Employee Wellbeing

19 March 2023

As a teacher or education employee, it’s no secret that your job can be demanding and stressful. With mounting workload pressures, long working hours, and the added stress of dealing with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s more important than ever to prioritise your mental health and wellbeing. In this blog, we’ll explore some of the statistics around education employee wellbeing and provide some top tips for looking after your mental health.

Statistics:

According to research by the Education Support Partnership, a UK charity that provides mental health and wellbeing support to education staff:

79% of education staff have experienced work-related stress in the past year.

71% of education staff have considered leaving the profession due to work-related stress.

32% of education staff have experienced a mental health issue in the past academic year.

56% of education staff have reported that their job has negatively impacted their mental health.

These statistics highlight the importance of prioritising mental health and wellbeing for education employees.

Top Tips for Looking After Your Mental Health:

Prioritise Self-Care: Make time for activities that you enjoy and that help you to relax and unwind, whether that’s exercise, reading, or spending time with friends and family.

Build Resilience: Try to cultivate a growth mindset and develop coping strategies for dealing with challenging situations.

Seek Support: Don’t be afraid to seek support from colleagues, friends, or family if you’re struggling. You can also reach out to resources like the Education Support Partnership or other mental health charities for help.

Set Boundaries: It’s important to set clear boundaries around your work and personal life. Make sure to switch off from work when you’re not on the clock and to prioritise your own needs.

Practice Mindfulness: Mindfulness techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga can help to reduce stress and improve wellbeing.

Excelsior MAT and Employee Wellbeing:

At Excelsior MAT, we are committed to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our employees. We provide a range of resources and support, including access to counselling, mental health first aid training, and regular wellbeing events and workshop via Excelwell and HR.

We understand that a happy and healthy workforce is essential for delivering high-quality education and promoting positive outcomes for our children. By prioritising employee wellbeing, we aim to create a supportive and nurturing working environment that enables our staff to thrive and deliver outstanding education.

In conclusion, looking after your mental health and wellbeing is crucial as an education employee. By prioritising self-care, building resilience, seeking support, setting boundaries, and practising mindfulness, you can improve your wellbeing and better manage the challenges of your job.

For more tips and advice check our Excelwell. Further websites that offer support:

Education Support – https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/ – a UK charity that provides emotional and practical support to teachers and education staff.

Headspace – https://www.headspace.com/education – a mindfulness app that offers free access to all K-12 teachers, school administrators and supporting staff in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia.

The Wellbeing Thesis – https://www.thewellbeingthesis.org.uk/ – a UK-based research project that aims to promote wellbeing in schools and colleges.

MindEd – https://www.minded.org.uk/professionals/education/ – an online mental health resource for education professionals in the UK.

The Teacher’s Pension – https://www.teacherspensions.co.uk/members/en/Working-and-retirement/Ways-to-look-after-your-wellbeing.aspx – a UK-based pension provider that offers advice and support on looking after your wellbeing.

The Teachers’ Lounge – https://www.teacherslounge.co.uk/ – a UK-based online community for teachers that provides resources, support and discussion on wellbeing and education-related topics.