Due: 11th April
Ki te wātea te hinengaro, me te kaha rere o te wairua, ka tāea ngā mea katoa.
When the mind is free and the spirit is willing, anything is possible.
Module Objectives:
Upon completion of this module, participants will be able to:
- Identify and implement strategies for managing stress and maintaining well-being.
- Develop and implement effective time management strategies.
- Understand the importance of self-care and identify personal self-care practices.
- Build resilience to navigate the challenges and demands of leadership.
Understanding Stress and its Impact
Reading 1 and 2: “Understanding the Stress Response” – https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/understanding-the-stress-response
and “Reducing the Impact of Stress” – https://mentalhealth.org.nz/resources/resource/reducing-the-impact-of-stress-the-three-rs
These readings explore the sources of stress, the impact of stress on individual well-being, and the importance of proactive stress management.
Building Resilience
Reading 3: Circle of Influence PowerPoint – https://www.mpls.ox.ac.uk/files/training/circles-of-influence/view
This Powerpoint, from Oxford University, explores a tool developed by Stephen Covey, called the Circles of Influence.
School leaders often grapple with a range of concerns, from urgent tasks to systemic challenges beyond their immediate control. Steven Covey’s concept of “circles of concern” and “influence” provides a valuable framework for navigating these anxieties. The “circle of concern” encompasses all the issues that occupy a leader’s thoughts, including those beyond their control, such as government policies. In contrast, the “circle of influence” represents the areas where a leader can exert some level of control or influence. Focusing energy on the “circle of influence” empowers leaders to be proactive, fostering a sense of agency and reducing feelings of helplessness.
Building resilience is crucial for navigating the complexities of leadership. By cultivating a positive mindset, directing energy towards areas within their control, and prioritising self-care, school leaders can effectively manage stress, bounce back from challenges, and thrive in their roles. A leader’s well-being is paramount. By nurturing their own growth and well-being, school leaders can approach challenges with optimism and determination, ultimately expanding their sphere of influence and creating a positive impact on their school community.
Time Management Strategies
Reading 4: “Managing your Time” – https://www.educationalleaders.govt.nz/Managing-your-school/Guides-for-managing-your-school/Managing-your-time
This reading will explore various time management techniques. Which ideas are most applicable to you?
Task: Self-Care Practices
Task: “My Self-Care Toolkit”
- Reflect on your current self-care practices. What activities do you currently engage in to support your well-being? Use Te Whare Tapa Whā as a framework to help you reflect https://mentalhealth.org.nz/te-whare-tapa-wha
- Identify areas where you could improve your self-care practices.
- Develop a personal self-care plan that includes a variety of activities, such as exercise, mindfulness, spending time in nature, connecting with loved ones, and engaging in hobbies.
- Post your “My Self-Care Toolkit” (a list of your chosen self-care practices) on the online forum for peer feedback and discussion – 150 words or less.
Assessment:
- Completion of all readings.
- Participation in the online forum discussion.
- Reflection on personal self-care practices and development of a personal self-care plan.
16 Responses
There have definitely been times in my career when I have found reducing stress challenging. These readings have been valuable in understanding the importance of well being to my work.
Self-Care Toolkit:
– I look after my physical well being through regular sessions at BFT gym and the social engagement of pickleball.
– Prioritising connection with friends and creating space for family time forms the foundation of my social self-care.
– I resonnate with the ‘Circle of Influence’ and thinking about what is in my control to monitor my mental well being. Being prepared and competent by staying abreast of professional research and practices is something that is in my control that I can be proactive about. I have found that doing so reduces potential overwhelm. This aligns with managing my time effectively, feeling empowered rather than stressed by new learning.
– Spiritually, I find connection to nature through regular walks helps to “reframe” and mitigate the stress response.
Kia ora te kapa.
Over the years I have successfully used meditation, exercise and sport to assist with my stress levels. Before Covid came along, I was training for the Auckland half marathon, training everyday bar one. Then I got a slight calf niggle, Covid hit, and I proceeded to have three surgeries – shoulder, spine and heart. This put a stop to running and playing golf in particular. However, I picked up a love for mountain/trail biking and have completed a number of trails in both islands.
Personal Care Plan:
As a Health and PE teacher, I value the Te Whare Tapa Whā model and the “fight-or-flight” response in teaching Hauora. Yet, I don’t always practise what I preach. This module has encouraged me to reflect and make positive changes. I’ve recently returned to golf with friends, enjoying time in nature, and mountain biking new trails. I’m learning to let others lead, allowing myself space to step back. Years of experience have taught me to distinguish what’s mine to carry and what’s not—supported by “Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference” and “not my monkey” mindset. I often stay late at school to preserve home life, and my wife and I plan to walk our dog to debrief and then leave work behind. Watching light TV helps me unwind. The biggest challenge remains my diet—an ongoing area for improvement. It’s a journey, and I’m working on finding balance and well-being.
So there it is. All four dimensions of Hauora are covered. Some more obvious than others.
Sorry I haven’t responded to any of your reflections, but I have been relaxing with my 18yo son in London as he moves here permanently. Don’t worry, we did over 30,000 steps yesterday and finished the day with a couple of beers. Kia pai to roopu hararei.
I’ve witnessed the detrimental effects of long-term stress on teachers I have worked with in the past. While I typically manage stress internally, I’ve developed successful coping strategies. The Circle of Influence was a valuable reminder to focus on controllable aspects.
