taking time to take care of yourself isn’t selfish! In fact, it’s an important of part of doing well in your job too.
Take care of your sleep, make sure you eat healthy foods, and do not underestimate the value of exercise. Be a little kinder to your body. The healthier you are in mind, body and spirit, the more productive you will be!
Jericho shares, “When we take care of our bodies, eventually, our mental health is being taken care of. It is important to take care of our bodies intentionally, so we can take care of others – in line with the second commandment which is to love our neighbors.”
2. Identify sources of stress
Pause and take time to identify where your stress could be coming from, both in your work and personal life. If you can pin-point your triggers, you can find ways to successfully manage and respond to them.
So, what is your stressor? Your deadlines? The workload? Your colleagues? Or the pressure to adjust to new modes of learning?
3. Be part of a support group
Figuratively speaking, no man is an island.
Scientifically speaking, having trusted people around you is important. In fact, a research titled The Correlation of Social Support with Mental Health from the National Library of Medicine shows that having a good support system can have a positive impact on one’s mental health.
“Make sure your support group understands you, listens to you, loves you, and prays for you. They will lead you closer to God and insulate you in times of mental health problems. Choose your friends,” Jericho suggests.
4. Seek professional help
Are you struggling to sleep, feeling restless or down, becoming sick, or lacking interest in things you used to be so passionate about?
A certain amount of work-related stress is inevitable, but a burnout is a more serious type of stress. You may want to consider talking to a doctor or a mental health professional so they can help you work through it.
“If you are experiencing burnout or any mental health problem, it is important to seek professional help. There is nothing wrong with that,” Jericho reminds.
5. Rest
Some people feel an overwhelming sense of guilt whenever they rest. Perhaps that feeling stems out of the belief that one’s productivity equates to one’s worth.
But rest is productive, too.
According to Psychology Today’s article “Rest for Success”, your “downtime” can boost your biological intelligence. Apart from that great benefit, rest also helps increase your productivity, creativity, and attention to detail.
So, take your time off – and the next time you do, gently remind yourself that rest is required, and you deserve it.
According to Jericho, one of the best things you can do as you rest is to pray and have a personal time with God, “Pray to God, because God is the one who understands you when you cannot verbalize what you feel.”
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” (1 Corinthians 6:19)
Are you feeling restless?
It would be our joy to comfort you through prayers and introduce you to the ultimate source of rest and peace. Feel free to call the CBN Asia Prayer Center at 8-737-0-700 and we would love to pray for you.
Catch the next Beyond Small Talk webisode this Saturday, 7:00 PM on The 700 Club Asia Facebook page and YouTube Channel.
