50 Winning Ways to Teacher Wellbeing

Simple Reminders That Lead to Massive Benefits

Happy, healthy teachers tend to have happier, healthier classrooms where students tend to do better socially, emotionally and academically. Positive teacher wellbeing has the capacity to improve outcomes for learners so it is well worth giving some consideration to our wellbeing and make improvements if needed.

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The Five Winning Ways to Wellbeing give us five areas that can be incorporated into our lives every day to help us stay happy and healthy. These five areas are: connect, give, take notice, keep learning and be active. Here are some ways we can bring these to life.

Connect:
1. Ring a friend.
2. Share a meal with loved ones.
3. Smile at a stranger.
4. Write a letter or email to someone who has made a difference in your life.
5. Join a community group.
6. Organise a trip to a concert or gallery or park with a friend or two.
7. Turn off devices and play some board or card games.
8. Have a movie night at home with friends or family – make your own popcorn.
9. Do some baking or cooking for a neighbour or colleague.
10. Share positive quotes or jokes with others to bring a little joy and lightness.

Give:
11. Go for a walk and pick up rubbish.
12. Share an idea or resource with a colleague.
13. Give someone a compliment.
14. Use your skills to support a community group.
15. Share extra food or produce from your home.
16. Give some things away to charity or on a buy and sell page.
17. Let someone else go first – perhaps when lining up in a shop or letting someone in when driving.
18. Pay it forward with a coffee for the next person at your favourite café.
19. Help someone with their gardening or housework.
20. Buy extra groceries to give to food banks.

Take Notice:
21. Deliberately look for things that you haven’t noticed before when you are out walking or driving places.
22. Practice the pause. Before reacting to something, pause and notice how you feel. Then breathe and respond.
23. Do yoga or meditation, focusing on what is happening in your body.
24. Get out in nature and observe with all your senses.
25. Turn off your devices and screens and tune in to someone talking to you face-to-face.
26. Take a walk outside at a break time during the day.
27. End each day with recording or sharing three things for which you are grateful.
28. Look up at the stars and let yourself be absorbed in a sense of wonder and awe.

29. Spend some time sitting quietly in a busy place and just watch people.
30. Walk and eat slowly and mindfully

Keep Learning:
31. Ask for new ideas from colleagues about something you want to improve.
32. Learn a new language.
33. Learn a new song or even how to play an instrument.
34. Ask a friend, colleague or loved one to teach you a skill they know.
35. Learn to cook a new recipe or whole new cuisine.
36. Use a YouTube tutorial to learn a new skill.
37. Take on a new opportunity at work to stretch your skills.
38. Learn about something in education that interests you and share with your colleagues.
39. Learn a new board or card game to share with others.
40. Read a book or watch a movie in a genre you haven’t explored before.

Be Active:
41. Get out in the garden or make a potted garden. You could also liven up a green space at work for others to share.
42. Join a sports team.
43. Go for a walk. Get a dog or walking partner to help you stay motivated.
44. Join in with physical activity opportunities at work.
45. Join a gym or fitness class.
46. Snack on exercise, using opportunities to move at various times of the day, such as doing squats or lunges while waiting for the photocopier.
47. Have daily one-song dance parties. Set a timer to remind you and then go for it!
48. Explore the area around where you live and find opportunities for movement. It could be enjoying walking or biking tracks, swimming or playing in the water.
49. Have a go at a walking meeting instead one where everyone sits.
50. Plan for physical activity during the weekends with friends or family. It might be trying new activities or enjoying favourite ones.

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Megan Gallagher


Megan is a committed learner. She has been a teacher and an educational leader who has specialised in health education for a number of years. She is an avid promoter of building resilience in our students and selves.