Time management can be a challenge sometimes; I struggle with procrastination and distractions. To-do lists, especially long and short-term ones, are helpful. As a team leader, I need to improve delegation to alleviate workload, trusting my team’s capabilities.
I prioritise my work-life balance (refuel), ensuring I make time before work to go to the gym. I feel much more productive when I have started my day with exercise. I am known to be the queen of hobbies, so I have many activities that I do in my spare time to keep be busy, while allowing me to keep learning new skills and make new friendships. Spending quality time with my dog as often as I can, as they have such a short life and they spend most of it waiting for you to come home :(.
It has been amazing to see how stress creeps up in different areas of your life and how it manifests itself physically. I really connected with this in the readings and found the explanations helpful.
My self-care plan:
– I used to do a walk in the evenings but stopped doing this in the last month or so. I would like to add this back into my routine and use it as a time to connect as a whānau and the whenua, to centre myself and bring me back to reality.
– Another practise that I would like to get back into doing is a slow getting ready for the end of the day as a way to wind down the body, ready for sleep. I started doing this at the beginning of the year and term and found it worked really well to help myself get to sleep quickly and better sleep.
– I love connecting with nature, physically getting out of the house/room to connect in a way that brings clarity and perspective always helps.
I know and reflect on my personality traits – I know I’m highly motivated, super organised, efficient, and work methodically. I have worked deliberately to prioritise work-life balance and have been successful (not working late or on weekends/holidays). It was interesting to read about the physiological changes that happen to the body when under stress, and often we power through situations, unaware of the negative impact it’s having on our bodies long term. I continue to fill my cup with loads of quality family time, mindful relaxation (embroidery), a new learning stained glass art class, beach & sailing boat trips, bush hikes, lots of sunshine hours, and daily online workouts (encompassing the Te Whare Tapa Wha model). Reading the ‘Circles of Concern, Influence and Control’ made me ponder. With my changed role this year there is so much out of my control and have had to adopt a ‘let it go’ approach, as well as moving and seeing six classes per week with limited time, it’s a juggle to get through the learning and balancing behaviours. Needing to live and breathe the statement: shift your focus and energy to the things you can influence and control, trying to ensure I have perspective in the situation. It makes me consider when moving into a new position of leadership, how those changes and the extra demands will play into the balance, how will I continue, and what might need to change.
It is always fascinating to read about the physical changes brought on by stress. I am writing this having come back from helping out in a difficult situation with a young dysregulated child. Reading about the relaxation response is right on cue. I think it really helps to have a clear understanding of physiological responses to stress and how to more effectively help oneself self-regulate as tricky situations/times will no doubt always pop up. I am pretty good at the refuelling strategy and am getting better at the resolve strategy, however, prioritising exercise is a work in progress. The Circles of Influence article was a good reminder about putting life’s challenges into perspective. Going forward, I am going to prioritise exercise and connect more regularly with my extended family, which I always enjoy. Sometimes a little push is all you need to remember what supports your wellbeing.
I too found it interesting to read about the physiological changes/responses stress has in and on the body.
Usually, I am highly motivated and good at prioritising jobs and getting things done without stress. When the demands become more intense, I sometimes struggle with work-life balance and feel like a terrible mother and wife when I am there but not really present. I often find myself overthinking things that I have no control over. Quite often it is something little, like a negative comment from a parent, that can push me from coping to not. The ‘Circles of Concern, Influence and Control’ reading really stood out to me as useful. I liked the sentence ‘Practise accepting that you can’t do anything about them, and shift your focus and energy to the things you can influence and control.’ I am going to do this and continue to make sure I have time with my family to relax and refuel. More exercise is also something I’d love to make time for!
Isn’t it funny that the smallest things can effect us the most… ‘The straw that breaks the camel’s back’. I am also like that Nat, as I am sure most of us are.
Not wasting time on things that we can not influence is something is something I often need to remind myself.
I have similar goals. Work-life balance can be such a challenge.
I’m lucky to have a like-minded colleague who serves as a great sounding board, allowing me to unpack issues at school and gain valuable insights through our discussions—it’s a two-way process that benefits us both (at least I’d like to think it does…). She is important to my well-being at school and is a valued member of my taha whānau.
Work/life balance is something I am very conscious of achieving, and I make a deliberate effort to try to prioritise it. Obviously there are times that this is easier than others, but that is the nature of our jobs.
Like Alicia, I’ve recently discovered the addictiveness of Reformer Pilates, and I also take long walks with my dog to support my health and fitness. Spending quality time with my immediate whānau and friends helps to fill my bucket and keep me balanced.
Susie! I have one of those like-minded colleagues too! Having someone who listens without judgement and gets you (because husbands don’t always understand) is sooooo important.
Sometimes you end up working with a like-minded colleague who makes the job even better. I love those times when the connection is strong and the friendship ends up long.
This module is a wonderful addition to the course. I enjoyed reading the ‘stress’ docs and the three Rs. As we head into the end of a long Term One, a timely reminder. It has been a few years since exploring Te Whare Tapa Whā so it was good to take the time to refresh myself with the practices it encompasses and perhaps finding a yoga class to rejoin with my daughter will add balance to my wellbeing – just breathe! I know I have some time management areas to address and juggle which is a work in progress. I lead a busy professional working mum life but ensure I hit the gym regularly and have discovered reformer pilates which is addictive! Time is a thief and family time is precious! Off to book a massage and holiday now …
I agree Alicia this is a great addition to the course, and something we tend to put as ‘not so important’ at times.
I’m glad reformer pilates is addictive! That is my the new class that I am trying in an effort to prioritise exercise.