Teachers can be very busy with giving lessons, preparing lessons, extramural activities, families, and dealing with day-to-day living to the point that they forget to take care of themselves. Just like with any profession, it is easier to put your best foot forward daily if you are healthy. Here are some practical tips on how teachers can stay healthy.
How Teachers Can Stay Healthy
1. Clear out the junk food.
Pack yourself healthy snacks when you feel the need to add some extra energy during the day. If you feel hungry and there are only junk foods available to eat, you’re likely to put on weight while filling your body with minimal nutrition and plenty of toxins. Having some nuts, carrot sticks, fruit and the like readily available means you can regain energy along with needed vitamins and minerals.
2. Exercise daily.
Waking up a little earlier and getting some cardio done before work will get your blood flow going and give you a zest for the day. Otherwise, exercise after work to de-stress and relax from your day. Either way, this will help you stay healthy and more energetic.
3. Stick to a plan.
Set a healthy eating and exercise program in action for yourself at the beginning of the year and stick to it as much as possible. Over time, you will notice a difference to your health and possibly your waistline as well.
4. Take a break.
Make sure you take a lunch break where you can sit down, relax, and unwind. This helps you mentally and physically. You can also then eat a planned meal and enjoy it without rushing through it and then needing to boost yourself with a snack food on the go later.
5. Stay on top of things.
Extra stress can lead to various illnesses, both physical and mental. When you get behind on your work, this is often a cause for stress. Stay on top of your work and household related tasks to ease stress and feel better. Be sure to utilize your prep time to get things checked off your list rather than as a time to visit with other teachers. While it can be tempting to use this time to decompress, it will leave you feeling behind and cause you to need to take work home with you. Talk about stressful! Use lunchtime for fun, laughter, and visiting instead.
6. Enjoy what you do.
Make notes on why you became a teacher to help you stay motivated. Figure out how you can improve what you do and how you do it. Growing as a person as well as improving in your chosen career leads to good feelings and a better state of well-being.
7. Get enough sleep.
Make sure your plan allows for ample sleep. A minimum of 8 hours sleep is a good target to work towards. This helps your body do the functions it needs to while you are sleeping and will ensure you stay healthier.
8. Hydrate well.
Don’t forget to make sure that you get plenty of fluids in during the day. Your body needs to be hydrated to function well. Take a couple of bottles of water with you so that you drink enough during the day.
9. Reduce germs.
When we look at how teachers can stay healthy during the school term, we can also look at reducing the germs on our skin and clothing. Change when you get home and wash your hands and arms up to the elbow with soap and hot water. You can also look at using disinfectant hand gels during the day although soap and warm water are most effective.
10. Enjoy some time alone.
Take time out for hobbies, meditation, yoga or any other pursuit that makes you feel happy. Positive emotions and unwinding are great for your mental and physical well-being.
11. Build a support structure.
Spend time with loved ones and people you care about. When you are with family, friends and people that support you, you can often let go of many unhealthy, negative emotions by talking to people and getting advice and assistance as you need it.
12. Stay positive.
Another way to look at how teachers can stay healthy is by looking at mindset. Focus on positives, offer appreciation, and improve results in the classroom through positive re-enforcement. Positive emotions are great for keeping you mentally healthy and also to reduce stress and keep you physically healthy as well. Need help developing patience? Check out our blog for some helpful tips!
Conclusion
How teachers can stay healthy is a lot more complicated as there may be a variety of other factors that are not covered here. We have, however, looked at some simple and practical ways to try and improve health and well-being. Eat right, ensure you get enough vitamins and minerals, exercise regularly, drink water, and reduce stress levels. This way, you can improve and maintain good health as much as possible for a healthier, happier you. Would you like to learn about how to support mental health in your school? Our webinar series, Depression and Anxiety Disorders and Supporting Students of Trauma aim to equip educators with knowledge and skills to better support students.
INcompassing Education provides on-site, off-site, and online professional development for educators. To learn more, send a message through our contact page or like us on Facebook, INcompassing Education LLC.
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