Incorporating some stress-relieving activities throughout the day can help keep the classroom atmosphere light and enjoyable. Throw an impromptu dance party after a test or rough patch of the day. The kids’ creative dance moves should bring a smile to your face. Schedule a time when you can assign a student to act as teacher for a bit and teach a lesson, hand out papers or give instructions. Put out a joke box where the kids can submit school-appropriate jokes. Throughout the day, pull jokes out and tell them to the class. Have a silly faces or a laughing contest with the kids. A Friday movie every once in a while also can help everyone relax and have something to look forward to.
Whether you’re in class or away from work, you can use some relaxation techniques to calm your mind and body. Deep belly breathing exercises bring fresh oxygen into the body while reducing stress. Breathe in deeply through your nose, so your belly expands, and slowly exhale through your mouth. Repeat this several times until you feel refreshed. Visualizations also help combat stress. As you breathe in, imagine you are pulling all of your stress and worry to the area above your belly button. As you breathe out, imagine the icky feelings being expelled from your body. If you want, exhale with some force to really get the stress out. You also can visualize a “happy place” in your head. This makes for a great mid-day escape from the hectic classroom atmosphere. Close your eyes and picture anything you want. Go flying through pink fluffy clouds or swimming with dolphins. Picture anything that will ease the stress and make you smile. You will notice that your whole body will feel lighter after a good breathing and visualization session. Giving a stress ball or tennis ball a few dozen good squeezes does wonders too.
Having a happy and healthy body is key to keeping stress in check. The National Sleep Foundation recommends 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night for adults. With all of your responsibilities, this may not be feasible every single day, but try your best. Fuel your body with healthy foods and keep the alcohol, caffeine and processed foods to a minimum. Healthy food choices will keep your energy up and your body functioning properly. Aerobic exercises like running and cardio kickboxing will help keep your body fit and healthy and release feel-good chemicals called endorphins.
When you’re not at work, participate in activities that bring you joy. Reading a good book while snuggled up on the couch with a cozy blanket can do it for some. An evening out with friends, tackling a hike, painting or going to a movie can be relaxing after a rough week. Take up a new hobby, like scrapbooking or woodworking, if you want a new change of pace.