How Teachers Can Manage Stress through Five Fitness Tips

Filed Under Behaviour Management, Dealing With Stress, positive climate, SOS for Teachers, Teacher Support

If you have been following my blog, you’ll know that I suffered from teacher burnout and took a medical leave from November to March. I wasn’t managing my stress very well, to put it mildly. Matt Bukirin offered to share his insights for managing teacher stress in the following article. I’d like to thank Matt for being a guest author. I hope you find his advice useful. You can read more of Matt’s health tips on Movemo.

How Teachers Can Manage Stress through Five Fitness Tips

Matt Bukirin

It’s pretty well known that stress manifests itself in many different ways. It negatively impacts the brain and the nervous system causing both harmful behavioral and physiological shifts such as overeating, headaches, irritability, and a suppressed immune system. The effects of stress can be especially harmful for teachers, who day in and day out are doing one of the most important jobs, cultivating the minds of our youth. So what can teachers do to help manage stress and increase their well-being? Make physical fitness a priority. Multiple studies such as those published by the International Journal of Workplace Health Management have found that increasing fitness levels has several mental and health benefits including stress reduction and increase in productivity.

After a couple years of living with roommates who are teachers, I’ve discovered a few easy tips managing stress through fitness and increasing well being when your office is a classroom.

Join a recreational sports club or make your own group.

By joining a recreational sports club like a weekend volleyball or soccer team, I’ve seen teachers get more fit while playing away the stresses of their jobs. If you aren’t capable of committing to a club with regular practices and games then start your own recreational group. Invite a few friends and colleagues to play at the nearby park over the weekend.

Start an after school fitness activity for your students.

This can be in the form of a sport or even setting up group runs or races. Not only will this keep you accountable to being active but you will serve as a good role model that healthy habits in their lives.

Many of my friends who are teachers have signed up for these each year knowing that it is the one kick in the butt that will force them to train and stay fit (you would have to be real foolish to sign up for a marathon and expect to finish without training).

Set up a fitness challenge with prizes for staff at your school

I’ve seen this popping up more and more in schools. The idea is to set up a group challenge for teachers and staff by splitting people into teams and asking individuals to commit to a fitness challenge that they must complete to earn points for their team. Try to be creative and have good prizes. You would be surprised how many people are willing to participate once a game, challenge and prize are set up.

Set up your own home gym or bring equipment into the classroom

If you’re too busy and or just don’t want sign up for a gym membership, building your personal home gym is a great alternative. You don’t need much maybe a few dumbbells, resistance bands, and a jump rope could easily get you started. You could even bring some of these things into the classroom for a quick workout during lunch or as a break from grading papers. Making a workout accessible at home is a great and easy way to stay fit. So grade a few papers in your living room and then make an easy transition into your home work out.

So here are a few tips that have helped a few teachers manage stress and increase well being by making fitness a priority. I encourage you to try a few out and see what works. Feel free to shoot me a few comments if you have some more creative ideas at matthew@movemofitness.com.

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Matt Bukirin is a NASM certified trainer and member of Movemo, a health and fitness company that teaches and empowers those who move our world forward to live healthier so that they can increase the positive change they make in the world.

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Comments

3 Responses to “How Teachers Can Manage Stress through Five Fitness Tips”

Liz on May 10th, 2012 8:39 pm

Agreed. It is a challenge to maintain your emotional and physical health. One of my solutions is to dance – it’s social, entertaining, relaxing, good for the brain, and also a great workout. If nothing else you get to have a good chuckle at yourself!
Matt B on May 13th, 2012 2:14 pm

Thank Liz and great add! I just took a hip hop dance class with a buddy of mine yesterday and it was nothing … short of amazing! Definitely had a great time dancing the day away while laughing at our ridiculous dance moves! Hope you keep on dancing your heart and daily stresses away
Jcouch on June 26th, 2012 8:00 am

I can relate to teaching burnout and enjoyed the reading. I teach special needs and have done so for 19 of my 21 years in education. I take occurances and problems home with me and carry it on my shoulders. It is sometimes hard to balance physical health, emotional health and free time. It has taken its toll on me. I agree with the tips to relieve stress and will try to use them for my remaining 8 years of teaching.