In April, 30% of teachers surveyed in a YouGov poll said that they were stressed and anxious about their mental health and wellbeing. Across the UK, teachers are preparing to go back to full-time, face-to-face teaching in the next few weeks. In Scotland, the education secretary has recently said that he ‘understands’ teachers anxiety about returning to school for the autumn term, but is confident that the advice and guidance from the government will keep them safe.
Teachers’ leaders and parents’ groups are unanimous in their belief that returning to full-time schooling after five months of lockdown is essential for children’s education, welfare and mental health says The Guardian. However, teachers across the UK have been expressing their concerns and anxieties via social media, and many organisations which provide support and resources for teachers such as TES are publishing articles for teachers on how to both minimise their risks of contracting covid in the classrooms, and also how to manage their levels of stress and anxiety.
This is especially important as according to recent polling done by TES, almost 50% of teachers believe that their students will also be returning to the classrooms with significantly poorer mental and physical health. Richard Bentall, a professor of clinical psychology explained to TES that teachers are potentially experiencing heightened stress and anxiety about their risks of covid because they have a much higher exposure risk than the general population.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy has over 2000 therapists across the UK on its register. It says that treating anxiety issues are becoming more common adding that anxiety can significantly impact on a person’s quality of life and wellbeing.
In situations like the pandemic, it can be difficult to separate out what is ‘normal’ stress about the situation and when it tips over into unhealthy thought patterns that then affect your enjoyment of life. Working with a hypnotherapist may help you feel more confident and more at ease about things which have previously been challenging for you says the NCH. A qualified clinical hypnotherapist can assist individuals in learning to better understand anxiety and change their relationship to their anxious thoughts and feelings.
“Hypnotherapy unlocks the potential you have to break free of negative thought patterns, and to react more positively and more confidently to situations in your life that may have previously made you anxious.”
If you’re a teacher and you’ve been worried and anxious about the prospect of returning to school, a few sessions with a qualified hypnotherapist can teach you tools that will enable you to feel more confident and in control. To contact your nearest NCH-registered therapist simply click here.