Feeling overwhelmed in school

  • Contents

    • Overview

    Feeling overwhelmed in school is a feeling which all teachers will have encountered at some point in their careers.

    With high workloads, behavioural issues, conflicts with staff and parents, lesson observations as well as personal issues some days it can feel too much to contend with.

    If you are an Edapt subscriber, you can contact us for support and advice if you are feeling constantly overwhelmed and it is having an impact on your health and wellbeing.

    You might also find it useful to contact Education Support to discuss the issues you are facing. Education Support is a charity which supports teachers and provides a 1-1 telephone line and counselling services

    In this article, we summarise advice from Education Support and look at the impact of being overwhelmed.

    Feeling overwhelmed: cognitive impact

    The Harvard Business Review explains that the cognitive impact of feeling perpetually overwhelmed can range from mental slowness, forgetfulness, confusion, difficulty concentrating or thinking logically, to a racing mind or an impaired ability to problem solve.

    When we have too many demands on our thinking over an extended period of time, cognitive fatigue can also happen, making us more prone to distractions and our thinking less agile. Any of these effects, alone, can make us less effective and leave us feeling even more overwhelmed.

    It notes that our typical response to ever-growing workloads is to work harder and put in longer hours, rather than to step back and examine what makes us do this and find a new way of operating.

    How do you know if you are overwhelmed?

    Education Support has published an article on identifying the symptoms and what you can do to alleviate being overwhelmed. It explains that some of the things to spot are:

    • Catastrophic thinking
    • Lack of control
    • Trouble concentrating
    • Tearful
    • Low mood
    • Frustration
    • Impatient
    • Poor eating habits

    It notes that negative behavioural responses can include:

    • Excessive social media interaction
    • Drinking alcohol to regulate emotions
    • Over or under comfort eating
    • Drugs
    • Biting nails
    • Pulling hair

    Some positive behavioural responses can include:

    • Running, cycling, swimming and other sports
    • Having a bath
    • Listening to great music
    • Talking to friends
    • Gardening
    • Laughing

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