Val Andrew has some advice to help you combat those negative thoughts and take more care of yourself
I read, with great concern, the contributions on social media by many SBL professionals who are at the end of their tethers. This is validated by conversations I have weekly with a range of different SBL practitioners. It’s undoubtedly been a very challenging two years for all school leaders, juggling a raft of issues on top of the impact of the pandemic; that said, I can’t remember a time when there have been so many people in education who are just exhausted and overwhelmed. There is a greater focus right now on mental health and well-being – and rightly so – but the extent to which our school leaders are being affected is worrying.
I don’t need to list the challenges you are all facing and, without being too political, there are huge issues that are a direct result of the policy to ‘starve’ the sector of the resources it needs to operate effectively. This needs to be addressed with urgency, and we have to put our trust in the organisations that have direct contact with ministers to lobby for this.
When faced with crisis situations we knuckle down to sort things out – this is what all school leaders are trained to do, and do very effectively – including school business leaders. We focus on the here and now, and deal with what urgently needs to be done professionally, often neglecting our own needs. However, you don’t have to feel overwhelmed forever!
I’ve read a lot of self-help books and focused on guidance about how to be brilliant in the job, which I know you all are, so I don’t want to do this here. I’d like to use this piece to encourage you all to refocus on what is important – i.e., YOU!
No-one ever lay on their death bed and wished they’d spent more time at work! I know we work in education because we want to contribute to the education of our next generation and, although it’s never going to make us millionaires, it also pays the bills. That said, if it’s making you ill then something has to change!
FACT 1 – when things are tough, attitudes tend to be overtly negative. This negativity – which pervades the community within which we work – can drag us down and add to an already stressed mindset. I used to liken it to working amongst a group of Harry Potter ‘dementors’– you know the characters – they say things like:
“Oh yes, we tried that before, it’ll never work.”
“Nobody has a clue, especially SLT.”
“These meetings are just a waste of time.”
“Isn’t this weather awful?”
If you let them, they will suck the lifeblood out of you – they thrive on depriving your mind of positivity and intelligence. Whilst it’s tempting to go along with their negative vibes, perhaps make a conscious effort to blast them with positivity!
Using the statements above – you could respond along these lines…
“Oh yes, we tried that before, it’ll never work.”
What do you think would work then?
“Nobody has a clue, especially SLT.”
Come along and speak to SLT and share some of your concerns.
“These meetings are just a waste of time.”
We’re changing the format – the next meetings will be time-limited and you can contribute to the agenda so we can discuss the issues important to you.
“Isn’t this weather awful?”
The forecast is good for tomorrow though!
Turning negativity around with positive responses can help defeat those ‘mood hoovers’ (Art of Being Brilliant – Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker) – but that’s just the tip of the iceberg; if you are in a dark place then it is time for introspection and some readjustments to your life.
FACT 2 – prolonged exposure to a stressful situation is going to damage your health, and this can lead to longer term medical issues unless you do something about it. That natural ‘flight of fight’ response that kicks in brings some positive results in the short term, but it’s not sustainable. I like the philosophy of Dr Rangan Chatterjee, especially his books The Stress Solution and The 4 Pillar Plan (not on commission for flagging these!) Both books provide helpful suggestions and practical ways you can examine the impact of your current lifestyle and reset some aspects to improve mindset, health and purpose. We all need to STOP and reflect on what actually energises us and what drains us. Restoring the balance and concentrating on the stuff that energises you could be a revelation. A quote attributed to many different individuals seems entirely relevant in this context:
“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change”
Ultimately, you may arrive at a point where more drastic measures are necessary – as SBLs we are great at solving problems and overcoming obstacles which provides a sense of accomplishment, but it’s much harder to turn this around and focus on yourself. My last piece for EdExec looked at a range of suggestions to help you all get back to doing the job you love, and that remains pertinent here. In addition to that I’d urge you to:
be kinder to yourselves, and acknowledge what you have achieved rather than focus on what you’ve not managed to do;
look for some quick wins to lighten your load;
talk to someone – communicate with your own colleagues; admitting you are exhausted and overwhelmed doesn’t have the stigma it used to. Consider a personal coach or mentor;
limit your focus to what is within your scope of influence;
abandon the guilt – and don’t wait. If there are things you want to do – go for it!
FACT 3 – we are losing many experienced practitioners from the profession as a result of the current environment. The recruitment crisis is not restricted to teachers; it includes a much broader group of school leaders. There has been some positive rhetoric from government about education, but whether this will translate into reality remains to be seen. I said earlier that we have to place our trust in those organisations which have the opportunity to influence national policy. I am old enough, cynical enough, and grumpy enough to know that systems and processes come around in 10-year cycles, so we should surely be due a good spell soon??
Finally, trying to end on a positive note, it’s important that we don’t forget that there is a whole new generation of potential school business leaders emerging and we have a responsibility to ensure that working environments, and working patterns, are appropriate enough to support them. Don’t’ forget that signposting relevant training to help them develop their skills could also lead to greater opportunities for delegation.
I spotted this on social media which I think says it all…
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