4. ✦Wellness is the
interactive process of
becoming aware of and
practicing healthy
choices to create a more
successful & balanced
life
✦You have to know and
understand how to
become “well” before
you are “well”
5. Health and Well-being is more
than just the absence of an illness. It
includes our physical health and safety,
social and emotional health, spiritual
wellness and subjective sense of
wellbeing.
6. Social and Emotional Well-
being is a person's ability to
understand and manage
their emotions, make
responsible decisions, build
and maintain relationships,
and understand and
empathize with others
7. Mental and Emotional Well-being: What’s
In It For Me?
Mental and emotional well-
being is essential to overall
health. Positive mental health
allows people to realize their full
potential, cope with the stresses
of life, work productively, and
make meaningful contributions
to their communities.
8. Early childhood experiences
have lasting, measurable
consequences later in life;
therefore, fostering
emotional well-being from
the earliest stages of life
helps build a foundation for
overall health and well-being.
9.
10.
11. Mental and Emotional Well-being:
If It’s Not There…
Anxiety, mood (e.g., depression) and impulse control disorders
are associated with a higher probability of risk behaviors (e.g.,
tobacco, alcohol and other drug use, risky sexual behavior),
intimate partner and family violence, many other chronic and
acute conditions (e.g., obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
HIV/STD’s), and premature death.
12. Characteristics of Emotional
Wellness
Emotional Wellness is the ability to be aware of
and accept our feelings, rather than deny them;
have an optimistic approach to life, and
enjoy life despite its occasional disappointments
and frustrations.
13. Inner Well-Being: A Deeper Dive
Inner well-being comes from the connection
and harmony between our inner life and the outer
world. In other words:
-It is having inner peace
-It is the feeling of belonging and
connectedness with the world
-It is about realizing and experiencing
deeper meaning, and a sense of purpose,
in the universe
-It is the feeling that we are part of
something larger than the issues, stresses,
and challenges of our everyday lives
14. Your values, beliefs, principles, and
morals help to define your inner self. Take
time to consider what these are and if your
behaviors and actions are in accordance and
harmony with these factors.
By cultivating compassion,
love, forgiveness, acceptance, trust,
kindness, empathy, altruism, joy
and fulfillment in our lives, we help our
inner health.
15. Today, the role of teachers is
expanding to include more duties
and responsibilities than ever before,
including building emotionally strong
and healthy students.
However, society often neglects to
address or even discuss the mental
and emotional well-being of teachers
themselves. This neglect has led to
two major issues – teacher burn-
out and a lack of skilled teachers
available as a result.
17. 1. Reconnect to your
purpose
Try to do one thing each week
that reminds you why you
became a teacher in the first
place.
Get started: Use a teaching
strategy that you and your
students all enjoy to remind
you of the difference you’re
making in their lives.
18. 2. Adopt a growth mindset in your
teaching
There’s great value in trying new things
and accepting mistakes as
opportunities to learn. We could all do
with a reminder of the power of ‘yet’. It
can be helpful to see yourself as a
learner (just like your students) and to
spend time reflecting on new ideas,
considering what you have learnt and
acknowledging areas that you find
challenging.
19. Get started: Reflect each day on
what you've failed at (and
learned from) ...
Stop seeking approval from
others. ...
Identify opportunities to celebrate
the success of others. ...
Focus on rewarding actions, not
traits. ...
Start using the word "yet" more
often.
.
20. For a change: We have to really send the right messages to students,
that taking on a challenging task is what I admire. Sticking to something
and trying many strategies, that’s what we admire. That struggling means
you’re committed to something and are willing to work hard. Parents
around the dinner table and teachers in the classroom should ask, ‘Who
had a fabulous struggle today? (Morehead 2012)
This praise can have significant effects
21. 3. Focus on kindness and gratitude
An act of appreciation or kindness produces positive emotions, stronger
social connections and improved wellbeing. Consider simple ways you
can build gratitude and kindness into your day. And the best thing?
Kindness and gratitude are contagious, so imagine the benefit to your
classroom!
