3 minutes
Teaching can often produce considerable stress. Add the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and confinement in most countries worldwide, and high stress levels can lead to fear and anxiety.
What is work-related teacher stress?
We all experience stress, and that is not inherently bad: it produces a psychophysiological response to a stimulus.
The problem arises when this stimulus exceeds a person's ability to respond. Stress is understood as an imbalance between the demands of our environment and our ability to respond to those situations.
Want to know your stress level?
Here is a test to help you assess how you feel. We emphasize that it is only a guidance questionnaire. A high or low score does not represent a definitive diagnosis. Only a mental health professional can administer a professional questionnaire and provide a diagnosis.
What is burnout, or occupational exhaustion?
We speak of burnout when this stressful situation becomes chronic, meaning the symptoms last at least six months. This does not happen to just any worker; it occurs only among people whose work involves relationships with others, which is why it is very common in sectors such as education and health care.
Dimensions of burnout, or occupational exhaustion.
- High emotional exhaustion: This is the feeling of chronic exhaustion. We all have days when we cannot take any more, but if that lasts six months, going to work becomes distressing.
- High depersonalization: This relates to compassion fatigue. When teachers behave without empathy, describing a child as an object that does not need affection, we are seeing depersonalization.
- Low personal accomplishment: This is when teachers feel their work is worthless and nothing they do will change anything.
Causes of burnout, or occupational exhaustion.
- Lack of material and human resources.
- Meeting students' specific educational support needs.
- Students' lack of motivation and interest.
- Student discipline problems
- Lack of social recognition.
- Lack of family cooperation.
- Educational innovations without prior training.
- Poor relationships with other teachers.
- Confinement and lack of a suitable workspace.
- Educating one's own children at home.
- Excessive screen time.
- Lack of cooperation from one's partner.
- Lifestyle.
What should you do in a stressful situation?
There is no recipe that completely prevents stress, because it emerges and develops differently depending on individuals and their stimuli. What we do know is that teachers who can analyze their practice as a team and understand their role not only in the classroom but also as workers have fewer factors that can expose them to these risks.
One of the most important tools is creating a space to reflect on this position as a teaching professional, then assess individual experiences and analyze the organizational context.
After that, you need to identify the source of strain: it may relate to work tasks and responsibilities, colleagues, students, families, or the educational system itself.
Once the strain has been identified, you can begin evaluating strategies to reduce it.
- Recognize that you are living under stress, not only because of work but also because of the pandemic.
- Find your own organizational style.
- Clean and organize your workspace.
- Set an intention for your day.
- One thing at a time. Eliminate multitasking.
- Take healthy breaks during your workday.
- Practice mindfulness , or full awareness.
- Maintain an exercise routine.
- Sleep well.
- Delegate tasks. You can do it!
- Set working hours. Then disconnect.
- Strengthen your self-esteem.
- Include more activities you enjoy in your routine.
- Maintain an 8/8/8 balance
- Seek professional help.
In collaboration with: Belma Soto - Psychologist for women