Managing Stress as a Parent/Educator

Let's talk about stress. Or rather, I'll talk to you about stress. Even though just saying that made my stomach flip a little bit.

This is one area where I have to confess that I'm not the best model to follow. I have great, research-based tips for managing stress, for coping with adversity and over-work, and for keeping your cool. I just don't follow my own suggestions very well, because, as with education, and pretty much every other facet of life, there is well, real life.

Stress is inevitable, and while working in a teaching/learning environment, is seems to be particularly ubiquitous.

For example, one of the best research-based techniques for managing stress is to ensure that you are making a concerted effort to conserve some "me time." Everyone on the planet should be able to do this effectively. Theoretically anyway.

Ensuring that you have time for yourself, is going to let you be a little bit more fresh when dealing with students as well as other adults in an educational or otherwise stressful situation. It's time for grounding. It's time for reflection. It's time to take a deep breath and actually make sure that you are doing okay by you.

Some people knit. Some people soak in a tub. Some folks can take a quiet walk, or sit and look at their garden, or listen to some relaxing music. The recommendation is at least 20 minutes a day of "me time," with an hour being preferred.

So think about what you can do to focus on yourself, relax a little, and just sort of reset your thinking.

And then, if you figure out how to do this, please let me know! I'm always open to trying new things!

Right now, my only "me time" seems to be when I can steal enough time to take a shower. But then I find myself writing notes in the steam anyway, so it never really winds up being a completely relaxing experience.

Another tip for relieving stress is to try to frame problems in a positive light. It is important to talk about frustrations, making sure that some effort is made toward coming up with a resolution. Focusing on the problem and potential solution is way more beneficial than simply focusing on those people or things that caused the problem to begin with. We all have the right to want time to complain when we're frustrated. And once in a while we just want to complain for the sake of complaining. That's a human thing. That alone can occasionally help us feel better.

But choose the right person with whom to share, choose the right place, and then try to leave it where it's lying, unless something can be done about it.

All of these frustrations can add up to a really negative overtone, and that will come forth in your teaching, and in dealing with others.

If you're interested in other awesome stress management tips, schedule your free consultation now, and we can see how best to help manage your stress!