Stress Warning Signals

Stress is a natural phenomenon in life and a consequence of teaching children and fulfilling our associated professional responsibilities as teachers and school leaders. Our students also experience significant stress:

• it is inevitable and a form of personal conflict that needs to be accepted and managed properly
• if not addressed it may build to both mental and physical illness
• the reality is that one in five Australians experience mental illness and the teaching profession, along with policing and nursing, is recognised as a stressful occupation
• our students also suffer from severe stress from both society and school influences, often extending to mental disorders
• we can all choose to ignore it, but it won’t go away; it is something to be faced

There are two main types of stress:

Positive Stress

• commonly described as being “psyched up” or “pumped”; the origin of “can do” and “want to” attitudes, musts for high quality learning and teaching
• it is essential for emotional and physical stability
• creates feelings of empowerment and a feeling of balance and good serotonin levels
• our 21^st century students need a feeling of positiveness in their attitudes towards the relevance and meaningfulness of our teaching and connections in their learning

Negative Stress

• is commonly called ‘distress’ and is a source of anxiety for both students and us
• it is a drain on enthusiasm and energy
• it comes from doubts about coping with, self-value, a striving for perfection, feelings of being indispensable and an ability to participate in everything that is required
• excessive alcohol and caffeine intake aggravate distress
• poor student, individual, staff and school morale significantly contribute to distress

Distress warning signals fall into three main areas and an awareness and early recognition of them is the key to stress management and high quality teaching and learning environments. The symptoms of the three are:

Physical

• trembling, dizziness/headaches, skin disorders, pounding heart/breathlessness, stomach aches, frequent tiredness

Emotional

• anxiety, depression, temperamental, panic, lack of interest, boredom, loss of self esteem, unable or reluctant to make decisions

Behavioural

• disturbed sleeping patterns, frequently distracted, forgetfulness, lack of attention to appearance, abnormal eating habits, withdrawal, consuming excessive alcohol, lack of interest in life

A proactive approach is encourage our students to make a list of their individual warning signs of Distress (and us also) that signal the onset of stress.

Share it with their and our families and a critical friend at school to assist in combating it for us.
Empower school community members to speak up when they see the warning signs; prevention is much better than cure.

“People don’t notice whether it’s winter or summer when they are happy” Chekhov