Health and Wellbeing
GTC Scotland has created and curated a variety of resources and advice to support teacher and lecturer health and wellbeing. Many of these resources were developed during lockdown and the transition back into schools during the Covid-19 pandemic, but they contain useful wellbeing tools that are relevant to any time.
We would appreciate your feedback on the Hub and the resources.
Immediate Support: Helplines
- Breathing Space – A confidential out-of-hours telephone line for people experiencing low mood, anxiety or depression: 0800 83 85 87
- Education Support – Anyone in education can call the free and confidential helpline run by Education Support: 08000 562561
- Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Hotline – 24-hour helpline if you feel scared of your partner or if you are worried about someone you know: 0800 027 1234
- The Samaritans – A free 24-hour telephone helpline for anyone struggling to cope. Telephone 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org
GTC Scotland resources for teachers from Health and Wellbeing experts
- Dealing with Uncertainty – Claire Lavelle looks at practical strategies to focus attention on what we can control when we cannot be physically present with children, young people and their families.
- De-Stressing Stress – Paul Mills, Certified Medical Support Clinical Hypnotherapist presented the De-stressing Stress series of webinars, which can be found in the resource section of MyPL.
- Feeling the burn? Cultivating self-renewal practices during recovery – Claire offers coaching support and strategies on cultivating key self-renewal practices to sustain energy, optimism and self-efficacy during challenging times.
- Grief and Loss Hugh Smith explores how normal feelings of grief and loss, if left unchecked, can have a negative impact on your mental health and wellbeing within the workplace and home setting.
- Impact of Racial Discrimination on Health and Wellbeing – Khadija Mohammed, Yasmeen Hussain, Marcia Edwards and Sharon Smith discussed racial discrimination issues, how they impact teachers’ wellbeing and learn about what we can do to combat the effects of discrimination and abuse.
- Looking after your mental wellbeing during the school holidays (and beyond during the Covid-19 pandemic – Dr Emma Hepburn (PDF 1 MB)
- Making the transition Claire takes a closer look at making the transition back to our learning communities, what the new normal might look like, and how we might balance our workload and expectations.
- Reenvisaging the new normal
- Taking stock and staying centred in uncertain times Claire offered self-coaching strategies to support educators in taking stock of where their own wellbeing needs are being met and where they might consider a more self-compassionate and resourceful approach.
- Teacher Resilience – Hugh Smith explores the complex area of teacher resilience, and how this should be viewed as a natural link to professional values.
- Transforming the Emotional Load – We may have been left reeling emotionally from the speed and nature of the changes such as: losing our sense of purpose, our role, our connection with our pupils and families. In this webinar, Claire discusses some of the possible impacts of carrying this “emotional load” as we progress through lockdown.
- Sarah Philp has created resources and techniques for you to use to support you in reducing feelings of stress, help you sleep and soothe your soul.
- Relaxation resources
- Writing for wellbeing
- Check-in with your wellbeing using the Wheel of Life coaching tool.
- Let it be easy – set yourself up for success
- Time well spent – think about time and how you use it
- Holding liminal space – fear and uncertainty and how we can harness it for our own mental wellbeing.
- Sarah argues that we are ‘human beings’ not ‘human doings’ and need to reclaim the time to think.
Probationer resources
- Our Probationer Support Package has been designed to help probationers and probation supporters to have a successful probation period.
- The Flexible Route Virtual School has been designed to help those doing their probationary period on the Flexible Route.
- Clinical psychologist Dr Emma Hepburn, @thepsychologymum, provided advice for probationers starting out during the pandemic, but can be applied to any probation experience: Preparing for your probation: Becoming a probationer in Scotland during the Covid-19 pandemic (PDF 863 KB)
Early Career teachers
Stepping Stones provides support, challenge and professional learning for post-probationary teachers in the first four years of their career.
The Wellbeing Edit
Local Authority Officers
General resources
- 10 stress busters – The first step to feeling better is to identify the cause of your stress.
