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Turkey, The UK, Poland, Albania, Ireland & Portugal

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We are all passing through challenges times. Unfortunately, we are now living in the world with full of concerns and fears because of COVID-19. We are getting so much information through regular media that I do not want to overwhelm anyone.
I hope that all of you are healthy, safe and have all the support that you and your loved ones need. Please keep in mind that there is nothing wrong about being afraid. If you feel a strong fear, get mindful and meditate.

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Remember to take time for yourself during all this, and breathe. Do not forget to practice MINDFUL BREATHING. Wishing you all health, strength and so much love at this time. Keep safe everyone!

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Practice mindful breathing meditation and become more calm and peaceful.

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Take a moment to sit back and relax ! Enjoy your coffee.

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Yoga is a mind-body practice that combines physical poses, controlled breathing, and meditation or relaxation. Yoga may help reduce stress, lower blood pressure and lower your heart rate. And almost anyone can do it.

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Öznur MARŞAN

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Do not forget to do your word search puzzle for your mental wellbeing. Strongly recommended!

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Fidget spinners are marketed as a way to help relieve stress and cope with anxiety and ADHD. They may help some people, but according to experts, there is no scientific evidence to support the claim that fidget spinners relieve stress or help individuals focus.

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Teachers can make breaks and stop thinking about their work

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Teachers can make breaks and stop thinking about their work

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It is especially important now, when work is totally at home... So this is what I suggest:

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These days we often feel bored.Trying new things migth makes us feel better.

Suna Altunsaçan-Preschool-İstanbul

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Mindfulness is a nourishing mental practice that can be employed at almost any time.

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Mindfulness is a nourishing mental practice that can be employed at almost any time.

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Let's practice mindfulness in nature!

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Wellbeing is connected with things that atract us the most .
If one of them is art ,than ,yes ,practice it .
It helps. I'm a painter ,so I know as well  what kind of feelings you are going to feel during this activity.
Try it ,do it,f eel it !
Teuta Lagja / Shkoder ~Albania

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If animals find peace on smelling a flower, why some of us don't know the value of this activity in their lives ?

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Did you know that overthinking is the biggest cause of sadness?

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MINDFULNESS can help improve:

resilience in daily life

focus and concentration

understanding of emotions

ability to stay calm and relax

positive thinking.

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Are word search puzzles good for your brain?

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Are word search puzzles good for your brain?

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Studies have shown that word search and other puzzles can help improve memory, focus, vocabulary, and overall mental acuity.

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Your faith, your efforts will empower you..!!! Caring for myself is an act of survial.
Make Time For Yourself!
You are important!
I have come to believe that caring for myself is not self indulgent

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Give yourself a break!

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Empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner

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Empathy: the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner

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Are Puzzles Good for Empathy? :)

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Up to 400 milligrams (mg) of caffeine a day appears to be safe for most healthy adults.

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You will laugh, you will cry. Then hopefully you will feel less alone in your struggles.

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Inhale the future, exhale the past.
It's Yoga Time:)

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Depicting a series of arrows to represent how one way of self-care is making time for yourself, the image emphasizes time management as a method of self-care. Time management leaves more time to relax and focus on things that make the individual happy. Give yourself a break!...Self-care also includes looking out for your mental health. If you do not properly tend to your needs and let others know you that you need help, you aren’t caring for yourself.   

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Depicting a series of arrows to represent how one way of self-care is making time for yourself, the image emphasizes time management as a method of self-care. Time management leaves more time to relax and focus on things that make the individual happy. Give yourself a break!...Self-care also includes looking out for your mental health. If you do not properly tend to your needs and let others know you that you need help, you aren’t caring for yourself.   

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Emine Türkan İkiz

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If you are left emotionally and physically spent, please check the link below.

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If you are left emotionally and physically spent, please check the link below.

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You will find 5 tips for Teacher Wellbeing.

