Resilience Guide for Teachers (and other high stress jobs)
Hello my sweet friends and family!
There is a subsection of clients in my practice right now who are experiencing the highest amounts of stress and who are literally off of my charts: teachers! This blog is dedicated to you. I can’t imagine what you are facing, but I can see some potential health pitfalls of your job coming from a mile away and I want to help you realize them so you can avoid them. (And by the way - this blog can be applied to any job with similar demands.)
Let’s start from where you might be feeling this stress:
Inability to gear down at night or get enough sleep
Rushing through your morning to get out the door on time
Wearing a mask all day which prevents you from staying hydrated
Not having enough time to calm yourself down before lunch - or maybe you’re not even getting a real lunch!
Multiple evening and night hours spent in front of screens
Eating meals that are “easy” which may mean pre-packaged, processed, or from a restaurant
Constipation
Energy crashing and cravings for caffeine and/or sugar
High amounts of anxiety
So what exactly does this mean for you? Well, let’s start from the top:
Digestion starts in the BRAIN! If you are rushing, stressed, or completely distracted as you try to eat, your digestion will be greatly impacted in a negative way. We are already eating foods with diminished amounts of nutrients, so when you add this on top of it, we are really cutting down the valuable vitamins and minerals we are getting from food. We need to be in a calm state to digest.
Not digesting well can lead to further problems south of the brain, including heartburn/acid reflux, inflammation of the intestines, bloating, poor absorption of fats, and blood sugar patterns that will only add to the stress you’re already feeling. Hellloooo afternoon crash.
With masks on all day, it can be really hard to remember to drink enough. You may have to move to an entirely different part of the room which you may feel is distracting or would break up the flow or focus of your students. This is a recipe for fast dehydration.
Constipation may also be playing a role and we often see this worsen with high stress jobs. Elimination requires both adequate hydration and being in a parasympathetic state (aka: a calm state) and with all of the rushing, demands, and lack of breaks, this can be really hard to accomplish. In my world, if you’re not eliminating every day (2 days, TOPS), you are technically experiencing constipation.
Finally, all of these additional hours spent in front of screens can send mixed signals to our brains. If you aren’t using warmer toned lighting or blue light blocking glasses, you’re very likely to experience issues with falling asleep, not being able to gear down at the end of the day, and insomnia.
You’re right - I’m really feeling it. What do I do??
Nutrient dense foods + adequate hydration
B vitamins
Adaptogens (or other forms of adrenal support)
Night time rituals
Nutrient-dense foods
Nothing takes the place of sitting down with a trained professional like a nutritionist or a FNTP to take a look at your entire day and figure out how to tackle it head on. Building in time in the morning to make sure you can hydrate and have a nutrient-dense breakfast can set the tone for you (and your blood sugar) for the entire day. When you look at your food preparation, remember to include protein + unprocessed carbs (fruits or veggies) + healthy fats (avocado, eggs, oils). High protein/high fat snacks will be a savior to have on hand for those days you might not get a break. Trust me on this - it will save you from the impending sugar crash! And by the way, that frequent night waking you may be experiencing is a combination of your stress and blood sugar issues, so anything you can do to balance blood sugar can positively impact your sleep!
Hydration
Okay. I get it. This might sound really typical for a FNTP to say, but my gosh, I can’t stress it enough. My friends, we NEED hydration. When we wake up, we are already going on 6-7+ hours of not having any hydration at all. Then, we might have a cup of coffee and then not drink anything for another 3-4 hours. This is not a sustainable practice. When I coach my clients, I encourage them to drink 8-16oz of water immediately upon waking. Make it a point to hydrate from the moment you wake up. Put a pint glass in your bathroom or purchase one of these bottles. I usually opt for glass, but I can’t dismiss the simplistic beauty of this bottle. It really does keep you honest when you can see how much water you haven’t had yet!
B vitamins
In addition to nutrient-dense foods and hydration, a common deficiency I see in teachers is B vitamins. The amount of stress you routinely deal with burns through any and all B vitamins you might get from your food, so it is really important to supplement with these essential vitamins to keep yourself from burning out. Not only do they help with sustained energy, they can help us maintain our focus and prevent severe sugar wonkiness.
Adaptogens
Adaptogens are your biggest ally! Adaptogens are herbs that increase the body’s resilience to stress. They work by directly and indirectly supporting the adrenal glands and prevents us from experiencing true adrenal burnout. To understand why they are effective, it is important to understand the stages of adrenal fatigue:
1. Alarm: the body will have an immediate reaction to an oncoming stressor. Cortisol and adrenaline levels increase along with DHEA, norepinephrine, and insulin. Only the adrenals are affected.
2. Resistance: Stress has turned chronic resulting in increased cortisol. Normal activities can still be carried out, but fatigue is prominent and you never feel rested. You feel “tired but wired.” Adrenals and other body systems affected.
3. Exhaustion: Intense, long-term stress, cortisol is high and DHEA drops significantly. You may experience a total lack of motivation or enthusiasm, you’re restless, anxious, and maybe even getting sick. Adrenals, other body systems, and immune system affected along with severe nutrient depletion.
4. Burnout/crash: True adrenal burnout is life threatening. Most people do not reach this level of adrenal stress. Our adrenal glands literally stop functioning. Very little can be done to return the body to balance - hospitalization or IV nutrients may be needed. Total lack of sex drive, depression, and having little to no interest in anything are frequent signs.
Information written in conjunction with article located at: http://www.a-familychiropractic.com/blog/the-four-stages-of-adrenal-fatigue/
Common adaptogens include American ginseng, ashwagandha, astragalus, cordyceps, goji berry, eleuthero root, licorice root, rhodiola rosea, schisandra berry, tulsi, and turmeric. They can be found in a number of varieties and forms, including capsules, powders, teas, zero-caffeine coffees, and more. Please ask me if you need help in identifying the best way to incorporate these into your daily routine. Your adrenals will thank you forever!!
Night Time Rituals
As hard as it can be to gear down, there are some things you can do to help send the signal to your body that it is time to relax. Turn all TVs, phones, laptops, and gadgets to their lowest/warmest light setting. If you have to be on a device, consider purchasing some inexpensive blue light block glasses. Turn all screens off 1 full hour before your goal bedtime. Lay in your dark bedroom and practice deep breathing, meditation, or even light stretching. If your mind is still racing, this may be an indication that you could use some more support. Let’s identify what that could be together.
I sincerely hope that this guide is helpful to you or someone you know and please know I am always here to help you on your journey to feeling your best. And teachers, please know that you are SO loved and supported. None of us know what we would do without you.
Warmly,
Jennifer