How I Maintained My Peace of Mind As A Teacher

Teaching can be a very stressful profession. We work long hours, take work home, and wear many hats throughout the day. It’s enough to drive even the best of us a little crazy. But, that’s why it’s essential for teachers to maintain their peace of mind if they plan on making a lifelong commitment to the profession.

As a person who constantly struggles with mental health issues, I needed to figure out how to reduce my stress levels while working in the classroom. Unfortunately, I did not do this well during my first few years on the job. I had a difficult time trying to find a balance. I, like most teachers, worked myself to the bone. I placed my mental and physical health in jeopardy, completely forgetting that self-care is more important than grading papers and writing lesson plans.

Once I had been working for a few years and had established a rhythm in my classroom, I slowly but surely figured out how to separate work from home. In this blog post, I’ll explain some of the measures I had to take to create a sense of harmony both at home and at work.

1. I Learned How to Say No

As a teacher, I was constantly being asked to do things above and beyond what was required or in my contract. At times, I felt the pressure to say yes, even when I really didn’t want to oblige. That’s why it was necessary for me to learn how to say NO without feeling guilt or shame. For example, if adding an extra task or activity would add more stress to my life, I would just say NO. I always felt better when I did.  

2. I Took Mental Health Days

Stress from work can wreak havoc on you both physically and mentally. That is why it was vital for me to take a day for myself. I realized that there was no harm in using one of my sick or personal days just to decompress and relax. That’s what those days are for. Plus, I learned that my class wasn’t going to fall apart because I took a day off. So, I took a day off from time to time to rest, do some of my favorite things, or hang out with a friend. It was amazing how just taking twenty-four hours for myself worked wonders for my mental health.

3. I Left Work at A Reasonable Time

I used to go into work early or stay late in order to finish my work because there just wasn’t enough time in the day to get it done.  Sometimes, this was inevitable because it was just the nature of the job.  However, I eventually learned how to say, “Time is up,” and go home. First, I figured out which tasks needed to be done before I left work. Then, I set a time to leave and tried very hard to stick to it.  Otherwise, I would have never been able to decompress from the job.

4. I Stopped Taking Work Home

As a rookie teacher, I came early, stayed late, and took a lot of work home. I worked hard both at work and at home for the first couple of years of my career. Unfortunately, that meant I never got a break from work, even during my off-duty hours. That’s when I realized that something had to give. I eventually stopped taking stuff home because it was stressing me out. I decided that I am not a machine and I needed time to relax. Therefore, taking work home had to stop. I finally came up with a way to work smarter and not harder so that I could leave work without any extra baggage in tow. That also meant I didn’t check emails or make work-related phone calls from home either.

5. I Stopped Doing Work During My Lunch Break

I, like many teachers, would have a working lunch. I would try to eat and do some work simultaneously, which made absolutely no sense because lunch was the only time I had to myself. That’s when I realized that I was going to have a peaceful lunch no matter what. Therefore, I used my lunch break to relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Sometimes I would use that time to listen to music, watch a 30-minute episode of my favorite show, or read a book. It was my way to reclaim my time and just unwind before my next class started.

6. I Managed My Time Wisely

I’m not the type of person who likes to do things at the last minute because it does nothing but create stress, worry, and panic.  Therefore, I would try to stay a few days or weeks ahead of myself to eliminate stress. I made sure to lesson plan, copy papers, gather materials, enter grades, or update websites days in advance in order to feel well prepared for my daily lessons and activities.

7. I Consistently Used My Classroom Management Plan

I had my classroom management plan ready to go on the first day of school. I also took the time to establish routines, procedures, and rules until it became second nature for both my students and me. Perfecting my classroom management plan enabled my class to run smoothly and be far less stressful because everyone knew exactly what to expect.

8. I Stayed Away from Work Drama and Remained Professional

It’s normal to encounter disagreements, negative gossip, or clashes in personality in the work environment. However, in order to prevent some of these factors from affecting my day, I tried to settle issues that may have popped up amicably and respectfully. Additionally, I tried to steer clear of the negative culture, gossip, and cliques as much as possible. Drama-free was the way for me.