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Written by Emma (Teach Starter)

The combination of administrative, classroom, and co-curricular responsibilities in a teacher's day-to-day life can really add up. By the end of the week, we are often left feeling emotionally and physically spent. It's no secret that the emotional atmosphere of the classroom affects our students' learning! Teacher wellbeing should be at the forefront of our minds, and for a good reason.
Make your classroom buzz! Create a free Teach Starter account and download hundreds of time-saving resources. Find out more
A few years ago I began to experience frequent panic attacks in the classroom. I would be standing in front of my Fourth grade class and have a racing heart, be short of breath, and feel the urge to tell my (completely undeserving) students to leave me alone and figure things out for themselves. I needed to take stock of my behavior and consider the causes behind my stress. I developed a strategy to more competently manage my mental health.

Recognizing and taking care of your own mental health is the perfect way to lay a solid foundation for an emotionally balanced classroom.

Our free Teacher Wellbeing Checklist is a great place to start before you begin to feel the impact of mental strain. Putting it into your planner for a monthly or even weekly self-check in makes for an easy way to monitor your emotional wellbeing.

Combine it with our free 5 Tips For Teacher Wellbeing Poster to encourage positive discussion in your staff room and get on the right track for a mentally healthy workplace!

World Mental Health Day

Thursday, October 10, 2019 is World Mental Health Day. It is a day to educate and raise awareness of the issues surrounding mental health, and to advocate for a better understanding of mental health around the world. Starting in 1992, World Mental Health Day helps to remove the stigma related to mental health issues and gives people an opportunity to turn inwards and assess their own mental wellbeing.

As teachers, we are often focused on the physical, emotional, and mental wellbeing of the children in our care. We are nurturers by nature, and teacher wellbeing often falls off the radar. But just like oxygen masks in an airplane, it is only when we first take care of ourselves that we are fully fit to support those in our classroom.

5 Tips For Teacher Wellbeing

We've all been there. It's 2:30pm on a Friday afternoon, and you and your class have pushed yourselves all week. They're tired, you're tired, and you're both counting down the minutes until the bell rings, and the weekend begins! The problem is - you have two bags full of grading and planning to take home with you to complete before Monday.

How can you make sure you achieve all you need without draining every last drop in your mental engine?

Taking some time to take care of yourself during the week can be really beneficial to your long-term productivity and overall mood. Make yourself a cup of coffee (or tea), sit back, and read ahead for some easy ways to take care of yourself.

Take Time to De-Stress

Everyone has their own de-stressors, the things that make them instantly relax and feel rejuvenated.

Some ideas for an immediate stress reliever:

Go for a 10-minute walk.

Close your eyes and take ten deep breaths.

Visualize a pleasing scene, like a calm beach or an event that you are looking forward to.

Take a break from your computer screen or phone.

Put on some soothing music.

Do some coloring. Repetitive motions, like those used when coloring, cross-stitching, or making jewelry have been proven to reduce anxiety. Here are some great ideas and resources for taking mindfulness coloring to the whole classroom!

Have a Chat

Talking over issues you are having at work with a colleague or mentor is a great way to resolve a problem. Sometimes just talking over something out loud can help you untangle a tricky issue, and your conversation partner might help you see something from a different point of view! If you don't feel comfortable talking to someone at work, see if your school has an Employee Assistance Program that can give you an objective ear to talk to.

Have a Good Work/Life Balance

Switch Off Your Email Being available online 24/7 can open you up to communications that can leave you excited or stressed about work, which can shift the mood of your whole weekend. It's important to set yourself a 'switch-off' time. Make sure that students and their families know that you will not be available, but that you'll get back to them as soon as your work week begins again.

Set Realistic Expectations - It's OK to Say 'No' While teachers are amazing multitaskers, we are also mere humans. People will understand if you do not have time to take on another after-school activity, implement another classroom initiative, or mentor another student teacher. Instead of taking on an overload of work, suggest a colleague who might be happy to improve their experience or impress their supervisor.

Choose One Activity For Yourself A Week
Choosing an activity just for you one day a week can help you disconnect from the stresses of work. Taking up yoga, meeting a friend for coffee, or going to a movie are simple ways to decompress from your busy week.

