Teaching is Hard: Finding Calm in the Chaos

Whether you teach elementary school or high school, I’m willing to bet you’ve said the words “this is chaos” aloud once or twice (okay, one hundred times) during your career,

Teaching is chaotic. And it’s more than just the kids being kids. It’s the chaos that can consume your mind that’s the real problem. Getting lost in our thoughts, planning, watching, and noticing multiple behaviors at once – all while actually teaching – is mentally draining. 

If the chaos in your mind is causing you to feel stressed and overwhelmed, you’re not alone. 

According to a recent study, “Early studies of teacher stress found a relatively high degree of stress. For example, 76% and 87.1% of teachers described their stress levels at their school as moderate or significant, respectively. In some studies, 45.6% reported “much stress” or “almost unbearable” stress (20%). Another study echoed these findings, reporting 32% ‘slightly’ stressed and 67% ‘extremely’ stressed teachers, with only 1% indicating no stress.”

Read that again – 1% indicating no stress. 

99% of teachers are stressed to some degree. 

So how do we fix it?

Since we can’t change the nature of the profession and the systemic issues that continue to bombard teachers with more work (a conversation for a different day), we must do something that’s in our control to combat the effects of this high-stress environment. 

Why this matters

Quick bit on why this matters – experiencing stress increases your cortisol levels. Increased cortisol levels, over time, can lead to digestive issues, headaches, anxiety, sleep problems, weight gain, memory and concentration issues, and high blood pressure to name a few.

Teachers are in dire need of good energy. Let’s talk about how to start getting there. 

Calm the chaos with these four strategies

    1. Practice deep breathing exercises before or during the school day
      1. If you haven’t thought of meditating as a teacher, it’s time to start. And before you think, “Who has time to sit and do nothing?!” – I feel you. That used to be me. A daily meditation practice has taken me from absolutely overwhelmed to only slightly overwhelmed at times (Hey, I’m human too).  PS – if you want to know why meditation is a game changer, you’ll want to check out this post.
  • Try quick, mindful stretches between classes or during lunch
      1. I know, I know – what if a colleague sees you doing this? My answer? WHO CARES! Stretching your body allows your blood to flow and your energy to shift. Take a few moments to drop those shoulders, release that tension in your neck, and touch your fingers to your toes. 
    2. Use grounding techniques when feeling overwhelmed  
      1. If you’ve never heard of a grounding technique, it’s something that you can do to shift your focus away from distressing or overwhelming thoughts and bring yourself back into the present moment. Other than breathwork, my favorite way to get grounded is my using my sense of smell. Pull out a bottle of essential oil or a scent you love, close your eyes, inhale deeply, and let it all go. 
  • End the day with a mindful gratitude practice
    1. You can do this at the end of your school day or the end of your whole day before you lay your head down to rest. Thinking about what you are grateful for that day will invite a sense of joy into your heart. These days, a sense of joy can be hard to come by in the teaching world. It doesn’t even need to be teaching related if you’re not ready for that yet. Find 3 things in your out-of-school time to be grateful for. And if that’s hard – be grateful that you’ve found this blog post. This may just be your nudge from the universe to incorporate these practices into your day. 

 

Mindfulness doesn’t have to take a lot of time—just a few minutes a day can make a big difference. Even though these practices feel small, over time, they build upon one another to create a toolkit you can turn to in times of chaos. 

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