There are millions, even billions of people who are products of a great teacher/s. For sure, teachers instill a sense of wonder in all of us to explore, discover and to be creative on our journey to greatness.
Teachers are indeed the foundation, pillar and “significant other”, who hold the keys to building a great nation. Because of their status and awesome contributions and development of our great nation; unfortunately, the status of their mental and emotional health is often ignored and/or neglected.
Worldwide more attention is being directed towards the concern and care of the mental health of teachers.
A BIG BRAVO! for a job well done, as you continue to nurture, teach and develop our children.
- But, what about you as a teacher?
- What about your mental and emotional wellbeing?
- What’s about the diverse challenges, hurdles that you undertake just to stay afloat in your profession?
- What are you doing as a teacher to “take care” of you? You Do You!
I must confess that teaching is no small fete. Unless you have a passion for teaching, it is hard and very challenging to stay on board. In addition, our families also deserve a significant portion of our love, attention and time as teachers.
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Let’s agree, as much as teaching is noble, fulfilling, and rewarding in many ways, it has many challenges that test our mental health and stability on a daily basis. If we own up, we all know that teachers suffered tremendously during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During this time teachers took a huge blow on their mental health status. As a result, many teachers were forced to quit teaching because of diverse circumstances, relocations, loss of salaries, illnesses, deaths, as well as mental illnesses.
Through several references, it was discovered that a teacher’s stress levels may be higher than those of other professions (Redin C.I, Evro-Garce’s A, stress in teaching professionals across Europe, 2020).
Mental Health Self Care practices include;
- Practicing mindfulness
- Self-love and compassion. “You do You”!
- Education programmes on mental health in churches/schools and community
- Development of psychosocial self-care strategies among colleagues, Saccos and chamas and other social
- Spiritual and group fellowships are also factors to consider for better mental health of
Finally, teachers should not be shy to engage in early preventive interventions. The myth that seeking mental health labels a person as a “psycho” is due to lots of ignorance, discrimination and stigma. There are times when seeking psychological and emotional help should be kept a “secrete”, depending on the circumstances. If you feel ashamed or embarrassed about your mental health status, then it’s important to keep things as a private matter.
Take this free mental health questionnaire to give you an idea of what’s going on with your mental challenges. This is not an approved mental health instrument. However, if you have questions about your results, please consult your counselor or psychiatrist.
www.niehs.orgclinicalexam:Mental Health Questionnaire
By Doris Foxworth Odito
Doris Foxworth Odito is a professional Counseling Psychologist.
She can be reached at 0722-617 404
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