We wanted to share this fantastic blog with you as looking after our own wellbeing is more important than ever at this time. Here are some great tips from Suneta Bagri for our staff. 

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Responding to social distance through connecting with others and why this is so important right now.

Teachers, so, we’ve all been hit with the news that schools are closing due to coronavirus. Our well-being and mental health is critical to get us through this period of uncertainty and unknown territory. Connection with others is essential to providing us with a feeling of being grounded right now to help us get through.  

Whatever your personal situation is, the importance of feeling connected right now with those that are important to you is of paramount importance to your well-being.  

You may be…

• a teacher who is deeply concerned for the welfare of your students and feel angry at the situation
• a senior leader who is still working and keeping your school organisation going but remain concerned about the contact you are having
• a leader who is concerned about the well-being of self and the rest of the staff
• a teacher who enjoys their work and views work as a positive distraction from “stuff” in your own life. You don’t know what you will do now?
• a teacher who lives on their own
• a supply teacher and although you understand, the news about schools closing, is simply devastating for you. You are seriously concerned about the financial deficit this is going to cause you.
• You are glad to have some time off to focus on yourself and your family.

Whatever your situation or circumstances. Make it your number one priority to ensure connection. This can be achieved through many different ways.  

Firstly, my suggestion would be to connect with yourself. This can be done in a variety of different ways. Here’s a few recommendations…

• Write in a Journal and capture how you are feeling
• Ask curious questions of yourself at the beginning of each day. These questions must uplift your energy and not be negative. For example, what’s going to make me feel good today? What do I want to achieve today? What foods shall I eat that I know are good for me?
• Plan your day! Just like you would do when you are at school with your students.  
• Give your day a structure and routine.
• Keep checking in with yourself throughout the day and ask – how am I feeling? How am I doing?
• Take walks in the park and connect with nature as much as possible
• Take part in meditation, yoga and mindfulness activities. Or just take time to do breathing and relaxation.

Secondly, connect with others.  We are so lucky to have technology at our fingertips to make this so easy to do. 

Here’s some recommendations…

• Make a list of all the people that you love and make you feel good. This is really important. You will be in contact with different people for different reasons. Some will be purely out of obligation, others will be because you have a duty of care towards them and others will be because they are good for your wellbeing.

Be clear about the above list and prioritise who you will call/message/facetime and how often. 

• You could use the “must/should/could’ framework!
• Take control of the communication and schedule in time for it, so that you are not a slave to your phone every time it pings!
• To help with the above point, differentiate (if you can) between using your phone for social communication and your computer/ipad for work or internet access.
• Join social groups on facebook which interest you. This is a great time to take up a new interest and hobby. You could be part of a community or tribe which supports you right now. This sense of belonging is critical to your well-being during this time, particularly if you live on your own.  
• Join webinars for learning new skills. Now is definitely the right time!
• Write notes to your neighbours and let them know they can call upon you for help. Feeling close to those who are in closest proximity to you, will really help provide comfort.  
• Set up a new what’s app group with those that you know will understand your unique position and will uplift you. Especially work colleagues that you have commonalities with, that are going through this phase with you.

By nature, we are social animals and we all need connection. Isolation and loneliness are precursors to depression and anxiety. 

When we feel connected, we feel a sense of belonging, when we have the right emotional support around us we can in turn offer, love, respect and trust. These are the building blocks for our well-being. Paying attention to our emotional mental health will ward off anxiety, depression and allay fears that we may have. 

It will help you to stay in control of the situation rather than the situation in control of you.  

I am a teacher with twenty years of experience, a former head teacher and now a well-being champion, mindset coach and a mental health first aider. I am founder of the Every Teacher Matters Project and am currently responding to all types of support and enquiries for teachers, leaders and school staff. If you would like a free coaching call, follow this link…

https://sunetabagri.com

If you wish to get in touch directly about your personal circumstances to see if I can help, please get in touch… contact@sunetabagri.com

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Suneta is also a certified Master Practitioner in NLP, Timeline ® Therapy and Hypnosis and offers breakthrough programmes, using modern mind tools and can assist you in making positive changes and taking control of your thoughts.

To support the teaching and support staff at Smile Education through this difficult time, Suneta is offering a free 30-minute coaching session. If you would like to take advantage of this offer or enquire about any of Suneta’s other services then get in touch directly. 

Be sure to look out for Suneta’s updates in Operation Smile.