Therapy For Teachers
As a teacher, you are constantly supporting the people around you. You have to be there for your students, other teachers, school staff and faculty, and your school system as a whole. But, who is there for you?
The demands of your position as an educator can appear to be never-ending: instruction planning, curriculum development, classroom management, teaching itself, assessment, supporting students, communicating with parents, and much more! Depending on the level you teach at, you may have less or more responsibilities.
Why do teachers need mental health support?
Like any other demanding profession, teachers can benefit from mental health counseling. The role of an educator is a highly-emotional one. Not only are you responsible for educating the youth, but you also must support your own emotions as you assist your students in their academic and professional challenges.
As a teacher, it is inevitable that you will invest emotionally into your students and your job. While being compassionate is a part of being an educator, this can lead to stress and emotional exhaustion, especially if you are dealing with additional work pressures, such as an unhealthy work-life balance and administrative pressures. A 2022 Gallup poll showed that 44% of American teachers, grades K through 12, report feeling burned out often or always.
The classroom itself can even become a source of distress for you. In the classroom, you have to be ‘on’ all the time. You have to manage the varying needs of all of your students at the same time, maintain control of the classroom, and alter your teaching methods to fit your students’ unique learning styles.
From the time you enter the classroom to the time the afternoon bell rings, you are juggling many responsibilities at once. This can easily lead to burnout due to the physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion that can cause chronic stress. Burnout can impact an educator’s welfare, making it hard for you to be an effective teacher and connect with your students in a meaningful way.
While many people may think that being a teacher allows time for adequate self-care with getting out of work in the early afternoon and having summers off, there is much that goes on behind the scenes. At times, it can feel like there is no work-life balance at all. You work long hours, you are constantly preparing lessons, grading never ends, and then there are a bunch of administrative tasks. With all of this work on top of teaching itself, there is little to no time for personal relaxation. This type of professional-personal work balance can worsen your mental health.
Self-care is not selfish, it is necessary. Taking time for yourself gives you the space needed to process your emotions, recharge, and prevent burnout. By doing so, you can create emotional resilience which can assist with professional occurrences, like managing tricky classroom dynamics. Self-care helps you draw the line between your work and personal life which stops professional stressors from crossing into your day-to-day life. This balance is needed for general job satisfaction and your happiness.
As an educator, you are likely familiar with the pressure to meet educational standards set by your school or state. This pressure can cause performance anxiety for students and teachers alike. You may start to question your teaching methods or battle with other forms of self-doubt. Are your assessment practices really up-to-date? Are you supporting your students to the fullest capacity? These concerns can further add to your stress.
Teachers may face the following work stressors:
High expectations
Classroom management
Heavy workload
Unique student needs
Professional development
Parent communication
Administrative demands
Job insecurity
Work-life balance
Emotional labor
Mental health support is important for teachers so you can succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Therapy for educators can help you develop healthy coping mechanisms, manage your stress effectively, and create a school environment so you and your students can prosper! Prioritizing your mental health can help in initiating a culture that promotes one’s well-being.
How to deal with the stress of being a teacher
Dealing with the stress of being a teacher is not easy. Therefore, it is necessary to find strategies that work for you so you can effectively manage your workload, maintain your mental and emotional well-being, and increase your resilience.
One way to do this is through being able to manage your time. Perhaps this looks like planning out your tasks more, creating a to-do list, or setting more realistic goals so you do not overwhelm yourself. Even taking a large goal and breaking it down into smaller, more manageable steps can be a great approach for many people. This can help you feel not so overwhelmed, and helps you split your time better so you can manage both personal and professional tasks.
As a teacher, it takes some time to figure out how to lead a classroom. Learning some strong classroom management skills can help you get ahead of potential problems. Maybe this looks like crafting a consistent schedule for your students or using positive reinforcement techniques when your students do a good thing. These all create a structured learning setting where the focus can be on your teaching. Additionally, building meaningful relationships with your students can create a more peaceful classroom atmosphere which can possibly reduce the stress you are experiencing that is related to behavioral management.
If you have ever heard the saying ‘it takes a village’, you know that phrase applies to teachers too! Maintaining a social network filled with colleagues and administrators can give you the support you need and deserve. Collaborating with your peers can help with a range of tasks, from lesson planning to seeking advice on serious issues, which can give you emotional support and practical solutions to issues you may be facing.
Your school may even provide professional development talks, activities, or other opportunities on pressing mental health topics. For example, you may have the chance to join stress management workshops, learn about effective self-care practices, and adopt new instructional techniques. These opportunities can give you the tools needed for effective stress management.
As mentioned previously, self-care is of the utmost importance. Engaging in enjoyable activities or spending time with loved ones can help you feel rejuvenated while reducing your stress levels. By drawing a line in the sand between your personal and professional life, you can learn how to unplug from work to relax and support your emotional health.
