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Eight Strategies For Building Resilience

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Stress is one of the biggest reasons teachers leave the classroom early, and for school leaders, helping colleagues deal with stress can be a key factor in staff retention.

I wrote in an earlier post about how stress was the biggest cause of illness leading to absence among teachers.

One way of reducing stress is to remove the factors that cause stress, whether they are workload, unrealistic expectations or pressure from parents.

But in the absence of that, there are steps school leaders can take to help their staff become more resistant to the effects of stress. By building resilience they can help colleagues deal with stress while minimizing the impact on their emotional, mental and physical well-being.

Being resilient does not mean being impervious to stress, but it does mean adapting to and coping with stressful situations. It is not an inherent quality: it can be acquired through learned behaviours, thoughts and actions.

Among the ways of building resilience to stress are:

         Maintaining and forming relationships: relationships are often among the first things to suffer when someone is under stress, but good relationships are critical for mental and physical health. Relationships are also a good source of support and a sympathetic ear, while offering help and support to others can make you feel good about yourself;

         Exercise: physical exertion helps counteract the effects of stress and can also lead to better sleep;

         Relaxation: easier said than done when you’re stressed, but setting aside some time to unwind can be a good way of easing the pressure. Whether it’s yoga or meditation, or even a walk in the park, time out of a normal busy schedule can help you get a new perspective;

         Having fun: laughter can reduce stress and help us feel more positive. Even if you don’t feel ‘in the mood’, making an effort to do fun activities, particularly when they are with friends, can mitigate the effects of stress;

         Positive attitude: focusing on how things could be better in the future, rather than the seemingly insurmountable problems in the present, can make them feel less daunting. Similarly, changing the way you look at a situation can take away some of its power to frighten you, while it could also be helpful to look at the positive things in your life, rather than just the negative ones;

         Taking control: people who are stressed often feel at the mercy of events beyond their control, but even initiating small actions can give you a sense of empowerment, which can give you the confidence to take bigger steps;

         Acceptance: some things you may not be able to change, at least in the short term, so instead of worrying about things that are beyond your control, focus on those things you can alter;

         Keep working at it: resilience takes time to build, so it’s important not to be discouraged if you don’t see the effects immediately. Instead, persevere with the strategies you find work best, and be assured that resilience is not innate and is something that can be learned.

The American Psychological Association publishes some useful advice on dealing with stress and building resilience. Sufferers should also consult a doctor if it is affecting their mental or physical well-being.

But it is important to recognize that stress does not have to take a heavy toll. It may be hard to avoid, but it can be tamed.

 

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