Plus, 10 Small Ways to Fix It
No one wants to hear that they’re making themselves overwhelmed – teachers especially.
We live in a world of constant connection. Anything we want to know or have is readily available within seconds.
We have normalized the extreme amount of information we process constantly.
From the moment we wake up in the morning, we are hit with new information from family, friends, and screens.
I’ll bet one of the first things you do in the morning when you wake up is check your phone.
Did you know that checking your phone first thing in the morning can rewire your entire day? According to Forbes, “Seeing or reading something negative first thing in the morning can trigger your stress response and put you on edge for the rest of the day.”
Work emails, texts, notifications, the news; all of these things can negatively impact your day, especially when it’s the very first thing you are experiencing in the morning.
Pair this information overload with the demands of a classroom and you, my friend, have created a recipe for disaster.
Why This Matters in Teacher Land
Think of yourself as a glass and the information received in your brain as water filling that glass.
Each day, you awake and check your phone. Your glass gets filled with to-dos, reminders, notifications, tasks, and information (negative or positive) before you even get out of bed.
Then, as you get ready, your brain starts reeling about all of the information you just consumed. Your glass is getting more full and could even be getting murkier.
If you have children at home, their needs and requests continue to fill up your glass.
By the time you’re ready to leave the house, your glass is almost at capacity and it hasn’t even hit 7:30 am yet.
If you’ve been teaching for longer than 10 minutes, you know what happens the moment you walk into your classroom.
That’s right – information overload.
Now, the kids start arriving for the day and you’re already at your capacity if we’re still thinking in terms of the water glass.
When little Johnny demonstrates a challenging behavior or your classroom phone rings during your lesson, what occurs inside of you?
Is it overwhelm? Stress? Defeat?
No wonder. You’ve already set yourself up for failure by not attempting to filter out the information you are inundated with daily.
Teaching requires so much attention and care that as teachers, we need to make it a priority to handle the outside world so we can effectively teach inside of our classrooms.
10 Ways to Change
In no specific order, here are 10 small changes you can make that will surely cut down on your overwhelm.
- Turn off your watch notifications
Fitness watches are a fantastic tool for counting steps, monitoring heart rate, etc. Many teachers use Smartwatches for this purpose. Today’s watches also can provide you with notifications when you get a text, email, or when an app from your phone wants to notify you of something.
- Put your phone on Do Not Disturb
You read that right, turn on that DND feature.
Otherwise, there is nothing THAT important that can’t wait until you’re done teaching.
- Place your phone face down
This one seems silly, but how many times have you caught your phone lighting up out of the corner of your eye? When that happens, your thought process is being interrupted.
Placing your phone face down on your desk will allow you to stay in that “out of sight out of mind” mentality.
- Turn off the email notification sound
Inside of the many, many tabs you likely have open on your computer while teaching is, most likely, your email. I like to stay up-to-date as much as the next person, however, when that email sound goes off during teaching, my mind gets distracted.
If your computer is plugged into a SmartBoard, you know that sound rings louder than an announcement on the loudspeaker.
Do yourself a favor. Turn off the sound. If you really need to read that email right away, the school will make an announcement.
- Get outside
There is so much research out there about the benefits of fresh air on your health and well-being.
It’s so important to take just a few minutes to walk outside and get some fresh air during the school day, with or without your class.
- Take.Your.Days.
I will die on this hill. TAKE YOUR SICK AND PERSONAL DAYS.
There is no award for perfect attendance in teacher land.
Yes, I know writing sub plans is more work than it feels like it’s worth sometimes. I know you tell yourself, “I’ll be fine. I need to teach _____ tomorrow so I really can’t be out.”
Nothing is so important in your curriculum that you should be sacrificing your health. Period. The kids will be fine.
- Cut back on your caffeine intake
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with a good ol’ cup of coffee in the morning. That first cup brings me joy as much as the next teacher.
However, there are numerous side effects too much caffeine can have on you.
Know your caffeine limits and respect your body. Your mental clarity will thank you.
- Use your planner
One of the best ways to clear the mental clutter as a teacher is to write down everything in your planner.
Digital or paper – whatever works for you.
All of those IEP meeting dates, assessment deadlines, end of quarter/trimester dates, faculty meetings; write them down! Get them out of your head and off of your list of “things I need to remember.”
- Avoid Social Media
This one is hard. The mindless scrolling has got to go, especially during the workday. Nothing good comes from scrolling Instagram or TikTok during your prep period. You will end up feeling less motivated, less clear mentally, and won’t feel like you accomplished anything of value.
10. Read a Book
We always encourage our students to be lifelong readers, so it’s only natural that we practice what we preach.
Substituting some reading when you’d typically scroll on your phone has major benefits to calming you internally.
Not sure which books to start with? Check out these 5 books to get you started.
Make a Change and See the Improvements
Whether you decide to implement one or all ten of the above tips, I promise you will begin to feel a shift internally. Being mindful of how we decide to give our energy and attention to those around us is so important.
Teachers are in a unique position. There aren’t many other professions where it is this important to remove small distractions from your day to prevent the overwhelm.
If you’ve already tried one of these changes, how did it go? I challenge you to try and implement all ten and see how you feel.
Ready to Get Started?
If you’re wanting some accountability and a personalized plan to tackle the overwhelm and become a healthier, happier teacher, schedule a free no-strings-attached call with me to see if it’s a good fit.