Stress is a part of our daily lives these days. In itself, stress is not a bad thing. It’s what you do with it. Managing stress effectively can help to build individual resilience, as well as help support a balanced lifestyle. Often we push through our everyday stresses, expecting we can continue to make it work even when things start to pile up.
To protect your personal wellbeing and build resilience, it’s important to stay tuned to your stress levels. Take time to notice what triggers or add to your stress and try different strategies to minimise the impact.
Below are a number of proven stress management tips. Find what works best for you:
- eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly;
- getting enough sleep;
- laughing! Find the humour in the everyday;
- breaking down problems into manageable chunks;
- focusing on the positives;
- getting physical – going for a run, to the gym, or for a walk, or doing some yoga;
- writing down your worries and sharing with a trusted colleague / friend;
- having interests and connections outside your work; and
- practising relaxation techniques such as mindful awareness techniques, mindfulness practices and meditation.
There are also some great free resources, online courses and apps to help you manage stress and build your resilience. For example:
- Reachout Australia offers a curated collection of professionally reviewed tools and apps for Apple and Android platforms to help Australians set goals for and look after their wellbeing.
- myCompass, developed by the Black Dog Institute, is a free Internet and smart-phone based self-help program for people with mild to moderate depression, anxiety and stress, or who simply want to build good mental health and wellbeing.
- Mindfulness apps such as Headspace and Smiling Mind offer a range of free sessions designed to assist in dealing with the pressure, stress and challenges of daily life.
- The Wellbeing Plan for Educators can help you to consider strategies and resources you can use to promote and protect your wellbeing at and outside work and address the unique challenges you may experience as an educator.
- Wellbeing: Yours, mine and ours will support educators to reflect on their stressors, as well as provide information on how to engage in conversations with colleagues and support wellbeing in their learning community.
- Promoting educator wellbeing in your learning community is a shared responsibility. This Be You guide goes beyond self-care strategies, supporting leaders and Action Teams to create environments where all educators can thrive.
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