Some examples of effective healthy coping skills for teachers include:
Physical activity
Well-balanced, nourishing meals
Mindfulness
Meditation
Breathwork
Sleep hygiene
Social support
Creative outlets
Relaxation techniques (e.g., progressive muscle relaxation, listening to calming music, etc.)
Setting boundaries
Managing your time
Meeting with a career counselor at Anchor Therapy
When you manage your stress effectively, you…
Improve your physical health
Regulate your emotions better
Increase your productivity
Enhance your mental clarity
Improve the relationships in your life
Enhance your sleep quality
Experience higher job satisfaction
Have a better overall well-being
How can teachers promote positive mental health?
The best way you can promote positive mental health as a teacher is to set a standard by example. By creating a supportive and nurturing classroom environment, you can promote positive mental health practices.
One of the main ways to do this is to make sure that every one of your students feels included and respected in the classroom. This can look like celebrating diversity or addressing bullying. As a teacher, you may even feel that it is important to teach your students about social-emotional components. Social-emotional learning, such as learning about self-awareness or some conflict resolution skills, can provide students with the tools required to build emotional resilience, manage their stress, and construct meaningful connections with their peers.
In the classroom, you may even try to normalize conversations about mental health concerns, such as addressing emotions, stress management techniques, and seeking professional mental health counseling support when needed. As a teacher, you hold a considerable amount of power where you can encourage students to talk about their emotions which helps reduce the mental health stigma.
By promoting mental health awareness and practices, you can foster an environment of openness and mutual respect. You will benefit from this positive environment since educators who feel supported by their colleagues and school at large, experience higher job satisfaction.
Focusing on mental health and general well-being will only make you more mindful of your own mental health needs. Perhaps teaching your students social-emotional skills reminds you that you should really get back to your mindfulness practices or self-care routines. This will only improve your mental and emotional health.
Why is a teacher’s mental health important?
A teacher’s mental health is extremely important since it directly impacts your ability to effectively educate your students. When you are mentally healthy, you are in the right frame of mind to create a productive learning environment. With good mental health, you are able to balance your emotions, manage classroom dynamics, and create a strong relationship with your students.
Poor mental health could cause issues with patience, emotional regulation, focus, and more. This could potentially impact the classroom setting in a negative way as well as decrease your teaching effectiveness.
As mentioned previously, you serve as a role model for your students. Being able to practice emotional resilience, healthy coping skills, and carving out time in your busy schedule for self-care practices can help your students develop a more positive mindset towards cultivating good mental and emotional health. If you are visibly stressed or burnt out, it may contribute to a stress-filled classroom environment where students' learning and welfare is affected.
If you want to go the distance with teaching, it will be important to practice good mental health. Chronic stress and additional unmanaged mental health concerns will only grow bigger if they are not addressed. This could lead to high absenteeism, burnout, and high turnover rates. By maintaining good mental health, you can stay motivated, engaged and, most importantly, committed to your profession.
As a teacher, you are making a large emotional and intellectual investment into your job each and every day. Maintaining good mental health is important for your personal life and general well-being. Ensuring that your mental health is a priority will make sure that you have a fulfilling career while practicing much-needed work-life balance, leading to increased happiness and job satisfaction.
With good mental health as a teacher, you can:
Implement creative teaching strategies
Create a positive learning environment
Communicate clearly
Provide emotional support
Stay organized
Maintain high energy levels
Model healthy behaviors
Maintain a work-life balance
Improve student relationships
With poor mental health as a teacher, you may:
Have little to no patience
Show less productivity
Provide less emotional support to students
Have poor communication
Struggle with classroom management
Model negative behaviors
Risk burnout
Have higher absenteeism
Showcase reduced engagement
Working with a therapist for teachers in Hoboken, New Jersey
Whether you are trying to manage your own stress and prevent burnout or you are looking to enhance your coping skills, there are many reasons why you may decide to attend mental health counseling for teachers.
Seeking the support of an educational counselor at Anchor Therapy can promote your mental, emotional, and physical well-being. This holistic approach to your health will lead to a more fulfilling personal and professional life. You will also be modeling positive behavior to your students by taking care of your own mental health.
Working with a therapist for teachers can offer the following benefits:
Prevention of burnout
Better classroom management skills
Better emotional resilience
Improved stress management skills
More job satisfaction
Personal growth
Self-awareness
Better communication skills
Enhanced physical health
Modeling positive behavior
Stronger support network
Better work-life balance
At Anchor Therapy, we understand the special range of challenges that educators face daily. Prioritizing your mental health not only helps you, but it also is important for the success and happiness of your students.
How Can I Start therapy for teachers at Anchor Therapy?
WORKING WITH anchor therapy IS EASY
Fill out the contact form below.
Once we receive your email, we will match you with an therapist who specializes in helping teachers.
Know that our licensed mental health professionals are here to support you in managing your stress, preventing burnout, and bettering your overall quality of life.
