Welcome to The Flourishing Teacher’s Field Guide. It’s time for some tip-top, transformational teaching content!

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This week we’re thinking about how to maintain and maximise our physical wellbeing.

Let’s jump in…

Why Teachers Give Up On Their Physical Wellbeing

I started a teaching job in a brand new school last week, and I was overwhelmed in the first few days by all the new things I had to learn.

They were all familiar, but the registers were different, the toilets were in the wrong direction out of the staff room, my desk needed a deep clean…

Of course, I also met a brand new bunch of really lovely colleagues, but you know what was exactly the same?

Hearing the language we all use about how tired we feel.

“Is it only the first day back? It feels like Friday already.”

“I know it’s only been a 4-day week, but I’m ready for the weekend.”

And one new colleague said something extraordinary in passing to another member of staff…

It sounded heartbreakingly familiar to how unbalanced my physical and emotional energy used to be. And I totally get it. Our brains whir, our bodies race and our energy levels go haywire.

Even worse, to combat those feelings we use stimulants and depressants, and they make it even harder to stay regulated.

Now believe me, I’m no saint - I had a lovely couple of glasses of wine on Friday night at the end of my first week back - and it’s entirely possible I just sat down to write this newsletter with an Eccles cake on a plate.

And that’s normal and fine and totally not going to mess with my energy levels in the coming week.

Because I’ve realised that the quality of my physical wellbeing is directly affected by my emotional wellbeing. And that’s a really important point.

If you’re spending your time emotionally invested in living for the weekend or counting the weeks until half-term arrives, then you’re probably not taking care of your emotional or physical health as effectively as you could.

By living for another time, you start neglecting your physical health by postponing the things your body needs right now…

“I’ll go for a walk at the weekend.”

“I’ll have the time to go for a swim in the holiday.”

So, what can we do to take care of our physical wellbeing now, instead of waiting for the next holiday?

Learning The Secrets Of Optimal Teacher Energy… By Listening To Your Body

We’re teachers. We have a lot to do.

And our workload can leave us physically exhausted.

But we also put additional stress and strain on our physical systems because we allow that tiredness to have a negative emotional impact, and in turn, we stop taking care of ourselves as well as we could.

I’ve certainly been guilty of this in the past.

I’ve normalised exhaustion rather than working to prevent it. It’s a mindset that takes some effort to maintain, especially when people around you are speaking negatively, but it’s worth investing some time into the following three areas if you can…

Nail Your Nutrition

The food we eat is, arguably, the most important contributor to our physical welbeing.

We are, quite literally, what we eat, and preferences, allergies and intolerances aside, making the right choices and getting the right nutrients at the right time, in the way that works for us, goes a long way to raising our mood, our health and our energy levels.

Our brain alone chews up about 20% of our daily recommended calorie intake, and so it stands to reason that the better our nutritional intake, the better our reasoning, reactions and capacity to manage emotional challenges.

Which happens a lot in teaching.

Equally, the right fuel can power our bodies in just the same way as the wrong fuel can hold them back.

We all know that a packet of biscuits mid-afternoon leaves you in a sugar slump later. Or that a glass of wine on a school night can lead to dehydration and fatigue the next day.

The problem is we like the things that derail our physical wellbeing, and because we’re under such a lot of stress as teachers, we feel like we deserve a treat.

We’re also a communal bunch, and sharing a packet of jelly babies is a great way to bond.

So, get your nutrition right. Grab whole foods, non-processed options that fill you up and low-sugar/low-fructose choices that might not make you zing, but don’t make you crash either.

Try and turn your high-sugar treat into feeling fit and energised. Not all the time, just most of the time… and it will make a huge difference to your positivity, energy levels and stamina.

Promise.

Master Mindful Movement

We spend all day moving, and if you’re like me, you probably use up a lot of calories in the classroom.

But that’s not the same as intentional exercise.

Exercise that you make an active choice to pursue, that you enjoy, that is of personal benefit to you, and that is out of the context of school life.

I know it’s hard to fit it into a busy teaching role, but there are ways to take advantage of the benefits of mindful movement, even for short periods of time.

St Mary’s University has a great article here on how to fit exercise into your day, while the Guardian has an article here on how teachers can balance activity with work.

The thing is, mindful movement isn’t the same for everyone.

I walk a lot - about an hour each way to and back from my new job - because I enjoy it, and I want to start and end the day with manageable movement.

But running, cycling, stretching, yoga, netball or skipping might just as easily be your thing.

What we do know is that exercise helps us reduce anxiety, improves brain function, reduces the risk of dementia, boosts our immune system and helps us sleep better.

So it’s worthwhile working out how to factor it into your day. And it’s even more important to recognise that the emotional process of committing to fitting mindful movement into your day is critical.

It’s the start of a journey of change.

Hack Your Hydration

Controversial point of view coming up…

Apart from alcohol, what you drink during the day isn’t as important as making sure you keep drinking.

I tend to drink black coffee and water during the school day. Always have, probably always will.

And although the coffee causes a bit of dehydration, I make up for that with the amount of water I drink. Which is quite a lot. Maybe two or three litres. That’s not necessarily right for everyone, but it suits me.

The benefits of staying hydrated are well-documented, but again, as teachers, we often prioritise rushing from one class to another over stopping to refill our water bottles.

But that extra two minutes you take at the tap can make all the difference, in a way that being at that meeting two minutes earlier just won’t.

Drinking water regulates your body temperature, and lubricates and cushions joints, along with a whole host of other benefits.

I just find I think more clearly and have more energy the more topped up I stay.

Plus, drinking water also keeps my hunger in check, which means I don’t snack as much as I’m sure I would.

You can find the official NHS guidance on hydration here, along with a bunch of tips for getting more water into your daily intake.

It’s one of those things that we all know we should do, and we don’t give ourselves time to achieve. Let’s try and change that in 2024.

Watch Us. Listen To Us. Get Us Any Way You Can…

I know, you’ve got a Spotify queue a mile long, and you’re still halfway through that Warhammer video on YouTube (or is that just me?)…

But we’re busy building the Marigold Teachers Podcast, and we’d love you to join us.

We chat about our experiences in education and interview teachers with compelling stories of their own, which you might just connect with.

Here’s where we’re at…

We’re Here For You If You Need Us

Thank you for everything you’ve given to your students this week.

Thank you for all the little sacrifices, the big sacrifices, the generosity and positivity you’ve shown…

Even when it wasn’t how you felt.

Your school community is lucky to have you.

Hopefully, our deep dive into some of the foundations of physical wellbeing has been helpful. Just remember:

The way you think about your physical health is as important as the actions you take to sustain it.

Living in the moment helps you prioritise your physical wellbeing.

Nutrition, movement and hydration are your foundations for physical stamina.

In next week’s issue, we’ll explore why developing your emotional awareness is a key aspect of sustainable teaching.

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.