Click here to visit Teaching Secrets: Managing October Exhaustion

Anxiety is a very real concern for educators.  We work in one of the highest stress environments out there – right up there with nurses and police officers among others.  I think it’s simply the nature of working with large numbers of people.   How do you handle anxiety?

First of all, step back and assess your anxiety levels.  Some people are comfortable simply being reflective of their state of being.  Others like a more focused approach.  Axis-One provides a free online anxiety assessment.  There are others out there, but I like this one because it is ‘quick and dirty.’ (No comments from the peanut gallery, thank you.)

Start with that.  Where are your anxiety levels?

Last week I found myself feeling a very strong need to fill back up.  I hadn’t had time to get out with friends, go listen to some of the really amazing live music, see art work, interact with ideas other than the grad school courses I am taking.   I felt like I was spiritually starving.

It was easy to fix that once I simply decided to be attentive to it.  I started by calling a friend who I hadn’t seen in awhile, who also enjoys the local arts scene.   We went to a movie.  It ended up being a surprisingly good movie – one of those rare films that seems to be worth all the $$$ you shell out at the theater on a Friday night.  That was an excellent start.

I threw something different into the mix this time.  On Saturday, another friend joined me to attend a women’s health fair.  It wasn’t the most outstanding health fair I’ve ever gone to, but it was a good outing.  (While I get that we women like chocolate, I felt like there was way too much candy on the vendor tables!  How does that promote good health?)   The guest speaker spoke about “waking up your precious life.”  She gave us some valuable reminders about embracing unpleasant things about life rather than trying to ignore them or cover them up.  You know – the painful things like sadness, grief, or anger.  Or the inevitable things like menopause.  It was an excellent reminder about being genuine with one’s self.

Last of all, I made time to get some exercise outdoors.  It won’t be too long before the rainy season hits here, and we’ll all be stuck inside pining for the sun again.

It was a good start.  Now I have to practice what I preach – and make regularly scheduled time to do these kinds of things.  I’m no good to anyone when I my reservoirs get depleted.  Neither are you.

This comes from a Prevention article by Sarah Mahoney.

“ Sit upright, focus on your breath, and pay attention to a physical sensation, such as the feel of air in your nostrils. When your mind wanders, notice the disruption, then return your attention to that simple sensation. Jha herself now meditates 5 to 10 minutes at a time, several times a day.” – Amishi Jha, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania

Give it a try.   This professor says that she has encountered Marines who do this even while deployed in a war zone. If they can do it, you can too.

Take a moment and take the pulse of your current life.  This is a good exercise for writing down in a journal or on a piece of paper.

1. What is your greatest achievement so far?
2. What is the best thing about being your age?
3. What is the worst thing about being your age?

Now, look over your responses.    Take a few moments and think about where you are headed.

1. What would you like to achieve yet?
2. What are some things you look forward to in the coming years?
3. What are some cycles you’d like to break?

This should give you some food for thought in goal-setting.   Remember, if you never set goals, you will never reach them.

Teachers are highly wired professionals.  Technology is a huge part of our job.  We have to answer e-mails from students, teachers, parents and administrators, input grades and attendance in programs like gradebook and blackboard, update our class blogs, plan with and incorporate educational technology into our daily teaching.  Then when we get home, we’re on facebook, we write personal e-mails, and we read our favorite education blogs.  Whew!  I’m tired just thinking about it.

In a technologically driven profession like teaching, an intentional technology break is essential.  If we don’t make the break intentional, we’ll default to checking facebook or e-mails when we have any downtime.  We know that even when we take a walk there’s the danger of looking down at our smartphones or listening to our mp3 player instead of looking up at the sky and listening to the sounds of nature.

The technology break has to be intentional so that our minds can rest.  Glenn Gould had a theory.  He said that for x amount of hours he spent with people he would have to spend x amount of hours alone.  I would say the same about technology.  For x amount of hours you spend on your laptop you have to spend x amount of hours with human beings or by yourself apart from technology.
Here are four suggestions to build a peaceful mind on your technology break:

1. Sit or lie down and let your mind wander.  Get into a technology-free place (not at your computer desk), and let your mind go where it pleases.  Don’t stop it, but notice it and let it go.  Notice what you notice.  Catch yourself thinking.
2. Breathe.  I learned this technique as a teenager from Dr. Weil.  He calls it the 4-7-8.  I practice this a little before bedtime as it is a relaxing exercise.  It’s easy and it works:

·         Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound.
·         Close your mouth and inhale quietly through your nose to a mental count of four.
·         Hold your breath for a count of seven.
·         Exhale completely through your mouth, making a whoosh sound to a count of eight.
·         This is one breath. Now inhale again and repeat the cycle three more times for a total of four breaths.

