To Manage Stress, Teachers Need to Prioritize Themselves. Start With Self-Care.

Story Source: EdSurge ~ Go to Original Article

I always thought I was an organized, well put together, “work smarter, not harder” person who took things in stride, was optimistic and calm in stressful situations. That is, until this past May. I was teaching a very challenging group of students, many who were struggling with social-emotional and mental health issues. It was like navigating rocky waters every day. I thought I was handling things fine. Until one day I began to experience what I thought were symptoms of a heart attack.

To make a long story short, after being rushed to the hospital, hours of tests and visits with multiple specialists, I was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Test results showed that there was nothing wrong with my heart. So how did all this happen to a healthy person? In a word: stress. It really is a silent killer. So, under my doctor’s orders, I left work for the remainder of the school year and began to embark on my summer of self care…………………