Some coping strategies may help in the short term, but go on to cause harm if relied on in the long term. These guides will help you explore how to spot the signs of harm in yourself or a colleagues and where to get support if it’s needed.
Toolkit
Starting the school term well – a toolkit for teachers
Education Support is a UK charity dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of teachers and education staff in schools, colleges and universities. As the new school term gets underway, we asked Emily Kenneally, Content & Media Manager at Education Support, to share her best tips and advice for looking after your mental wellbeing all year round. 
As you transition into a new academic term, wouldn’t it be great to have some practical advice and useful tools to help you maintain a healthy mind?
That’s why we’ve put together our latest toolkit which features a range of valuable resources to accompany you through the school year and provide practical support to you and your colleagues along the way.
In this toolkit you’ll find guides and tools that cover a range of topics, from maintaining healthy habits and nurturing workplace connections to setting clear boundaries that ensure a healthy work-life balance. We also recognise the significance of school leaders and managers in shaping good team cultures. That’s why we’ve included resources tailored specifically to their roles in this toolkit.
However, remember that our support doesn’t stop with this toolkit. Education Support is here for you all year round. For teachers and education staff, we offer a free emotional support helpline, available 24/7 at 08000 562 561. Why not consider placing our helpline poster, available in both English and Welsh, in shared areas like the staffroom or staff toilets? It’s a simple way to remind everyone that support is available.
And don’t forget to explore Education Support’s website, which is jam-packed with expert led content and services, designed to keep you and your team on track throughout the whole school year.
School staff in Wales can access wellbeing support at no cost to them from Education Support’s Staff Wellbeing Service. Find out more and sign-up here.
Education Support have recently released the Teacher Wellbeing Index 2023, which reveals a large increase in the number of school teachers and senior leaders reporting their organisational culture has a negative effect on their wellbeing. Take a look at the report here.
Resources in this toolkit:
School staff are caring and conscientious, so it can be easy to end up saying yes to every request. This PDF guide explains what boundaries are, why you need them, and how you can create your own that you are comfortable with.
Any conversation about supporting children’s wellbeing must also include how we support teachers. This resource encourages schools to reflect on the wellbeing of staff, based on the findings from a large consultation.
Resources
Resilience: ask yourself what you need
Teacher wellbeing coach Emma Kell shares what resilience means, and offers tips for boosting your own resilience in the classroom and beyond.
Research from Education Support has shown that school leaders frequently experience stress, insomnia and exhaustion. This article is filled with advice on how to talk about your experiences.
For those who work in education, stress can seem a major part of daily life. HSE's Talking Toolkit for schools helps to address this by enabling simple, practical conversations with school employees.
Resources
Budgeting tips
We know money worries can have a big impact on your mental wellbeing. This guide from Education Support will help you to create a budget for yourself and your household.
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Resources
Dealing with teacher anxiety
This short blog post on Engage Education's website explores what causes teachers to feel anxious, and offers some tips on coping when you're feeling stressed.
This PDF guide explains how to use circles to identify the challenges and decisions we face, and determine how we can process them depending on how much control we have over their outcomes.
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Resources
Education Support helpline
Education Support provides a free, confidential helpline for all teachers, lecturers and staff in England, Wales and Scotland. It’s available all day, every day, and the site has downloadable posters to share with colleagues.
