Coping with Stress
Think about the stressors in your life that cannot be eliminated or reduced. Based on what you have learned in this module about healthy coping mechanisms, what will you do in the future to cope with these stressors?
If instructors are always stressed out about students then they should possibly move into another line of work. To be an instructor, etc. totally means YOU must LOVE people. A people person is defined as dealing with all kinds and walks of life ethically and professionally in the classroom and outside the classroom on a daily basis. If an instructor has arrogance about them then trying to connect the coursework material to students will be an arduous task to the instructor. Students on day one of the semester or school year will automatically detect what kind of instructor they will have for the semester or school year. Day one for an instructor and students sets the stage on if the instructor will have stress or not stress pending on their actions in the classroom. Instructors on day one can provide students with an icebreaker game, tell a couple of funny jokes, etc. Instructors and students will immediately start to connect with a couple of these activities. On day one instructors and students are both nervous and anxious for the course or school year to start. A helpful remedy can be for instructors when you have a situation in the classroom instead of right away coming to a decision wait and become diplomatic. Most of the time instructors come to rash decision in an uneducated way where the final decision cannot be taken back and the student can be scarred for life. Most times it is better to wait for more information on the problem and then come to a final decision.
my wife has been telling me for quite some time that i need to talk more and this lesson seems to reinforce that. talking about things rather than keeping them bottled up inside can relieve stress. I am going to give this a try and maybe it will not only help me but also my relationship with my wife.
Go ahead and give it a try Mark. The worst that could happen is that it doesn't help, but at least you will then know that you explored this avenue.
I need to exercise more. I know that when I was on a regular exercise schedule I could handle stress much better and I was sleeping much better. Taking time for me to stop and recharge is always a good stress reducer.
There is no way to remove stress completely from my life. There is traffic, lines at stores, telemarketers, and too many more to name. Choosing a correct approach and then remembering that approach to each of these and other scenarios is the challenge. For me the real key is to stay in the now. If I have a stressful student I need to find humor or some other method of relieving the tension. If it is other scenarios I need to remember that it is a temporary situation and that the energy involved is more than the energy would be to find relaxation or some other release.
If there are stressors you cannot eliminate then you need to figure out how you are going to react to those stressors. You have to make a conscious effort to "let it go", as it were. Certainly, airing the challenge with other instructors helps and sometimes I find it stress-relieving to write a letter...sometimes it ends up in the trash and sometimes it gets sent....
I found in the past that exercise is the biggest help for me. I need to get back into that routine again. I just had a baby and have been rather lazy about getting back into my good habits like eating well and exercising. The sleep factor for me is out of the question. My husband and I do alternate nights for feedings though, so I suppose that's one way to get sleep every other night, that is a reducer of stress. I know I also need to reduce the amnount of caffine in take. It has gotten out of control. As a new mommy I call it artifical intellegence but I know it is having negative effects on my mind and the rest of my body.
Nice approach Wendy and I've actually met several instructors who us the same method! There is often no need to send the email. Simply writing your feelings out is often enough.
Sounds like you know just what to do Dawn. Now it's about execution. You might start small and work your way up when it comes to exercise. That's a great approach for people who have a hard time getting started.
i think the best thing to do for me is to take about 15 minutes after class to just sit quietly and decompress from the day and also prepare myself for my commute with a bit of relaxation. Talk is good, exercise is good, fresh air is good but for me it's music. I put on some music either on the way home or at home and sing like a rock star! Stress level goes way down.
At this time in the program we are facing trmendous pressure to cut back expenses. The stress is how to do this and effectively teach our students? Therefore, the coping mecanisem that is in use is continued conversation and togetherness by all in the department.
Sounds like a nice approach Richard. It's great to keep the conversation lines open between your fellow faculty members and administration. Helps everyone stay in the loop and helps you continue to be part of the decision making process.
Sounds like you have found a wonderful outlet Stephen and one that works quite well for you. Music is a powerful way to cope with stress for many instructors. Different kinds of music help more than others. Finding the genre that calms you down can be such a wonderful help.
It's nice to be able to share the load Rachel. Nice to hear you and your husband have alternate nights for feeding. I'm sure that's a huge help. Yes, do try to limit caffeine intake. That could significantly improve your ability to fall asleep when your schedule permits!
The two things that will help me coping with stress will to exercise more and talking about some of my stressors. These two things seem like simple things to do.
For myself I will try to not take things so personally which is my common problem. When I come home at night I am going to try to read a book more instead of watching tv which keeps my brain more active and try to take a warm bath.
Sounds like a fantastic strategy Rachel. Sometimes it is hard to not take things personally. Takes a lot of practice to not feel impacted. Reading more and warm baths are probably a great place to start.
My wife is a great sounding board about stressors that we do not share. When I have a problem at work or school that I can discuss with her she usually has some good thoughts about how to deal with them. The really intractable ones that have no solution can also be dealt with through prayer, which is a good way of centering and calming the brain as well as putting many of them into a larger perspective.
Sleep is one of the best as most stressors are made worse by lack of sleep.
I have learned from the module that I need to let alot of things go. I internalize a lot of stress. When I talk about it, in my mind it seems that people don't want to hear others problems or issues. I need to increase my physical activities in order to combat my stress. I have a lot of hobbies that I like to do, I just allow other things to occupy my time instead of doing the things that I enjoy when I have the time. I have alot to work on but I will give what I have learned in this module a try.