Take Care of your Physical Wellbeing

Studies have shown a close link between your physical and mental health. There are a plethora of articles on the internet providing tips and advice on how to nourish your physical wellbeing. Some of the major things to take care of include:

Getting enough sleep. Adults in the 18 - 65 age bracket need between 7 - 9 hours of sleep a night. A good night's sleep can boost productivity during the daylight hours so that you'll be working smarter, not harder.

Eat a balanced diet. Eating a balanced diet provides your body (including your brain) with the nutrients it needs to function properly. Don't forget to drink plenty of water!

Be active. Exercise produces endorphins which send a boost of positivity to your brain. Research suggests that 30 minutes of moderate to intense physical activity most days of the week can lead to an increase in mental functioning, including an increase in memory and learning ability. If you're short on time or motivation, break your 30 minutes into 10 or 15 minute intervals. Better yet, join a social sporting team to make new friends at the same time!

Practice Mindfulness

If you're unfamiliar with the concept of mindfulness, it involves actively and intentionally focusing on the present moment. Being aware of the things around you and the physical and emotional sensations that your body is experiencing.

Mindfulness is as simple as observing your class and each child without judgment. Your class doesn't have to be perfectly still and quiet for you to do this! Mindfulness is not about being in a completely serene and peaceful environment. It is about finding the calm among the chaos. The benefits of teaching mindfulness to your class include increased focus, reduced stress, and improvement in academic performance.

Our Mindfulness Teaching Resource Pack provides some wonderful resources to practice the art of mindfulness in your classroom. At the end of the year, you can even complete our free End of Year Mindful Self Reflection resource to take stock of the past school year and prepare for the next one, more mindfully!

Are You 'Still' OK?

Days like World Mental Health Day are a fantastic way to shed light on issues surrounding mental health. More can still be done, however, to further reduce the stigma surrounding mental wellbeing.

It's important to realize that EVERY day can be an opportunity to take stock of the mental health of yourself and those around you!

Check in with your students, colleagues, and family members to see how they are doing regularly. Open up discussions about your own mental health to ensure you're taking care of your own teacher wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around you.

For a great insight into how to support your own and other's mental health this World Mental Health Day, listen to The Teach Starter podcast 'For the Love of Teaching'. Bron has put together a very special episode, 'World Mental Health Day | Mitch Wallis, Heart on My Sleeve'.

Let's banish the stigma of mental health and get on the path to a happier, healthier classroom! What steps have you taken to improve your mental health? Comment below to share your experiences!

Make your classroom buzz! Create a free Teach Starter account and download hundreds of time-saving resources. Find out more

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World Mental Health Day | 5 Tips for Teacher Wellbeing and Mental Health

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Written by Emma (Teach Starter) The combination of administrative, classroom, and co-curricular responsibilities in a teacher's day-to-day life can really add up. By the end of the week, we are often left feeling emotionally and physically spent. It's no secret that the emotional atmosphere of the classroom affects our students' learning!

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When you eat clean, you'll notice your moods are more stable.

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When you eat clean, you'll notice your moods are more stable.

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Didn't you know that puzzles keep your mind sharp?

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Didn't you know that puzzles keep your mind sharp?

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1. Get enough sleep!
2. Be active.
3. Eat a balanced diet.
4. Stay hydrated.

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RelaxingRecords - Study Music for Concentration

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Anti Stress Relaxing Music - Positive DeStress Music, Anxiety, Stress Relief, Worries, Depression

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What is one thing you wish you could tell your teacher?

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Teacher Appreciation Education GIF by SoulPancake - Find & Share on GIPHY

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Discover & share this SoulPancake GIF with everyone you know. GIPHY is how you search, share, discover, and create GIFs.

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Teachers Day Hug GIF by Teach Stem - Find & Share on GIPHY

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Our mission is humble: make America smarter. Ensure the future. Blow the minds of students. All by teaching STEM.

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We're making the most of a lockdown by continuing our mindfulness training online.

As teaching professionals, we often feel stressed. Unfortunately, we blur the lines between school and home, work and play. That's why I attended a webinar by Sarah Mercer and Tammy Gregersen on March 25th. This webinar encouraged me to indulge in self-care: to align my multiple selves, assess my mindset, reflect on attributions and optimism, and find my mental space.