Tips for Managing End-of-School-Year Stress

Although many people believe that the week preceding summer break is a breeze for educators, 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳.

There are only a few days left in the term for the majority of us. Some of us have reached the unavoidable point of weariness and stress.

In these final weeks of school, here are some tips for managing end-of-school year stress.

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Relax and take a deep breath

Breathing is an excellent method for calming the brain's stress response, necessary for positive emotion and emotional regulation. You can even invite teachers to participate in guided or breathing focused attention practices. 

Visualize a successful future

Imagine a brighter future and devise a plan to achieve it. Make a mental picture of how it will all work out—plan with realistic goals in mind. 

Express your thoughts and feelings

When you don't deal with your stress, it can manifest itself in unhealthy ways. That's why it's crucial to take a break and let your frustrations out. Acknowledge your stress and assess the situation. Ask yourself why you're feeling this way, and develop a solution for the next time you're in this situation. 

Be kind to yourself

Expecting too much of yourself can lead to a lot of stress. Instead, treat yourself like a friend. Think of all the good things that happened this year and put them in writing.