Lynn How
Lynn is the Editor at Teacher Toolkit. With 20 years of primary teaching and SLT experience, she has been an Assistant Head, Lead Mentor for ITT and SENCO. She loves to write and also has her own SEMH and staff mental health blog: www.positiveyoungmind.com. Lynn…
Read more about Lynn How
Would you be comfortable seeking support in your setting?
Mental health in education is high on every teacher’s agenda but actually actioning positive steps towards supporting our own mental health, often takes a backseat.
I’ve heard of so many instances where teachers have not taken early action to avoid burnout and mental health issues. Some have taken a lot of time to recover. Some have never returned to the profession, despite the issue starting as environmental stress. Let’s focus on how we can help ourselves to avoid an issue.
What can you do?
1. Catch it before it becomes an issue. Make a note of your behaviours that you think will happen before they do, so you know what to look out for. Sometimes we forget to take notice of these minor signs and don’t seek support until we can’t function. If you’re not sure, look up signs online and keep them close by to refer to.
2. Ask friends to look out for signs of burnout and do the same for them. It may be that others spot your signs quicker than you do. Give those around you permission to mention something, as sometimes people don’t put of politeness.
3. Stop masking. It’s so easy to pretend we are ok. I’ve employed my fixed grin many times. We only very rarely take our masks off at work. Find a trusted colleague to speak to. You will no doubt be met with support and solidarity.
4. Seek support from outside school. Friends and family from your actual life would hate to think you are suffering. Use them for their intended purpose. They want to be supportive.
5. Positive self talk. Talk to yourself like you would your best friend. What would you tell them to do? You wouldn’t tell them to put up with it and get on with it, so please don’t talk to yourself like that.
If you need to seek further help, Education Support are always there.
Build those support networks around you and identify key individuals from friends and family. Let’s make talking about our own mental health a higher priority.
