Resilience

For staff in schools it can be difficult to switch off. We often think about our work, our students, our frustrating colleagues and unrealistic parents. This can keep us awake at night or hijack our thoughts during the weekend or even the holidays. This happens for many reasons. Technology allows us to be more connected than ever. The work we do is important and generally we are passionate about making a difference. The work is never ending and there is always more that can be done. However, being able to switch off is important to our well-being. Jay Shetty in his book, “Think Like A Monk”, suggests that if you want to become a master at basketball, you should learn…

Positive thinking doesn’t mean that you keep your head in the sand and ignore life’s less pleasant situations. Positive thinking just means that you approach unpleasantness in a more positive and productive way. You think the best is going to happen, not the worst. Positive thinking often starts with self-talk. Self-talk is the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head. These automatic thoughts can be positive or negative. Some of your self-talk comes from logic and reason. Other self-talk may arise from misconceptions that you create because of a lack of information. If the thoughts that run through your head are mostly negative, your outlook on life is more likely pessimistic. If your thoughts are mostly positive,…

Inspired by Maya Angelou One of the key factors in achieving a high level of job satisfaction is to do work that is important. The work of all staff in schools is important. We have the opportunity to change lives, every single day.  In recognition of the vital work that staff in schools undertake, I have chosen a series of famous quotes from legendary American author, poet and activist,   Maya Angelou that I believe reflect the importance of our work.  I hope you find one that resonates with you. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. We delight in the beauty of the butterfly…

Adapted from a blog post by Nicholas Provenzano The final weeks can be the hardest days of the school year. End-of-year events start to pile up and stress levels are at an all-time high and our energy reserves are at an all-time low. Whilst this time of the year can be tough and exhausting, it doesn’t have to feel that way. Here are a few things that you can do to make it through the homestretch. Get Outside One of the things many people STOP doing when they get busy is exercising, yet it is one of the most beneficial actions you can take to manage stress. Walk around the block at lunch time, walk your dog in the evening,…

Self-Nourishing Acts (SNAs) are activities that help you to recalibrate, relax and renew your energy and experience pleasure in your life. In last week’s Happy School article Emma Waters shared her list of Self Nourishing Acts. Recent research suggests that many teachers, leaders and other staff who work in schools work flat out during the term and then fall in a heap, exhausted as soon as the school holidays arrive. To preserve our health and well-being we would benefit from scheduling regular SNAs rather than waiting until the holidays to recharge. The following is a list intended to help you identify your SNAs. It isn’t exhaustive but is intended to prompt.  

Emotional tension and conflicts can be a big distraction to your focus and engagement at school – especially at high work flow times such as assessing and reporting, when you simply cannot afford to spare a moment. So, how do you stay resilient and productive during the emotionally tense high work flow periods? The key lies in staying centred. Centredness is having a clear mind and calm body that is free of distraction or tension, regardless of what is happening around you. Centredness gives you the mental clarity and emotional control to get the job done without engaging in an emotional battle. As a child I remember sneaking out of my bed at night to watch the lightning in the…

The single most important factor in our stress level is OUR attitude. The attitude we bring to a situation has a huge impact on how we see and react to each of the situations we face. This has a direct impact on our stress level. The attitude that we bring is evident in our self-talk, that little voice inside our head! Our attitude acts like a lens through which we ‘see’ situations. I am sure that you will have heard the classic story where two people witnessing the same car accident, report seeing different things. Your attitude acts as a filter and therefore has a huge impact on how we ‘see’ events. Many people believe our attitude is caused directly…