Teach Middle East Magazine May 2014 issue 1 vol. 1 | Page 28

Health

REGAIN CONTROL…
TAKE THE POWER BACK
By Aisha Shakti Hakim

R

ecently a series of funny
memes titled “What People
Think ____________ s (fill in
the blank with a job title) Do”
made the social media rounds. The
meme for educators “What People
Think Teachers Do” went like this: What
My Friends Think I Do was followed by a
picture of a cowboy hat wearing ukulele
player surrounded by happily singing
children. What Society Thinks I Do was
followed by a margarita drinking sun
bather lying in a hammock on a palm
lined beach surrounded by sparkling
blue water. What My Students Think I
Do was followed by a blanket covered
person dozing contentedly beneath a
desk. What I Think I Do was followed
by a tie wearing professor engaged
in meaningful dialogue with his raptly
engaged students and finally What I
Really Do was followed by a frustrated
person sitting at a paper covered desk
with his head in his hands.
It is safe to say that a majority of
educators experience the last scenario
more often than they would like. The
inherent stressors of this career are

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May 2014

painfully obvious to hard working
educators while perhaps not as
noticeable to those outside the field.
Educators often feel overwhelmed,
dejected and hassled. These emotions
can lead to physical symptoms like head
or stomach aches, muscle tension and
sleep problems while also negatively
impacting one’s mood and making one
feel depressed, angry, anxious and/or
demoralized.
If any of these physical or emotional
symptoms describe you, it is necessary
to address the symptoms immediately
so that they do not worsen. Usually, the
first thing you want to do is prevent a
situation from arising in the first place but
the nature of education, especially when
teaching abroad in an environment that
may be very different from what you
are accustomed to, is that there may
be several factors that are beyond your
control. Therefore, take charge of what
you can…yourself.
An immediate stress reduction technique
is called diaphragmatic breathing. Inhale
deeply through your nose and breathe

After The Bell

out slowly through your mouth. Do this a
few times while mentally telling yourself
positive comments like “I am peaceful”
or something similar. Deep breathing
counteracts the stress response of rapid,
shallow breathing that can lead to anxiety.
Another effective technique that you
can use to calm down while in the
middle of a stressful situation is called
progressive muscle relaxation. This
is done by clenching and unclenching
various muscle groups. If you are in the
classroom during a stressful episode it is
easiest to practice this technique using
your hands. Discreetly clench your fists
for several seconds, release, and then
shake them out. Do this a few times until
you begin to feel yourself relax.
Laughter is excellent medicine. Do not
forget to cultivate your sense of humour
and laugh as much as possible.
Taking control of your responses to
a stressful situation is the best way
to retain your power, stay physically
and mentally healthy and deepen your
enjoyment of your work.