Self Care Techniques and Resources for Staff

Mental Wellbeing Practices

• Happiful podcasts - mental health advocates share the passions that shape their lives, as well as thoughts on their own mental health in Happiful and Counselling Directory's podcast.

• How to be happy: a guide for teachers (and everyone else) (Guardian 9/12/2016)
  
  
• Lessons in resilience: earning your stripes - teacher support resources for developing resilience from Dr Emma Kell, author of ‘How to Survive in Teaching,’ on developing resilience.
  
  
• Calmer You - become your calmest, happiest, most confident self. Chloe Brotheridge knows what it's like to constantly overthink things, to feel nervous about everyday stuff and to let a lack of confidence hold you back from being yourself and being in the moment. Living with anxiety and low self-confidence is frustrating at worst, and a living nightmare at best.
  
  
• Mindful moment - Mindfulness can sometimes be found in the most unexpected places – but what about handwashing? Happiful explores five ways you can turn this hygienic ritual into a mindful moment
  
  
• Struggling to focus? Try this breathing technique to help clear foggy minds, and get you back on track.
  
  
• Forest bathing is the practice of totally immersing yourself in nature, and it has fruitful benefits. Here, with the help of a certified forest therapy guide, Happiful unearths the ways that exploring the great outdoors can support our wellbeing
  
  
• Showing gratitude for both the big and small things in our lives has the power to transform our state of mind and wellbeing. Life Coach looks at how gratitude benefits you and shares some of their favourite ways that you can start incorporating feel-good habits into your daily routine.

Support for School or College Staff 

Parents, carers and school staff can often be impacted by children’s mental health. These resources can help adults better support children, and also find the help that they themselves might need. 

• Family Links: Mental and Emotional Health in Schools: effective strategies and support for schools as they respond to the challenges of COVID-19 and its impact on the whole learning community: Free Online Course. 

• Mentally Healthy Schools: a range of free coronavirus and mental health toolkits with useful resources and guidance to support school staff, parents and carers through the challenges they face as a result of the pandemic. This includes: 
  • Resources for managing anxiety and improving wellbeing 
  • Dealing with the effects of lockdown 
  • Resources for building resilience  

• National Education Union: Coronavirus: What You Need to Know - Staff Mental Health and Wellbeing 

• SecEd Headteacher Update: Best Practice Guide (2020) Focusing on Staff Wellbeing Post-lockdown and During the Full Return to School 
  
  
• Teacher Magazine: Teacher Wellbeing During COVID-19 

• Teacher Magazine Podcast: The Research Files Episode 62: Teacher Adaptability 

• TES: Coronavirus and Schools: A one-stop-shop for teachers who want to know what impact the ongoing pandemic will have on their working lives.
  
  
• TES SEN Show: Supporting the Emotional and Mental Health of the Education Workforce free webinar. Suitable for all Key Stages. 
  
  
• Schools’ Wellbeing Partnership: Mental health and wellbeing in primary schools –Preparing for Recovery: Self-review and Signposting Tool. 

Burnout: Recognising the signs and protecting yourself

Education Support: Their Director of Programmes, Faye McGuinness, looks at how you can recognise the symptoms of burnout and shares tips to help you beat it.

How to spot burnout in teachers (educationsupport.org.uk)

The Building Blocks of Good Mental Wellbeing

Create healthy habits and a lifestyle that supports your mental wellbeing through a few simple steps taken at your own pace.

The building blocks of good mental wellbeing (educationsupport.org.uk)