Did you know that research says nearly 50% of teachers leave the profession within five years of teaching? Why, you might ask? One simple reason, “burnout.” To keep talented educators in the classroom it imperative to find ways to reduce stress.

May we be reminded that all teachers who leave the teaching profession spent countless hours in college, not to mention the passion within that led them to become a teacher in the first place. Burnout is nothing more than allowing stress to manifest due to a lack of balance. It not only affects the workplace but your personal life as well. It’s time to stress, less.

Here are 10 ways in which you can reduce your stress to maintain a balance while teaching:

1. Make a to-do list every morning. Put no more than three items on your list that you truly want to accomplish for the day. I know you probably have a long laundry list, but it is important to choose no more than your top three. It is okay to choose just one item, as it is better to accomplish one goal versus nothing at all. If you do this for one week, you can accomplish up to 21 items off of your list! So I ask you, how many things are you successful at accomplishing within a week right now?
2. Take time to eat a healthy breakfast every day before work. Do not eat on the run. Take time to sit down at the table, reflect on the goodness the day will bring, and enjoy that breakfast.
3. Give parents a cutoff window in which you will return their phone calls. You will be more productive if you do this. You can even set up a different phone number on Google Voice for parents to reach you.
4. Make sure you do something for yourself every day to unwind. Find something that you want to do. Put yourself first, and remember you are worth it.
5. Spend some time outside. The fresh air is relaxing. Go for a walk, ride your bike or even just sit and enjoy a book.
6. Stop your workday at a certain time each day. And be consistent. This was a game-changer for me, but I am going to be completely honest. It takes a lot of discipline and definitely requires a new mindset.
7. Disengage from all electronics at least ½ hour before going to bed. This allows your mind to quiet down. The payoff is a night of more restful sleep.
8. Keep a scheduled bedtime. Your body will wind down and relax when you go to bed at a consistent time, which will cause you to fall asleep quicker.
9. Get a good night’s sleep, at least seven to eight hours every night. Remove any distractors, such as your cell phone. Either turn it off, or put it in another room so you won’t wake up from the sound of text messages or even the light of your phone flashing from time to time. It not only breaks your sleep pattern, but you feel the need to look and respond back to the text. More than likely, I bet your response can wait until morning.
10. Learn to say “No”! Ask yourself how many times you said “yes”when you really wish you would have said “no”. This keeps you from juggling too many plates at one time. Look at delegating more of those tasks to others. You will be glad you did!

Start by choosing just one way in which you can begin to reduce stress today, then add another when you feel ready. All of these things seem so simple, yet if they were, we all would be doing them.

Nothing is going to work unless you are committed to making some changes. Remember, this is about you putting yourself first, and you are worth it!

What is your go-to, stress-less tip to share? We would love to hear from you. For more tips to destress check out Module 1 – I’m Overwhelmed! Where Do I Start? – to learn how you can improve your teaching by stressing less.