Stressors
In general, emotions are contagious and stress has an impact on the quality of my interactions with others. The better I am at managing my own stress, the more I will positively affect those around me and the less other people's stress will negatively affect me. When I feel overwhelmed at work, I lose confidence and may become irritable or withdrawn. This can make me less productive and less effective. I feel if you ignore the warning signs of work stress that can lead to bigger problems. Beyond interfering with job performance and satisfaction, chronic or intense stress can lead to physical and emotional health problems. (Hypertension, High Cholestrol, etc..))
I agree with what you said about emotions being contagious, and I think we can pass our stress on to our students if we are not aware of it. Taking regular breaks and making sure I am well fed, had enough sleep, and I took some extra time to plan out my schedule and make sure I schedule in regular exercise, I notice I have a significant amount more energey and patients to interact with the students and give them 100% of my attention and not a stressed out, mess of an Instructor. I can set a better example for my children and my students when I use healthy coping mechenisisms.
