Health
ARE YOU MENTALLY FIT?
it can be argued that teachers'
mental wellbeing is not being given
the attention it deserves. When we
move abroad to teach, there is a lot
of attention given to whether or not
we are physically up to the challenge.
In order to receive a residence visa in
many countries, one needs to obtain
a certificate of physical fitness. This is
important but it is also important to pay
equal attention to our mental fitness.
A
ccording to a recent survey
conducted in the United
Kingdom, more than half
of Britain's teachers have
been diagnosed with mental health
problems. These statistics are truly
scary but even with such statistics,
According to a new study in the
UK, three-quarters of the teachers
surveyed by Leeds Beckett University
believe their poor psychological and
emotional conditions could have a
detrimental effect on pupils’ progress
– a situation campaigners have said:
"cannot go on".
Many teachers blame “Excessive
workloads” and growing financial
pressures for the increase in mental
illnesses among teachers. These
problems do not just disappear when
we move abroad. Many educators
believe that moving abroad to teach
will help to get rid of any mental
health issues they may have been
experiencing in their home countries,
only to find out later on that this is not
true. Teachers overseas may face less
of the issues plaguing teachers in their
home countries but they are certainly
not completely immune from them.
Work-related stress and pressure
being experienced by teachers are
universal and due attention needs to
be paid to teachers’ mental fitness,
whether they are at home or abroad.
When was the last time you carried
out a mental health audit? Below we
outline some key questions to ask
yourself when assessing your own
mental fitness. These questions are
by no means exhaustive, but If you
find that you are answering negatively
to nearly all of them, it might be time
to find someone to talk to about your
mental fitness:
Little interest or
pleasure in doing
things Feeling down,
depressed, or
hopeless Trouble falling or
staying asleep, or
sleeping too much i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day Poor appetite or
overeating Feeling bad about
yourself - or that you
are a failure or have let
yourself or your family
down Trouble concentrating
on things, such as
reading the newspaper
or watching television Moving or speaking
so slowly that other
people could have
noticed
i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day
i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day
i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day
Thoughts that you
would be better off
dead, or of hurting
yourself If you've had any days with issues
above, how difficult have these
problems made it for you at work,
home, school or with other people?
i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day
Feeling tired or having
little energy
i. Not at all
ii. Several days
iii. More than half of the days
iv. Nearly every day
Remember your
mental fitness is just
as important as your
physical fitness so
pay attention to it.
After The Bell
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Nov - Dec 2018
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