2 Simple Ways to Be Stronger Than Stress

We all know that the number of students suffering from anxiety or depression is skyrocketing… But they are not unique, we all fall victim to various stressors in our lives.

So how do we overcome them?

After visiting 1,000+ schools, I have come to believe that we must focus on modeling what it looks like to be mentally healthy. As educators we get so busy that we forget to take care of ourselves and we often fall short on developing relationships. We get caught in our classrooms, stuck in meetings, and get dragged down by the battle that is life.

But it doesn’t take a PhD to figure out that self-care and healthy relationships are direct pathways to being stronger than stress. Here is how I think we can help:

Self-Care

Let’s be honest, the way we act, the way parents talk, the way society handles stress is modelled for our students every single day. I know everyone wants to blame social media for the increase in anxiety and depression, but what if we are doing a poor job demonstrating what self-care looks like? This is why I asked TEEN TRUTH’s instructional coach and our school counselor to take a deep dive into this issue for this month’s blog series. CLICK HERE to read Sarah Hayden’s blog on the importance of being our best selves. She offers an awesome activity around self-care that we should all be using! Additionally, CLICK HERE to read Penny Knight’s blog on how we can teach our students self-care. Her FREE lesson plan demonstrates the value of filling up our emotional cup, which is so incredibly important!

Relationships

Sometimes students think that no one is listening to them, so they tend to see themselves as the victim in their life situation. If we are going to inspire students to be stronger than stress, we must teach them that they have the ability to overcome whatever stressors with which they are dealing. This is why I am so excited to announce that TEEN TRUTH has partnered with FIVE STAR® to offer our new #StrengthNotStress School Assemblies. Fully sponsored for select schools, these custom-made assemblies work to demonstrate the importance of relationships and self-efficacy as they relate to mental health. We have schools already on the schedule to host this life-changing event, and are excited to have more coming on board soon.

I know that anxiety and depression are high. The stress seems to be through the roof for all of us. So before we break for summer let’s make sure to teach our students (and staff) the importance of self-care and the value of building healthy relationships.