Tips to help with living with anxiety

Sarah is back again today to share some tips and advice for teachers who are experiencing anxiety right now. It’s fantastic to get an insight into what it’s like and to learn some of the strategies that work for her. Perhaps some of them may work for you too.

Noticing the stresses and pressure that all teachers are under – and particularly NQTs, Sarah firstly outlines some tips for them when it comes to remote teaching and teaching in general.

Advice for NQTs

Sarah recommends that NQTs should remain calm. “Easier said than done I know. Ask your colleagues for help, especially if there is more than one teacher in the class stream. In my school, we have 6 teachers in each stream so we get great support from each other and we share out the workload.

Doing what works already

You do not have to do everything yourself and reinvent the wheel. Use the resources that are already there. For school closures and online teaching, there is only so much you can do. Maybe pick themes and teach through those across several subjects. Maths topics, make life easy. Pick easier topics, do not teach long division, take topics like measures, time, shape etc.

Self-care tips

Don’t get too overwhelmed by the vast amount of resources. You can only do so much. You have got this. Self-care is vital. The age old phrase of ‘You can’t pour from an empty cup’ is particularly apt right now. Setting boundaries, taking time for yourself is key. Make a set of non-negotiables for yourself. It could be that every day you go on a walk, that you shut your laptop off at a certain time, that you watch an episode of your fave Netflix show every day. Carve out time for yourself. 

Notice the signs of anxiety

There are hundreds of physical symptoms attributed to anxiety. I wish that others knew that it’s very difficult to just “Choose Happy” or “Be positive”. It takes immense strength to get up and battle it every day and that it is utterly exhausting. It would have helped if I knew that I had anxiety at an earlier age (not that I was going mad)….. But that there is so much you can do to alleviate symptoms of anxiety.

Thank you Sarah!

Thank you to Sarah for providing this follow-up blog post with fantastic tips on how we can manage anxiety better. I think that you will agree, that self-care (and figuring out what that means for you) is critical to show up as the wonderful person that you truly are. Teachers, what are your non-negotiables so that you have energy and enthusiasm for yourself and your pupils?