Mental Health Week and SATS - Ironic Coincidence?

Having worked in both Primary and Secondary schools for over 20 years I have experienced SATS at KS1, KS2 and -who can forget - the KS3 SATS that really added that special something to teaching Year 9! (Happy memories of scene analysis of Julius Caesar and Macbeth). Just the organisational stresses are off the scale; timetabling, room and staff allocation, physically storing papers securely and then the actual delivery of the 'tests' to meet assessor standards all whilst maintaining calm positivity and sending the pupils into a whirlwind of anxiety. Perhaps the scheduling of these weeks together was supposed to 'amuse' us in some way and remind us to keep a sense of proportion throughout it all!?

This all sounds very light-hearted and even 'out of touch' with what you are no doubt working through this week, but I post this to make a very real point about the state of mental health for teachers and all those in the education profession.

In 2021 the charity Education Support carried out a survey of over 3,000 education staff and found that:

77% - experienced symptoms of poor mental health due to their work

72% - are stressed (rising to 84% for senior leaders)

46% - always go into work when unwell (rising to 54% for senior leaders)

42% - think their organisation’s culture has a negative impact on their wellbeing

54% - have considered leaving the sector in the past two years due to pressures on their mental health

The following are identified as key contributory factors which have occurred over the past five years:

Levels of stress and anxiety remain unsustainably high
Excessive workload and lack of work-life balance remain key drivers for poor mental health
Covid-19 has had a significant impact on wellbeing
A consistently high percentage of staff consider leaving the profession
Staff are concerned they will be perceived negatively if seeking support for mental health issues
Organisations have improved staff awareness of wellbeing policies, as well as their implementation

Sinead Mc Brearty, the CEO of Education Support concludes:

"If we fail to act on these findings we are complicit in the damage to the lives and opportunities of those responsible for teaching, guiding and inspiring our nation’s next generation."

The Priority!

Follow this link to access the full report and the recommendations made by Education Support, but in the meantime we need to take action!

We all aspire to be the best we can be and to give our best to the school and our pupils, but we cannot do that if we are 'running on empty'!

Unless we are operating from a position of positive well-being we simply have no capacity to give and be the foundation for others.

Often educationalists 'manage' to function, cope even thrive in the professional setting, but at what cost? What about time for family, friends, hobbies - and dare one say it? - rest and recharging?

So my A B C for you is this:

A - Be AWARE of the state of your well-being

(Some may term this 'mindfulness')

How stressed do you feel? How anxious?

How happy / sad? How negative or positive are your thoughts? How are you sleeping?

When and what are you eating?

B - Behaviours - 'boom and bust'

Think about your routines and schedules. Think about your mental and physical activity levels!

Are you 'on the go' constantly from the moment you wake up to the moment you drop in to bed exhausted? When do you get a break from work, the children (yours and/or pupils), the family and even your partner?

Do you have a boom/bust pattern of activity where you 'go - go - go' ... until you drop?

Typical patterns are to keep going all day and be exhausted in the evening, or - most typical - keep going all week and then use the weekend to rest and recuperate. Or, do you not factor in an extended recharge time at least weekly?

If you keep going ... 'boom... boom ... boom' ... until you can't ...

Then the consequence of that will truly be BUST!

And at this level of mental and physical depletion it becomes increasingly difficult to 'recover' and set off on the cycle again.

If you are in any way a 'boom and bust' person, then I urge you to make it a priority to start changing that behaviour!

C - Contact and conversation

When life is so busy and demands come thick and fast we get overwhelmed.

It becomes difficult to process so many facts and feelings and prioritise.

We may get into a negative loop of self talk and lose perspective of how skilled and competent we really are.

And above all, we can feel isolated in our worries and struggles and believe that no one is experiencing - or has ever experienced what you're going thought at that moment. And, consequently, it may feel like there is no way out.

No way, other than leaving the job or even profession ... and so we get our low teacher (and educator) retention numbers.

As soon as you are AWARE that your well-being is suffering...

As soon as you recognise BOOM/BUST BEHAVIOUR ...

CONTACT someone and have a CONVERSATION!

WHO?

Family and friends - may be your first contact, but unless you're 'in' education, your situation may be difficult for others to fully understand. In my experience caring family members sympathise, but only offer simplistic and uninformed possible solutions.

Useful conversations might be had with colleagues in your school and even - if the ethos and climate facilitates this - a discussion with a line manager and/or senior leader could hopefully promote understanding and generate strategies for solution.

BUT SOMETIMES - EVEN IN THE EARLY STAGES - YOU NEED IMPARTIAL and SPECIALISED SUPPORT.

My recommendation is that you contact Education Support!

Many of us are unaware of the services that they can offer or do not access them until we are in crisis.

Remember, Education Support:

Do not limit their support to those in crisis - early support is better for everyone!
Can support you no matter where you work*.
Can support you if you work in education, no matter what your job title is.
Know the educational context and the unique combination of pressures you experience
Can give objective, constructive advice.
Will listen to you and work with you to plan next step

* (some schools actually register to use their services for their staff which is a very positive sign that the school understand and actively support staff with well-being issues.)

And how do I know? Because I've been there!

I've been at a stage where their support literally kept me in my job!

Education Support enabled me:

to continue and develop my career in education
gave me a legacy of self-awareness and skills to maintain more healthy behaviours and routines
taught me that connection and conversation early on can really prevent escalation to crisis.

ACTION - check out their website today!

Introducing Lorraine Smith