Sharing Good Practice
MINDFULNESS PRACTICE
TO PREVENT TEACHER BURNOUT
BY DR SUHANA SYED BURHAN (PHD)
Understanding what is
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is a practice which
emphasises bringing self-awareness in
the present moment. Several research
suggest focusing on “pause” and
“notice”, where brain activity enters
the non-distracted mode, thereby
focusing entirely upon the present
moment. This practice encourages
the uninterrupted connection of mind
to the body. According to Kabat-Zinn,
1994, mindfulness is all about “paying
attention in a particular way: on
purpose, in the present moment, and
nonjudgmentally”.
Teachers’ Enemy: Stress
and Burnout
The classroom atmosphere and
teachers’ performances is positively
correlated in most cases. Stress and
Burnout occurs with teachers when
they face scenarios which interrupt
and derail their teaching on a daily
basis. This may be mostly due to
uncontrollable fights, arguments,
nonstop talking, student hyperactivity
and inattentiveness among students.
Overwhelming
workload
and
pressure from management are all
causes of burnout. Burnout is critical
and negatively affects teachers’
performance and overall health.
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Teachers eventually succumb to
their inability to deal with stress and
emotional instability. These negative
experiences disturb their efficiency
and drive them to a state of distraction.
Initially they start avoiding school
and when they show up, their lessons
are not properly planned. Teachers
experiencing
burnout
typically
mishandle
classroom
activities,
ignore deadlines, avoid meet-ups or
interactions with colleagues. It is highly
recommended that teachers indulge
in mindfulness practices to avoid
burnout and improve their overall
mental and physiological wellbeing.
Mindfulness Practice and
its effect on Teachers'
Performance Level
In the 1970s, Jon Kabat-Zinn
developed the Mindfulness-Based
Stress Reduction (MBSR) technique
for treating patients facing problems
in their lives or people who have
some mental illness or Physiological
Class Time
diseases/disorder (Kabat-Zinn, 2013).
Mindfulness practice encourages
undisrupted breathing techniques
to pull your senses to the present
moment. Mindful Awareness means
living in the present, which makes us
more proactive and able to take control
in difficult situations. Researchers
have documented the positive effect
of mindfulness among teachers who
practice this technique in their daily
routine. Its practice enabled them to
make decisions or take actions in a
calmer state and motivated them to
attend to each student’s needs wisely.
In a study conducted by the Center for
Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM)
at UW–Madison’s Waisman Center,
researchers found that those teachers
who were undergoing the mindfulness
training had decreased levels of
psychological
stress,
improved
classroom organisational skills and
enhanced
self-compassion.
This
technique mainly involves focusing on
our own breathing and physiological
perceptions.
Combating Mental Chaos
through Daily Mindfulness
Practice
According to Kabat-Zinn (1994) you
must practice mindfulness in such
a way that your attention is non-
judgmental. He emphasised that
successful practice involves focus
particularly on the “here” and “now”,
by not getting distracted which
involves overthinking about the past
or the future, secondly consciously
taking actions in accordance with the
steps needed in certain situations and
lastly not letting your emotions get in
the way of perceiving each moment.
Mindfulness is beneficial for teachers
who struggle with daily stress. Improve
your day by forming the habit of setting
aside at least 15 minutes each day for
mindfulness practice. You deserve it.
Dr. Suhana Syed Burhan is currently an ADEK psychological specialist. She is highly
proficient in the field of child and adolescence mental health, cross-disability,
teaching psychology and life skills education. She is specialised in guidance and
counselling, mindfulness practice and in conducting seminars on psychological
issues for all age groups. She has also presented and published several research
papers in International Journals and Conferences.