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I cope with the stress of my career by eating lunch by myself.  This doesn't seem like much but it is.  I take a break from colleagues and students at least 3 times a week and just have 30 minutes to myself.  Other ways I deal with the stress is to vent to my teacher friend who works in my building.  I also read for pleasure when I have the time. When I am overly stressed, it affects my sleep.

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I've recently been finding that yoga is a very good stress reliever for me. I've never been in to yoga, and I still wouldn't say I'm a professional yogi ha ha, but I definitely feel like being mindful and just unwinding during a relaxing yoga session is a great stress reliever!

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I manage stress by trying to keep a balanced work/home life. There are times when I have to work late, and feel overwhelmed, but overall, I am able to maintain a balance. One of the ways I do this is by scheduling time for myself by continuing to do the things I love to do throughout the school year. Some of the things I like to do are working out and reading. I think some of the ways you can do this is by cutting yourself off- only stay at school til 5:00, or don't bring work home. Make a plan and stick to it!

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I know I definitely have not exercised as much as I should have. I feel like teaching takes up so much time and there is no time for me to do anything else. Other than time restraints, however, I feel like teaching really helps to relieve stress. When I am in front of my students teaching them a new concept, my stress melts away. (mostly because I use humor in my teaching)

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There are days where I feel like I do not have time to balance work, school, family, and relationships. I try my best to make time for things I enjoy like singing, practicing guitar, yoga, running, and pampering myself. I always try to remember to take care of myself and schedule times to relax. The job has made me exhausted and I have had weird eating patterns because I do not always have time to eat lunch, but I changed that second semester because I was gaining weight and feeling tired and stressed.

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Exercise and leisurely reading are two methods I like to use for stress management, but unfortunately those are usually the first two things to go during the school year.  The thing I absolutely don't give up for work is family time.  My kids are in activities (not involved in everything, but one of them is usually involved in something) so they count on me to get them places and to be there when my husband can't because of his work.  I don't think about work at all during these times.  I always have a calendar filled out and I know well ahead of time what is going on when, so I work around it as best as possible.  Being organized with that and time management helps.  When my caseload is full, it is much more difficult, and I really need to look at some better methods of stress management to get me through those times.  Physical fatigue would probably be my most prominent effect on my physical health.  When I have too much going on I am tired all the time, and like in the article, I often wake up way too early and start processing my day/week and the millions of things I need to get done.  Those are exhausting times for sure!
Patti

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Surprisingly I've never been so stressed from teaching that I have been physically ill, but I have been fatigued from being up late writing formal lesson plans. Luckily I'm now in a district that doesn't require formal lesson plans to be turned in 2 weeks early (this saves SO much of my time). To help alleviate stress I have found that exerciser works great, but I prefer to read.
I also make sure I have a back-up plan for teaching. Sometimes life gets busy and I might get behind on planning, so having that saved educational game or backup lesson has helped. Also I've learned to ask for help and rely more on my paras. I've been fortunate in my years to work with wonderful people who are supportive and willing to help get me through my busy times.
Tiffany

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I have definitely felt stress from my job since I work in a very intensive school setting. I have gotten sick/cold related due to this. When I am in a stressful period of work, often times it wears off into my own personal life. My coping skill to deal with stress includes sleep. Often times I will come home from work and sleep the rest of the night if I am feeling stressed. This helps me rejuvenate for the next day.

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Feeling overly stressed does affect your health. During my first year of teaching, I gained weight and had a lot of sleepless nights. I was also sick more often. Since then, I have dealt with stress in the following ways: taking time out to just be by myself (especially during lunchtime), deep breathing, talking with someone who can relate, and exercice.

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Absolutely. I have gotten physically sick from being so exhausted at the end of the day. In the past, it affected my relationships with my family, friends, and co-workers. I wasn't able to laugh or smile because I was so worried about being the perfect teacher and not making mistakes. It was ridiculous. I practice mindfulness, yoga, I take a minute out of my day (even now during Autism Camp) to breathe, I go to the gym at least 4-5 times a week and I have a therapist (not ashamed to admit it). I think it's important to have a healthy boundary from our jobs or you WILL get burned out.

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I have found that playing and dancing with my kids, and coaching have been my stress management techniques.
Stress has had a an effect on my negative health. Sometimes, I do get physically hurt by students, and then after the fact I do a lot of self reflecting that turns into stress that leads into not sleeping . When I do not sleep I get migraines, and like others have said eat when I am stressed. Our jobs do not end when we walk out of school, and I am constantly worrying about my students and what I can change to help my students succeed.

Jen

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I have found exercise to be my best stress reliever along with conversation with colleagues who understand. Going to the gym and listening to music allows me relax and clear my head. I have tried yoga but wasn't really my thing. Sometimes going on a long with my dog and husband helps put things in perspective for me.
A few years ago, stress was definitely having a negative effect on my health. It was really on my mental health, but that eventually became physical with migraines and stomach problems. I was overworked and had an unsupportive work environment. Looking back, I can also admit that I was drinking too much red wine after my hard days to cope and that was counterproductive.
-Tammy

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Every school year I find myself getting sick multiple times stemming from lack of sleep due to stress. It's unfortunate but truly an element of this line of work. A major way I manage my stress is through exercise. I am a morning person so I work out in the mornings before school and it leaves me with an incredible amount of energy for the school day. I try really hard to separate my school day from my life at home (way easier said then done) but I will always try to end my work by 8 pm so I can watch something on Netflix or catch a Cubs game on TV. A new form of stress management I have discovered throughout this past year is listening to podcasts. They are entertaining and allow me to 'forget' about work for a little while!

Tori

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Yoga and other meditation techniques have NEVER worked for me. They are all too slow-paced for me. I like to watch movies and TV to destress. I also talk it out with people that can relate/understand.

I am glad I am not the only one with sleep issues; although I believe mine are all medical unfortunately.

My physical health has been somewhat steady for the past few years going through college and entering into education. I have several conditions that would be helped by having less stress but, I am a teacher and that's what I do. I try to keep my stress down as much as I can.

Hilari

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I laugh!!
Stress of my job has caused major weight gain! I get stressed and I eat. I am too exhausted to move after a day of work. Leading to weight gain!
Physically my body is broken. Literally. My students are tough and needy. Lifting and positioning severy times of a fully grown 18 year old is detrimental to the back. Physical abuse has caused broken fingers, injured hip, scared skin from deep scratches and bit marks and screaming has caused major headaches (LOL).
When I arrive home I feel as if I just left the boxing ring.
I also do not sleep well...I often stay up late tossing and turning...thinking about the day... what worked? what didn't work? what was the trigger? what should i do different? WHAT AM I THINKING!!!

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One way I manage my stress is my making an overall to do list. Then I pick the top 3 things I want to get done that day. Next I break up each of the 3 into smaller sections and decide when I am going to do it. Sometimes I even write in my planner: before school, plan time, lunch, after school, and at home on my planner so I keep it straight. It sounds like a lot of work, but it helps me keep my day focused and prevents me from wasting time. When it becomes too much for me and I need to remove myself from the work, I take a walk.

Yes, my job has had an effect on my health. I get headaches a lot and I've had sleep problems. I lie in bed thinking about what I need to do, how many hours of sleep I'll get if I fall asleep right now, and my students' home lives.

Cecilia