Day 5 - Too Emotionally Tired to Care

Hi there!

Throughout this series, I’ve shared how to support and protect your physical body from the effects of high stress.

But teaching is very emotional work, too. And this brings us to our final day, where I want to talk about one of the worst things high stress can steal from us: Our capacity to care.

Let’s talk about emotional health.

Common emotional symptoms of chronic stress include lack of motivation, high anxiety, increased depression, irritability, nervousness, absentmindedness and feelings of hopelessness.

I think the emotional symptoms of burnout are the most unfortunate because so many teachers enter the field precisely because they care.

A caregiving profession like teaching will always be emotional work - What many teachers currently lack is time and space to properly process emotions and reset from the emotional toll of the day.

Today, you might:

ASSESS: How often do you allow for intentional time to decompress, feel your feelings, and process the events of the day?

Talk soon,

Emily
PS Ready to take the next step toward stress relief and long-term career health? Apply for a free Teacher Wellness Call with me by March 3rd and get 30% off my Signature Health Coaching Program. Apply now

Day 4 - Too Tired to Exercise

Hi there!

So far, we’ve talked about how stress can impact your rest, hydration, and nutrition. I’ve also shared solutions you might try for each of these areas.

Today, let’s talk about exercise.

Chronic stress is really hard on the body. It can make it very difficult to have enough energy at the end of the day to exercise - especially to engage in rigorous, strenuous exercise.

But movement is also one of the body’s best defenses against stress. Daily, joyful movement is one of the best ways to relieve stress and build stress resilience.

The key is to find a type of movement that you genuinely enjoy.

Today, you might:

ASSESS: How often do you get the recommended 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day? What holds you back from getting the movement you need?

During this series, I’ve been sharing how to support your body for stress relief - But what about the things at school that are causing the stress? My health coaching program specifically helps you address school year stressors while getting accountability to keep practicing healthy habits like the ones in this series - more on this later.

Talk soon,

Emily
PS Ready to take the next step toward stress relief and long-term career health? Apply for a free Teacher Wellness Call with me by March 3rd and get 30% off my Signature Health Coaching Program. Apply now

Day 3 - Too Rushed to Eat Well

Hi there!

So far, we’ve talked about how overrun schedules can make it difficult to get enough rest and drink enough water.

Today, let’s talk about nutrition.

A common teaching struggle is not having enough time to eat proper meals at school. And then not enough energy to make a proper meal after school.

When we don’t eat enough throughout the day, more cortisol, our stress hormone, is released to regulate dipping blood sugar. Chronic stress can cause a change in appetite, inconsistent eating patterns, and digestive issues.

That’s right - it’s another stress cycle: The body gets stressed from improper nutrition, and chronic stress makes it hard to stay properly nourished.

Chronic stress can also cause stressful weight gain or loss.

So let’s talk solutions. Today, you might:

ASSESS: How often do you currently stop work to eat a proper breakfast and lunch during the school week? Do you feel your current nutrition supports short and long-term wellbeing?

Talk soon,

Emily
PS Ready to take the next step towards building a sustainable teaching career that prioritizes your health goals? Apply for a free Teacher Wellness Call with me by March 3rd and get 30% off my Signature Program. Apply now

Day 2 - No Breaks to Hydrate

Hi there!

Yesterday, we kicked things off talking about rest - Specifically, why it can be such a struggle to get the rest you need during the school year.

As I explained in yesterday’s video, there are a couple of key habits you might try to improve your quality of rest.

Today, let’s talk about Hydration.

A common trend for teachers is little time for bathroom breaks. The lack of time to use the restroom can be stressful, and often the solution is…drink less water.

This can begin another unfortunate stress cycle - Dehydration causes a stress response in the body, and stress can increase our risk of becoming dehydrated.

When we’re stressed, the adrenal glands produce extra cortisol, the stress hormone, and when the adrenal glands become exhausted, it can result in lower electrolyte levels.

So today you might:

ASSESS: On a school day, how often are you able to hit the recommended 11-15 cups of water? What keeps you from the hydration you need?

Reply to this email and let me know!

In tonight’s video, I will share Tips to Help You Drink More Water. Yes, you can add lemon or get a fancy water bottle, but the tips this evening are teacher-specific and may surprise you. Look for the quick video in your inbox at 6pm EST.

Drinking enough water may not seem like a huge deal, but supporting your physical body is crucially important for long-term stress management.

Talk soon,

Emily

Day 1 - Too Overwhelmed to Rest

Hi there!

Over the next 5 days, my goal is to point out common stressors that contribute to school year stress, and to offer new habits that may alleviate stress in your career.

To start us off…let’s talk about REST.

A lack of rest - both quality sleep and quality downtime - can be a big stressor in anyone’s day. 

But if you’ve been stressed for a while, you may start to notice it’s harder to get the rest you need. A common symptom of chronic stress is trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or getting restorative deep sleep.

It’s a self-perpetuating cycle - The body gets stressed from not having the rest it needs, but it’s hard to get enough rest when we’re stressed.

The first step to breaking this cycle is noticing where you’re at. Today, you might…

ASSESS: On a scale of 1-10, how rested do you feel on a typical school day (1 is most tired, 10 is most energized)? What habits in your day are contributing to that number?

Here’s where I start offering solutions for relief. Watch the Day 1 video, Essential Steps for More Restorative Rest, for possible next steps.

A commitment to healing our relationship with rest is absolutely key for decreased stress in your career and life.

Talk soon,

Emily
P.S.Friends can still join the series using this link.

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