Supporting young people's mental health starts with looking after yourself as an educator or school staff member. The pressures of teaching, managing behaviour, and meeting diverse needs can be intense. It's important to have strategies to manage your wellbeing so you can effectively support the young people in your care.

Why staff wellbeing matters

When school staff prioritise their mental health, it creates a more positive and calm environment for everyone. Modelling healthy coping strategies helps young people feel safe, understood, and supported, which improves behaviour, engagement, and overall wellbeing.

The busyness of school and teacher burnout

Schools are busy, demanding places, and teachers often juggle multiple roles with little downtime. According to recent research, around 44% of teachers in the UK report feeling high levels of work-related stress and 1 in 5 consider leaving the profession due to stress and burnout. Long hours, workload pressures, and emotional demands contribute to this burnout.

Life outside school adds to this load, with personal responsibilities and challenges. Balancing both can leave little time for self-care, increasing the risk of exhaustion.

The science behind stress and worries in the school environment

Our central nervous system (CNS) controls how our bodies respond to stress, activating the fight, flight, or freeze response when we perceive threats. In the fast-paced school day, both staff and students can experience heightened stress levels that trigger these reactions.

This can lead to a "busy mind" - overthinking about everything that’s happened, what’s coming next, or how to manage everything—making it harder to focus and use effective strategies.

Mindful breathing exercise: Calming your central nervous system

Try this mindful breathing exercise to help regulate stress during your busy day:

1. Sit comfortably with feet flat on the floor.
2. Soften your gaze or close your eyes if comfortable.
3. Breathe in slowly through your nose for a count of four.
4. Hold gently for a count of four.
5. Exhale slowly through your mouth for a count of six.
6. Repeat 4-6 times, focusing on your breath.

This helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system—the body's "rest and digest" mode—reducing stress and increasing calmness.

Spending time in nature and the environment

Spending time outside, in green spaces or simply noticing natural elements around you, can have powerful benefits for reducing stress and boosting wellbeing. Even short breaks outdoors can lower cortisol levels and improve mood.

Encourage yourself and young people to take mindful walks, notice the weather, sounds, or sensations outside to help ground and refresh the mind.

However, in many schools, sensory and movement activities are used less often, meaning we engage only a limited part of the brain. Learning through play and the natural curiosity of exploring the world around us decreases as young people get older, which can reduce opportunities for brain development and emotional regulation.

Opening up: Listening and validation in schools

Young people may not always want immediate solutions; often, they need someone to listen and validate their worries. Offering a safe space to share feelings helps them untangle and unpack their concerns, reducing overwhelm.

For staff, practising active listening and empathy instead of rushing to fix problems builds trust and connection.

Supporting neurodivergence and school-related worries

Neurodivergent young people, including those with autism or ADHD, may experience increased anxiety related to school routines, social situations, or changes.

Simple tools like worry journals or check-ins, plus understanding the brain’s role in stress and behaviour, help staff respond with patience and effective support.

Why teaching about the brain matters

Many schools don't include brain education in their curriculum, yet understanding cognition and brain function helps both staff and young people improve emotional regulation and self-awareness.

Knowing why movement, sensory activities, and mindful techniques regulate the nervous system makes it easier to integrate these strategies into daily school life.

Why the senses and movement benefit wellbeing

Engaging the senses grounds young people in the present moment. Sensory activities—feeling textures, listening to calming sounds, or noticing smells—are simple, effective ways to reduce stress.

Movement releases mood-boosting chemicals and helps regulate the nervous system. Incorporate short stretches, mindful movement breaks, or outdoor activity to support wellbeing during the school day.

Understanding cognition and unhelpful thinking

Teaching young people about cognition helps identify unhelpful thought patterns like rumination (dwelling on negatives) or catastrophising (expecting the worst). Awareness of these patterns supports healthier thinking and coping.

Practical tips for school staff

• Take small mindful breathing or movement breaks during your day.
• Build routines with wellbeing check-ins.
• Encourage open conversations about feelings.
• Use writing, drawing, or worry journals.
• Explore professional development on brain-based wellbeing.
• Model positive self-talk and challenge unhelpful thoughts.

Take a look at our blogs:

• Fight, Flight, Freeze
• The Busy Mind

These explore the science behind these responses and provide practical strategies for staff and young people.

Trusted organisations and further support

• NHS Mental Health for Children and Young People:
  https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/children-and-young-adults/
• Mind – Mental Health Charity:
  https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/
• Place2Be – Emotional Wellbeing in Schools:
  https://www.place2be.org.uk/
• YoungMinds – Support for Young People's Mental Health:
  https://www.youngminds.org.uk/
• Autism Education Trust – Support for Neurodivergence:
  https://www.autismeducationtrust.org.uk/
• Anxiety UK:
  https://www.anxietyuk.org.uk/

You're making a difference

Looking after your own wellbeing and understanding the brain’s role in stress helps you provide compassionate, effective support to young people. If you're interested in training or resources for your school, please contact us at developingmatters@gmail.com or visit https://www.developingmatters.co.uk

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