IDAHO,
IDAHO, WE
IDAHO, WE DOVE INTO THE STRESS AND STRUGGLES OF TEACHING
DURING COVID-19.
THERE ARE SO MANY
NEW RESPONSIBILITIES
FOR OUR TEACHERS AND
SCHOOL STAFF-- THAT ARE
IMPERATIVE TO KEEP
EVERYONE SAFE.
THIS WEEK, WE WANTED
TO TALK TO AN EXPERT...
AND GIVE TEACHERS
SOME SOLUTIONS TO
DEAL WITH STRESS, AND
TAKE BETTER CARE OF
THEMSELVES.
HERE'S MAGGIE O'MARA
WITH TONIGHT'S HELLO
IDAHO.
JOINING US NOW IS DR
DENNIS WOODY WITH
OPTUM HEALTH AND DR
WOODY I GUESS WE
SHOULD START OUT BY
RECOGNIZING WHAT A TOUGH TIME THIS IS FOR TEACHERS ACROSS THE
STATE OF IDAHO RIGHT
NOW TEACHING IN A
PANDEMIC.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME MAGGIE, YOU ARE
RIGHT ON THE MONEY
THIS IS A DIFFICULT TIME.
I THINK SOCIAL MEDIA
RIGHT NOW IS NOT A
FRIENDLY PLACE FOR
TEACHERS, LET'S TALK
ABOUT THAT.
ULTIMATELY KEEPING
YOURSELF INFORMED
MIGHT INCLUDE LIMITING
THE AMOUNT OF TOTAL
CONTACT YOU HAVE WITH
SOCIAL MEDIA.
ESPECIALLY FOR
TEACHERS WITH A LOT OF
ARGUING HAPPENING
BETWEEN PARENTS ABOUT
WHAT DEICISIONS
SCHOOLS ARE MAKING,
SO IT'S NOT A BAD IDEA
TO MAYBE CUT SOME OF
THAT OUT.
IF YOU FEEL STRESSED
THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT
THERE WHO CARE ABOUT
YOU...
FOCUSING ON SOME OF
THE THINGS THAT YOU
ARE GRATEFUL FOR
DESPITE THE PANDEMIC
AND ALL THE STRESSORS,
THE GRATITIUDE FOCUS
CAN ASSIST YOU IN A
VARIETY OF THINGS FROM
PHYSICAL COMFORT TO
HOW WELL YOU SLEEP.
POSITIVE SELF TALK, WHY
DO YOU RECOMMEND
THAT?
WOODY: WELL YOU KNOW
SELF COACHING. WHO IS
WITH YOU ALL DAY LONG,
YOU ARE.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE OF REALLY
TAKING A DEEP BREATH,
TAKING THINGS SLOWLY
AND BEING VERY MINDFUL
OF THAT.
WOODY: YOU USED A
VERY GOOD WORD,
MINDFUL... WHEN YOU
ARE FOCUSING ON YOUR
BREATHING YOU ARE
CENTERING YOURSELF ON
WELLNESS AND
COMFORT... AND WHEN
YOU
YOU TAKE
YOU TAKE SEVERAL DEEP BREATHS IN A METHODICAL FASHION,
YOU ARE OXYGENATING
YOUR BODY AND IT HELPS
YOUR BRAIN RELAX.
WHAT ABOUT MUSIC,
HOW IS MUSIC HEALING
WHEN IT COMES TO BEING
OVERSTRESSED.
WOODY: MUSIC IS LIKE
MAGIC.
YOU COULD BEING MUSIC
INTO A PIECE OF
INSTRUCTION WITH YOUR
KIDS...
KIDS... HELP THEM UNDERSTAND THAT MUSIC IS A GOOD THING FOR
YOU.
WHAT ABOUT EXERCISE?
MOVING OUR BODIES DO
TWO THINGS... IT ENABLES
US TO RELEASE TENSION,
MOVES MUSCLES...
ACTUALLY CREATE ENERGY
IN OUR BODY.
DOESN'T TAKE MUCH, 5-
30 MINUTES OF
CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT
CAN RESTORE YOUR SENSE
OF FOCUS.NOT TO
MENTION GETTING
OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW AND
BREATHING THAT FRESH
AIR...
SUNLIGHT DOES GOOD
THINGS FOR OUR BRAINS
TOO, IT INCREASES
HORMONES THAT ALLOWS
US TO RELAX AND TO
SLEEP BETTER, AND IF YOU
CAN'T AND IF IT'S DARK
PERPETUALLY, SOMETIMES
IT'S HELPFUL TO GET
YOURSELF ONE OF THOSE
NATURAL SPECTRUM
LIGHTS... AND EXPOSE
YOURSELF TO IT.
SELF CARE, SELF CARE IS
SO IMPORTANT...
YOU ARE AT A CERTAIN
VULNERABILITY OF BEING
SADDENED OR EVEN
DEPRESSED... THAT'S
WHERE REACHING OUT TO
FRIENDS OR FAMILY AND
LETTING THEM KNOW
HOW YOU ARE FEELING,
AND LETTING THEM
LETTING THEM KNOW
HOW YOU ARE FEELING,
AND LETTING THEM
SUPPORT YOU.
WHAT ABOUT FINALLY
SO IMPORTANT...
YOU ARE AT A CERTAIN
VULNERABILITY OF BEING
SADDENED OR EVEN
DEPRESSED... THAT'S
WHERE REACHING OUT TO
FRIENDS OR FAMILY AND
LETTING THEM KNOW
HOW YOU ARE FEELING,
AND LETTING THEM
SUPPORT YOU.
WHAT ABOUT FINALLY
GETTING HELP... THROUGH
YOUR EAP... THROUGH A
COUNSELOR.
WHEN SHOULD A
TEACHER TAKE THAT STEP?
TALKING TO SOMEONE
CAN MAKE ALL THE
DIFFERENCE, IT DOESN'T
MEAN YOU NEED TO
START GOING TO THERAPY
5 TIMES A WEEK BUT
WHAT IT DOES IS THAT
HEARING
HEARING THE VOICE OF SOMEONE ELSE CAN BE VERY VALUABLE.
TO SEE AN EXTENDED CUT
OF THIS INTERVIEW... OR
FIND MORE MENTAL
HEALTH RESOURCES, GO