May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and with everything going on in the world right now, the timing couldn’t have been better.

Regularly reviewing the mental health of students will help us to be mindful of the stresses of life spilling onto them, and help prevent life-changing influences that may be happening under our everyday radars.

Mental Health Resources

At PE Planning, we care deeply about both the physical and mental wellbeing of children, and to help teachers to address and review the mental health of students, we have created a range of fun, active school mental health resources. For Mental Health Awareness Month, these resources are available to all teachers, completely free.

To access our Mental Health & Wellbeing resources, sign up to a free membership, go to our ‘Resources’ page and download them. There are no conditions to our free membership and you won’t need to buy a plan.

The resources are structured to help children to understand emotions, evaluate their own mental wellbeing, and express their feelings to peers, staff and other adults in their life.

Mental Health Awareness for teachers

But what about you? As a teacher, you spend so much time thinking about the wellbeing of your students. So it’s absolutely crucial that you take time to think about your own health.

Here are some things that we hope you can do to take care of your own mental health:

1. Practice self-care: Make self-care a priority by engaging in activities that bring you joy, such as exercise, reading, or spending time with loved ones. You should also set boundaries to prevent work from taking over your personal time.

2. Seek support: We can all benefit from seeking support from colleagues, friends, or mental health professionals. There are also support groups or professional development workshops available that focus on mental health and well-being.

3. Manage stress: Manage stress by practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, meditation, or yoga. Think about developing strategies to cope with stressors, such as prioritizing tasks, delegating responsibilities, or taking time out throughout the day.

4. Maintain a positive work environment: Promote a positive work environment by building relationships with your students and colleagues, fostering a sense of community, and celebrating successes.

5. Address mental health concerns: We should all address any mental health concerns we may have by seeking professional help, talking with a supervisor or HR representative, or accessing resources such as employee assistance programs or mental health hotlines. It is important that teachers prioritize their own mental health so that they can effectively support students, and create a positive learning environment.

PE Planning aims to provide useful information on all topics relating to you. We hope you found this post useful, and reassuring. It’s so important that we regularly review the wellbeing of not just our students, but ourselves, too.

More information and support can be found on the Mental Health America website.