1. Red tea.  I discovered red tea (a.k.a. rooibos) when I was looking for a salubrious decaffeinated tea.  I drink this at night.  According to South African Rooibos Council, red tea’s chemical properties may help alleviate digestive problems, allergies, and anxiety.
2. Walk.  Take a technology-free walk.  Walk with another beloved human or a pet.  Leave everything else at home.  Notice what you notice.

Now it’s your turn.  How do you spend your technology break?  What suggestions do you have for those of us who can’t pull ourselves away from a screen of some sort?

So this is your reminder to slow it down this weekend.  Take the time to do something to take care of yourself in some way.  Only you know if you need to quiet your mind, get some exercise (or more sleep) or if you just need a good laugh.   Whatever it is, take some ‘me time’ this weekend.  It’s all about refilling your reservoir.

I’d love to hear what you will choose to do.

Teachers know how difficult it is to get students to critically think about their own thinking, to evaluate their own assumptions and  beliefs.  It’s just as difficult for adults. Maybe more so because we have lived with our beliefs longer.

When was the last time you took the time to examine your own beliefs?  I’m not talking about your spirituality.  I’m talking about your inherent beliefs about your self, your job, your role as an educator, your beliefs about education.

I recently read an interesting journal article regarding the need to examine one’s own beliefs before one can effect change in his/her life.  I’m citing the article below so you can access it yourself if you so desire.

The author discusses, among many other topics, belief perseverance.

Belief Perseverance is this tendency to reject convincing proof and become even more tenaciously held when the belief has been publicly announced to others. -AlleyDog.com

One of the greatest stumbling blocks to effecting change is overcoming beliefs.  First, you have to be aware of what your deeply held beliefs are.  This is so ingrained in us, that it is at times difficult to identify.  Once you are able to identify you core beliefs about the world, then you really have to take a good hard look at those beliefs and try to determine if they are valid.

This is really difficult, sometimes emotional work.   Have you ever caught yourself clinging to a belief even when you are being presented with conflicting information that is pretty credible?   I have done this.  I have seen others do this.

I think it all goes back to that concept we educators understand all too well – it’s easier to teach something correctly the first time than to un-teach something that was learned and practiced incorrectly.   Our beliefs have been with us all our lives, and we have been ‘practicing’ them for all these years.

Only by taking the time to examine our beliefs can we lead ourselves to effect change in our lives.

*Enemies of Critical Thinking: Lessons From Social Psychology Research   Nancy L. Douglas , Reading Psychology 21: 129-144, 2000

I stumbled upon this one blog – the author IS burned out in her job.  She has applied for a different job, and has totally checked out of the current one, showing up in body only.  From her own description she has one crappy attitude.  Then she has the audacity to complain that nobody pays attention to her.

Frankly, I can’t blame them.  I wanted to put my eye out with a sharp stick rather than read any more of her whining.  Being the problem solver that I am though, it got me thinking.

I have been in situations where I hated my job.  We all have.  One of the things you can do to make a horrid work situation more tolerable for yourself, others, and the situation is to stop looking inward, and start looking outward.

Observe

• The people with whom you work
• The boss
• The tone of the work environment and how it changes throughout the day

Reach Out

• Initiate conversations
• Listen to others, and let them know you heard in some way (paraphrasing can be a bit overkill, so get creative about this.  Asking more questions about what was said shows your interest.)
• Remember some detail about what you were told, use it in conversation with that person to let them know you remember

Practice Kindness

• Show interest in other people
• Do something nice for the group or more quietly for an individual
• Do something nice anonymously for someone who needs a little boost

When you practice kindness,

1. you take your attention off of your own ‘misery.’  (As one of my friends frequently says “Get over yourself!“)
2. you can watch the atmosphere of your work environment change for the better.
3. perhaps the job will not improve, but there will be at least something enjoyable to look forward to, making it a little easier to endure.
4. you will develop a strong, positive reputation amongst your peers and your employer – making you a desirable employee.

My daughter shared this with me, and I think it is an appropriate sentiment.

Give it a try.  See how acting with kindness changes your world.

Helpguide.org  has an excellent webpage reminding us of the benefits of laughing.

“Laughter is good for your health

• Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.
• Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.
• Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.
• Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.” ~Helpguide.com

Now you might think my sense of humor is immature, or maybe even shallow, but c’mon, admit it, the Muppets are hilarious!