MOBILE, Ala. (PRWEB)
February 15, 2022

The stresses surrounding COVID-19 may seem never-ending, especially for school teachers and school staff. Juggling the ever-changing school duties with home life and all the challenges that everyone else faces can be overwhelming.

AltaPointe Health’s Access to Care Assistant Director, Jennifer Palomo-Gregory, LPC-S, NCC, shares a few ways that teachers and school staff can take back control and manage their mental well-being.

1.    ONLY CONTROL THE CONTROLLABLE.

“We can’t do it all, and we can’t control it all,” said Gregory.

Let go of things that are beyond your control.

“You can control making a packet for that child or that student and sending it home. You can’t control how much they’re going to complete. And that may be frustrating because we want our children engaged. We want our children devoting time for school. But then the other side of that coin is, what’s going on at home?” explained Gregory.

Try to focus on the things you can control like how to spend your time and what priorities are most important.

“If we do the best that we can, and we’re doing what we need to do — our work — and we document, and we check, that’s all that we can do at this point. Show that we are working towards these goals, and this is where we are,” added Gregory.

2.    CUT YOURSELF SOME SLACK

“You can’t set the bar too high, because then you’re going to burn yourself out,” said Gregory.

Know that you are not expected to be all things to everyone. Redefine your expectations for yourself and others.

“I can’t do it all right now. What can I not do that’s not as important? What’s repeated work? What things do we need to focus on and get done right now?” explained Gregory.

Don’t forget to focus on the positives, and don’t be too hard on yourself when things are not perfect.

“We are humans, and we can only do so much. And sometimes even in our imperfections is when we learn the most and we grow the most,” added Gregory.

3.    CARVE OUT TIME FOR YOURSELF

“That can be increments of five minutes here, or 10 minutes there. Whether it’s closing your door, taking a deep breath, maybe playing some music in the background, or having a journal where you write down exactly how you’re feeling in that moment,” said Gregory.

Make time to stay active and do things you enjoy, whether alone or socially.

4.    BOOST YOUR RESILIENCY

Believe in yourself and know that you can handle these transitions.

“These are growing pains, and it hurts. But you’re going to come out stronger. And I think if we keep that mentality, at the end of the race of what’s out there for us, for our children, for our students, I think it helps us go on,” explained Gregory.

Practice patience and model positive responses in stressful situations. Then celebrate the small victories for you and your students.

5.    SEEK EMOTIONAL SUPPORT

Stay connected with other teachers who understand your struggles. And strengthen healthy relationships with your friends and family.

“You need that lending ear, so you can talk, so you can process, so you can vent,” added Gregory.

6.    EMBRACE PROFESSIONAL HELP

“The counselors job is to listen to you, to understand you, and to support you emotionally,” explained Gregory. “And there’s nothing to be embarrassed of it. If anything, we come out stronger with the help that we get.”

Everyone needs support at some point. If things continue to feel overwhelming don’t be ashamed to reach out for help.

“You are not alone. There are people that want to talk to you, that want to be that support for you. So I encourage you at this point in life, if you’re feeling frustrated, burnt out, tired, sad like you can’t keep going, to reach out and seek help. Because the help is there.”

ABOUT ALTAPOINTE HEALTH

AltaPointe is a health care company focused on the whole person, providing primary care and specializing in mental health and substance use treatment for 60+ years. Located in Alabama, AltaPointe provides more than one million primary and mental health services each year. For more information on AltaPointe’s full continuum of care, call (251) 450-2211 or visit AltaPointe.org.