Welcome to The Flourishing Teacher’s Field Guide.

I’ve hit an important anniversary - a whole year since I decided to prioritise my wellbeing as a teacher. 

What have I achieved, what have I learned, and how can my mistakes help make you a happier, more balanced teacher?

Let’s find out…

I Used To Think Emotional Exhaustion Was Normal 

A couple of years ago, I was an outwardly successful and inwardly crumbing teacher. I felt like I was suffocating with responsibility, stuck in a web of my own making. 

Work days stretched into evenings, weeks into weekends. My holidays were opportunities for work, my stress levels were through the roof, and the norms and expectations I’d allowed to develop were damaging me to such a degree that I couldn’t see how ill I’d become.

I’d allowed every part of myself to be consumed by teaching. I’d actively given myself away. And I was in real danger of never coming back to myself.

How did that look?

1. Chronic anxiety and stress (my colleagues would have said I was calm and happy) 

2. An almost total lack of meaningful self-care leading to illness and poor quality of life

3. Running in a constant state of fear, either about past events or future challenges

4. Always in work mode, unable to relax or switch off

5. My identity as a teacher was all I had

I knew something within me had to change. 

So, I did my research, made a commitment to my future, and set myself three wellbeing goals. 

A year later, those goals have been a lifeline, a torment and a source of both pride and disappointment. But above all, they’ve given me a foundation for the future.

I’m sharing my goals and reflections below in the hope that they’ll inspire you to create your own, and change your life in the process…

My 3 Teacher Wellbeing Goals 

1. Boundaries

The most urgent wellbeing goal I set for myself was to build barriers between my life and work. This area of my life was the most out of control, and so it was the hardest goal to achieve. In fact, it took me a long time to believe that I could be an effective teacher without dedicating every spare moment to it.

If you’re feeling the same, then you’ll know that making this goal work is all about trust. You’ve got to trust that you’ll be able to make those boundaries consistent and that you’ve got the skills and experience to deliver in the classroom.

Here are the boundaries I set (and mostly stuck to). Feel free to do the same...

• No checking emails when not at work.

• No working at home in the evenings (but I stay later at school than I used to and finish work there).

• Only bring vital work home at the weekends and holidays. No more guilt piles on the kitchen table.

• Seek out and prioritise hobbies and pastimes that actively take my brain and body out of teaching mode.

I learned that by setting physical, emotional and mental boundaries and trusting myself to stick to them, I quickly began to feel empowered rather than guilty.

2. Breath

I wanted to reconnect with my physicality as part of my wellbeing journey, but it took me a while to realise that the way to do that was through breathwork.

I could have started by working out or going for a run every day, which would have been a challenge that I’m not sure I could have managed. I wanted to pick something sustainable and, more importantly, something that I could actively use to combat my rising stress levels.

Breathwork underpins great physical and emotional health, and it’s a genuinely effective way to manage stress, both ahead of time and in those challenging moments we all face every day.

I applied three highly successful techniques: box breathing, 7/11, and diaphragmatic breathing, and I’d recommend all of them as outstanding starting points. 

Here’s how they work…

Box Breathing

This is a fundamental breathing exercise, and if you practice it every day you’ll find your mind and body calmer and your ability to manage stress improving exponentially. Simply breathe in, hold your breath, breathe out, hold your breath, and repeat. I tend to repeat this cycle 5-8 times, starting with a slow count of 4 for each phase and increasing to a count of 8-10 by the end.

7/11 Breathing

Breathe in for 7 counts and out for 11 counts, and repeat. By breathing out for longer than you breathe in, you reset the nervous system, lower your heart rate and reduce anxiety. I actively use this technique if I’m feeling anxious in lessons, before meeting with parents, and prior to meetings where I need to focus and stay relaxed. If you need a strategy for immediately feeling more grounded, calmer and less stressed, this is it. 

Diaphragmatic Breathing

This is my heavy-lifter of a breathing exercise. I apply it when I’m walking, running, or sitting at my desk in quieter moments. The focus is on engaging the diaphragm and building that muscle to provide a foundation of breathing strength. This technique allows you to centre yourself, breathe deeply, oxygenate your body, and feel refreshed, even on those days when you’re busier than you could believe.

Put the palms of your hands on your sides (in my case, love handles), just below your rib cage. Apply a little pressure with your palms, and as you breathe in deeply, try to push your palms away with your diaphragm, a large muscle underneath and around your lungs. The more you can activate your diaphragm, the more volume your lungs can develop. Repeat 10-12 times, and enjoy a profound sense of power and purpose.

As a teacher, committing to developing your breathwork is vital CPD. It underpins everything you’ll ever do.

3. Belief

This last aspect of my wellbeing journey was the scariest, as it required me to focus more inwardly and actively on myself. To acknowledge the fears and perceived failings that held me back, and address those negative thoughts.

I knew that if I was going to transform myself into a balanced and healthy person who enjoyed being a teacher rather than having it consume my life, I would need to change the way I thought. 

At the heart of this was belief.

I’d never really thought I was a very good teacher. I never felt that I deserved to be successful or that I was particularly capable of inspiring others. But no one else thought that. I knew I was the only person holding me back. 

It came down to a set of affirmations I repeated to myself every day.

I believe that I am entitled to a successful life/work balance and that I have the tools to achieve and sustain it. I believe that my best is good enough. I believe that even when I make mistakes, my learners gain from me being in the room. I believe that teaching is just a job.

Almost more than anything else, this mindset change has made the most difference to my emotional wellbeing. It’s allowed me to build perspective, treat myself with respect and control the fears that threatened to drag me down.

Remember, these were just my wellbeing goals. You might have other challenges and other priorities. The important thing is that you’re consistent about applying the wellbeing strategies that you know will work for you. 

It’s taken me over a year of regular practice to begin to see the benefit, so there’s no quick fix. There are a wealth of techniques out there to help you, but they don’t mean a thing unless you commit to personal and professional change.

If you’re searching for the right wellbeing strategies for you, our newsletter archive is full of resources to help you start your journey.

What Are You Waiting For?

We believe that teachers achieve extraordinary things under challenging circumstances and that we all deserve to be valued, supported and celebrated.

That’s what this newsletter is all about.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, why not join the Marigold community? You’ll get weekly strategies for sustaining your wellbeing, avoiding burnout and flourishing as a person, not just a teacher.

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Thank You For All You Do

This issue’s been all about me - but in a way, it’s all about you too. 

You might not have the same challenges or use the same strategies for self-care, but if you’re a teacher who’s doing their best to balance life and work, then you share a connection with every other dedicated, passionate teacher. 

Like me, you’re trying to do an extraordinary job extraordinarily well.

It’s time to apply that same level of dedication to ourselves.

It’s time for the summer break here in the UK, so the next four issues will look a bit different (we’re trying to practice what we preach and give ourselves a break too). In each issue, we’ll share a unique resource we’ve put together that will help you rest, relax and recharge over the holiday. 

Make sure to drop us a line and let us know what you think!

Until then, remember, you’re more than your marking, your lesson observations and your planning.

You’re you. And that’s all you need to be.