Working in a school can be incredibly rewarding—but it also requires a lot of emotional and physical energy. Every day you support students, work with colleagues and respond to the needs of families. We have all heard the safety warning from the flight attendants to put on our own oxygen mask first, before helping others. To keep giving your best to others, it’s important to take care of yourself too.
Schools are busy places. Many people quietly carry stress, anxiety or personal challenges without telling anyone. A simple conversation can remind someone they are not alone. R U OK? Day on Thursday 10 September, encourages everybody to ask one important question: “Are you OK?”
Every workplace has its challenges. There are busy days, difficult conversations, unexpected changes and moments when we all feel like having a whinge. That’s perfectly normal. The problem is when negativity becomes our default response. Constant complaining doesn’t just affect us—it can influence the mood, energy and morale of everyone around us.
Does this resonate with you? You teach some great lessons, help a student finally understand a difficult concept, seem to be having a great day… and then a challenging interaction happens. Suddenly, that’s all you can think about. It’s a common thinking trap. Our brains are naturally wired to focus on problems because our brain is trying to protect us.
Working in schools can feel like riding a rollercoaster—rewarding one minute and overwhelming the next. With so many demands, personalities and unpredictable moments, strong emotional self-regulation isn’t just helpful…it’s essential. The ability to stay calm, respond thoughtfully and manage our internal state, directly affects our relationships, decision-making and our well-being.
Teaching has always been a rewarding profession but it has also become increasingly demanding. While every school is different, the biggest sources of teacher stress are remarkably consistent. The good news? Small changes in how we work and think can make a big difference. Here are five common stressors and some practical tips to help manage them
Staff in schools feel like they are constantly juggling competing priorities—planning, marking, meetings, managing behaviour, dealing with parents and the never-ending to-do list. It can feel overwhelming at times. In her bestselling book, Get Your Sh*t Together, Sarah Knight offers a refreshingly straightforward
Teachers often notice when a student learns, communicates, behaves or interacts differently from their peers. While these observations can be important, conversations with parents require sensitivity, care and professionalism. Parents may feel worried, defensive, relieved or overwhelmed.
It’s early morning. A teacher walks along a beach after a storm and notices thousands of starfish scattered along the sand. In the distance, someone is picking them up one by one and gently throwing them back into the ocean. Curious, the teacher approaches and says, “There are too many. You can’t possibly make a difference.” The person bends down, picks up another starfish, tosses it into the water and replies, “It made a difference to that one.”
Psychologist Shawn Achor highlights seven key principles of positive psychology that help people thrive. In schools, these aren’t “nice to have” ideas — they are practical strategies that improve performance, relationships and wellbeing.