- Action for Happiness organise a 10 Days of Happiness program, shares Action Calendars and hosts talks from inspiring speakers.
- Breathing exercise for stress – This calming breathing technique for stress, anxiety and panic takes just a few minutes and can be done anywhere.
- Breathworks course: mindful self-care for troubling times
- Fitness Studio – Take your pick from 24 instructor-led videos including aerobics exercises, strength and resistance, pilates and yoga.
- Healthier Scotland: looking after yourself – Some tips to help you look after yourself and get through these uncertain times. With ideas about how you can keep moving, create a routine, find things you enjoy and keep connected with friends and family – finding time for any of these will help to clear your head.
- Insight Timer – Relaxation and meditation app including motivational talks.
- Living with worry and anxiety amidst global uncertainty – This free guide includes a mixture of psychoeducation about normal and excessive worry, lots of normalization, and a selection of practical exercises that you can use to manage worry and maintain wellbeing.
- MentalHealth.org – Comprehensive website dealing with all aspects of mental health issues and offering advice, suggestions and links to support agencies.
- Mental Health Foundation work-life balance
- My Possible Self – Monitor and recognise patterns in feelings and behaviour to tackle stress and anxiety.
- NHS Relaxation Techniques – A series of relaxation audio guides.
- Parent Club: keeping calm with your child – Being a parent can be hard work. All kids are difficult at times, no matter how old they are. Keeping your cool can feel impossible at times. But there are things you can do to stay in control – no matter how much they’re testing your patience.
- Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH) guidance and tips for things you can do to look after your mental health.
- Self-help resources from South Glasgow Wellbeing Services.
- Sleep Charity resources – a wide range of evidence-based information on all aspects of sleep from triggers to treatments.
- Steps to deal with stress (PDF) – practical ways for you to start dealing with stress right now and stop it from building up in future.
Resources
- Andy Hargreaves: Professional capital, collective autonomy and the fight of our lives
- Health and Safety Executive: Stress and Mental Health at Work
- Support for the education workforce during Covid-19 has been developed by partners across the education system.
- Scottish Government: Whole School Approach to Mental Health and Wellbeing (PDF)
- SAMH: Supporting the Mental Health and Wellbeing of School Staff (PDF)
- Talking Toolkit (PDF) – Six conversation templates with accompanying resources that can be used to support wellbeing.
Resources Curated by GTC Scotland
- Being a Leader in a New World – Claire Lavelle offers a time for reflection as she looks at how leaders can move forward post-lockdown.
- Developing a Wellness Community of Practice – Hugh Smith shares how a wellness community of practice might become a central activity in keeping teacher mental health and wellbeing ‘in check’.
- Impact of Racial Discrimination on Health and Wellbeing – Khadija Mohammed, Yasmeen Hussain, Marcia Edwards and Sharon Smith discussed racial discrimination issues, how they impact teachers’ wellbeing and learn about what we can do to combat the effects of discrimination and abuse.
- Serve, lead, serve: Sarah Philp poses three reflective questions to ask yourself in relation to serving and leading in challenging times.
- Staff wellbeing – Claire shares coaching questions, strategies and approaches to support educators’ wellbeing as they make the staged transition from lockdown to their respective schools and settings.
- Workplace Tension and Partnership Working – Hugh considers teacher professionalism and wellbeing in the current context and provides the opportunity to reflect on the challenges of workplace tension and partnership working to build positive solutions for now and the future.
Health and Wellbeing and the Professional Values
The professional values include a commitment to understand and promote the health and wellbeing of yourself, colleagues, and learners.
But this can only be successful when you begin by focusing on your wellbeing. Teachers need to practice self-care to be able to support the wellbeing of others. Please seek support when you need it.
When you have this focus, you can aspire to:
- understand the importance of good health and wellbeing;
- build positive and purposeful relationships;
- provide and ensure a safe and secure environment for all learners and colleagues;
- promote a caring and compassionate ethos.
These factors combined support learning and wellbeing across our learning communities.