Teachers, reducing work stress is important for your health. You know it. Their physical bodies, emotions, minds, and spirits are all involved in school work. Even on vacation, you can find yourself working, or at least thinking about your work.

Such dedication does not have to be negative. A teacher must, above all, be a person who wants to make a big difference in the lives of students. The challenge is to make that difference without allowing stress to keep you from teaching. The challenge is to practice good stress reduction techniques.

Understand stress reduction

An understanding of stress reduction must begin with an understanding of stress. Stress is not that pile of unqualified papers. Stress is not the child who insists on asking endless questions, no matter how well you explain. Stress is not about two teenagers jumping into the hallway to fight, while the rest of the class chants, “Fight, fight, fight.” Stress is not the parent who calls repeatedly to complain that he is not doing what is best for his child. The stress isn’t even about the manager inviting you to the office for a job review conference.

All of the above are stressors, not stress.

Definition of stressor

A stressor is a stimulus that causes stress. The illustrations above are of stressors. When Job broke that expensive scientific equipment, his action was a stressor. When Betty brought her father’s marlin for show and tell, and stabilized it on her right arm, that was stressful. They were stimuli that caused stress. They themselves were not stressed, but they stimulated stress.

stress defined

Stress is your RESPONSE to the examples above. “Good stress” or “bad stress” occurs depending on your response. What does job stress reduction require?

On the one hand, you respond negatively in fight or flight mode. Adrenaline floods your body and the muscles tense. Blood is diverted from the extremities to the central organs. All systems are “go” to flee or fight the enemy.

On the other hand, you respond positively by getting excited and challenging yourself. Endorphins power the happy determination to keep going. You are flooded with a feeling of euphoria, ready to make the best of the stressor.

Stress, negative or positive, is your response to stressors.

We continue with a brief look at the two types of stress.

Eustress – Beneficial, Good Stress

Teachers, job stress reduction programs are unnecessary when the stress involved is eustress. Eustress is an appropriate and positive response to stressors faced by teachers. “Eu” means “good” in Greek. Imagine joy and laughter. Eustress is pleasant and cures stress.

Eustress may seem like emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical overload, but it does not deplete power. It gives you energy; helps you manage overload. Teacher job stress reduction programs should start with a presentation of eustress and the benefits it offers.

Distress: harmful and negative stress

Most teacher job stress reduction programs focus solely on distress. Distress is a negative and inappropriate response to the stressors of a teacher’s job. “Di” means “two” in Greek. Imagine double trouble coming your way. Distress is often a disabling and paralyzing stress.

Distress, like eustress, can feel like emotional, mental, spiritual, or physical overload. Unlike eustress, angst drains power for anything other than fight or flight. Anguish tires you; it freezes the brain and makes it hard to deal with overload. Teachers’ job stress reduction programs should include a presentation of distress and its associated detrimental effects.

Employ increased stress!

Paradoxically, teachers, reducing job stress can be as simple as increasing job stress. You need to increase, or increase, the eustress at work.

Remembering that stress is nothing more than your response to the demands placed on you, recognize that you have control over work stress. You can choose to answer positively or negatively; with eustress or with anguish.

Look at the following two examples.

1. You are faced with a huge pile of unqualified jobs at the end of the day.

A distress response is to sigh and take “flight” down the hall for another cup of stale coffee and small talk. Eventually, she returns to the classroom, “flight” still clearly written on every part of her body. You sit sadly and look dejectedly at the clock. Your shoulders slump as you reach for the first paper. You want to reduce work stress, subconsciously defining it as a magic wand that will make paperwork disappear. That doesn’t happen, of course, and you begin to reap the detrimental effects of heartbreak.

A eustress response is to smile, allocate 2 hours to finish the job, and divide the stack into 8 stacks. You now have bite-sized stacks of work. Set a goal of completing each stack in no more than 15 minutes, less if responsibly possible. Promising yourself a cup of coffee after the first hour, you tackle the first stack, eager to meet or exceed your goal. By increasing eustress, you enjoy reduced work stress and all its health benefits.

2. Betty insists on asking endless questions, no matter how well you explain.

One distress response is to “get into a fight” with Betty, hopes of stress reduction are dashed. She feels the muscles in her neck and shoulders tighten. A frown pulls your mouth down as you walk over to Betty’s seat. Unconsciously, you fire your fist. You won’t let Betty demand as much attention, and you’ll make it very clear in a high-pitched “fight” tone. Betty cowers in fear, and you start to reap the damaging effects of the angst.

A eustress response is to smile silently and see Betty as one of the reasons she decided on a teaching career. He wants to teach Betty how to reduce stress along with proper listening techniques. You wait until the rest of the class is busy and then you go quietly to Betty’s desk. Smiling, you take Betty’s hand and gently lead her to a quiet, private part of the room. Relaxed and happy, you set a goal with Betty. You and she will work together to help her listen in such a way that she needs fewer questions. As she learns to control her response to the listening stressor, she can earn little rewards along the way. When Betty returns to her desk, they are both happy. As the eustress increases, she again enjoys the reduction of work stress.

Tip: Teachers, job stress reduction is an option. An elaborate stress reduction program is not necessary if you have the backbone to commit to increasing eustress and refusing to participate in distress.