Every job has its own set of stresses. While your job may not be “stressful” all the time, it probably has its moments where you are feeling more stressed and overwhelmed. Here are some tips for staying calm and taking care of yourself when that overwhelm is threatening to take over!
1 – Do some deep breathing. This is my first go-to when I am feeling overwhelmed. Even if you can’t escape to a quiet, private spot, just stop where you are and breathe in and out to a count of four. Even just three deep breaths make a difference as it stimulates your parasympathetic nervous system (leading to a feeling of calmness) and increases the supply of oxygen to your brain.
2 – Take a break. (The Hamilton song is playing in my head right now!) Can someone else take over or cover for you for a few minutes? Can you just take a quick walk down the hall or outside? For me, sometimes I just walk into a neighboring classroom for a moment. It breaks the tension and helps calm you down by giving you a different perspective for a few moments.
3 – Eat something healthy. While the temptation is always there to eat sugar or junk food, try eating something healthy instead. OR tell yourself that you can have the junky treat as soon as you eat something healthy first. (That often curbs the temptation right there.) Eat something that is good for your body. Examples: baby carrots (crunching them also releases tension in your jaw!), apple slices, other raw veggies or fruit, nuts, healthy trail mix.
4 – Drink water. Many of us are under-hydrated. Try to drink your body weight in ounces of water every day. Add flavor with lemon or lime wedges or drink flavored seltzer.
5 – Meditate. The Headspace app is my go-to, but there are several good apps for quick meditations that can be done anywhere. Of course, you can meditate without an app. Simply close your eyes, take deep breaths focus on a word or phrase that relaxes you, or count your inhales and exhales up to ten, then start over again. Even one minute of meditation helps!
6 – Do some yoga poses (standing poses: standing forward bend, eagle pose, dolphin pose, extended triangle pose; floor poses: child’s pose, bridge pose, legs up the wall pose, cat pose, easy pose, corpse pose). Check out Yoga with Adriene for more poses.
7 – Keep something at work that smells good and makes you feel better. It could be an empty perfume bottle, an essential oil that you love (a favorite brand is Natrogix Bliss), a small bottle of Johnson’s baby powder, or a good-smelling tea bag.
8 – Make lists. Lists help me to calm down and feel more on top of whatever is going on. Grab a notebook or use sticky notes – whatever paper is handy and that you can easily locate later. Types of lists you might make: tasks you need to do, tasks you want to do, students (or others) who need your attention/care in some way, things to “fix” or think about, things that are going well, things for which to be grateful, ideas to try, things you want to turn over to God, etc.
9 – Plan some small self-care activity to look forward to (buy a latte or chai tea on the way home, buy flowers for your home, do some workout that you enjoy, take a walk, take a bubble bath, go to bed early, buy or make a delicious dinner, listen to a favorite music playlist, read a good book, call/text/write to someone you love, listen to a positive podcast, buy something small that you will enjoy using or wearing).
10 – Say or do something nice for someone right in front of you. Smiling counts. Telling them something you appreciate about them counts too.
11 – Look around and find ONE thing that is going well or one person for whom you are grateful. Believe it or not, this helps focus your mind on what is going well instead of all that may be crowding in on you at the moment. Despite your massive to-do list and all the ways in which you may feel that you are falling short, there is always something you are doing well and someone who appreciates you. Remind yourself of this one thing or one person. Make a list of what is going well, what you are doing well, students or patients with whom you are connecting. Savor these “small wins”. Keep this as an ongoing list.
12 – If you are a teacher like I am, stay focused on the students. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by more and more being added to your plate (with nothing ever being removed), more and more demands from district offices and from parents/community. But if you can stay focused on your WHY – your students – you will be focused on what really matters.
13 – If you are able to leave work a little earlier, do so. Go home and relax, go work out at the gym, buy yourself some flowers, do something that will cheer you up. Give yourself some grace from all the stress and overwhelm. Remember that there is a big difference between self-care and being selfish.
No matter the level of stress or overwhelm, you are doing so many things well. Keep that in mind and take care of yourself.