22. Get started: Each night,
recall three good things
that have happened
during the day. To make it
easy to keep track, make
a Gratitude Journal
23.
24. 4. Create clear boundaries
between home and school
Set a reasonable time for leaving
school each day (and stick to it). Find
ways to turn off your teacher
mindset, so that you can relax when
you get home.
Get started: Try developing an end-of-day
‘ritual’ to help you switch mindsets. It may
include changing your clothes when you
get home, heading out for an afternoon
walk, or spending time with family and
friends. In addition, try to limit the amount of
school work you bring home.
25. 5. Set up effective debriefing and
mentoring structures
Teaching can be an emotionally
taxing job that throws up many
different challenges. Set up
structures that help you to focus on
solutions rather than problems. While
a venting session may make you feel
better in the short term, it doesn’t
solve the problem and may make
you feel stuck.
Get started: Consider using a debriefing structure to help
manage your thinking about challenging situations. Or
team up with a supportive colleague and set up a
formal mentor relationship structure.
26. 6. Establish good sleeping habits
Good-quality sleep is one of the most
important aspects of maintaining
your physical and psychological
health. This can be a tough ask after
the late nights and long sleep-ins
you’ve probably indulged in during
your holiday break!
Get started: Develop a regular bedtime routine,
which may include taking a warm bath, reading
quietly for a while or having a warm milk drink.
27. Unfortunately, while a teacher’s
commitment to their job can be very
inspiring, it’s worth noting that a tired
teacher may not be as effective as they
want to be. In general, people are more
likely to make mistakes when they’re
exhausted. According to Healthline, sleep
deprivation also leads to a higher risk of
chronic health issues like heart disease
and high blood pressure. In the long run,
unhealthy teachers might spend more time
away from work, meaning they wouldn’t be
able to give their students the support that
28. 7. Build up your emotional resilience
Think of proactive ways to manage the
stress in your life. Meet regularly with
friends and family, spend time on
hobbies you enjoy, read or watch
things that make you laugh, and build
into your daily routine proven stress-
busting activities such as yoga,
meditation or exercises that involve
deep breathing.
Get started: Keep a positive attitude. · Accept that there are events
that you cannot control. · Be assertive instead of
aggressive. · Learn to manage your time ...
29. 8. Keep focused on your
goals
Setting goals is a great way to
give you direction, focus and
motivation. Try to ensure that
all your goals are achievable,
measurable and have an end
point. It can be helpful to break
a larger goal into more
manageable sub-goals.
Get started: Think of something that, if you
do it today, will make you feel satisfied and
accomplished. Then do it!
30. 9. Reward yourself
The improved physical and
psychological health that comes from
prioritising your wellbeing is a reward
in itself, but there’s also value in
using tangible rewards when you
meet particular goals.
Get started: Consider simple and practical ways to
reward yourself whenever you reach a goal or sub-goal:
take a walk in nature, soak in a warm bath, cook your
favourite dinner or indulge in a massage.
31. 10. Build new
connections and
relationships
Building new relationships
and connections is key to
our wellbeing. Take the
time to get to know the
students, parents and staff
members in your school
community.
Get started: Consider ways to develop student-
focused relationships.
32. ✦ Being a smart
consumer
✦ Exercising at least 3
times per week for
60 minutes
✦ Eating a variety of
foods from all the
food groups
✦ Eating a diet low in
fat, cholesterol &
sodium
✦ Learning to control
anger & aggression
✦Having fun – taking
time for yourself to
play/relax
✦Avoiding alcohol,
drugs & tobacco
✦Being in a positive
environment –
surrounded by good
role models, good
people, good social life
Behaviors that promote
wellness
33. Benefits of wellness
✦ Stronger heart, body and mind
✦ Less stress
✦ Better able to deal with stressful
situations
✦ Increased life expectancy &
better
quality of life
✦ Lower cholesterol
✦ Better/more positive self-esteem
✦ Easier to meet new people and
socialize
36. Physical Wellness
✦The ability to go
through your day
and still have
enough energy to
do other activities
!✦
Being physically
fit with a strong
heart and body
