#14 My Journey Back from Burnout with Chris Misselbrook

PLEASE NOTE: During this episode, my guest and I discuss feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. If you find conversations around this topic difficult, then I recommend you skip this episode for now and come back at a time that is more appropriate for you. REMEMBER: If you are struggling, reach out to someone. Education Support provides mental health & wellbeing support services to all staff working in education. Free & confidential helpline: 08000 562 561​​ https://www.educationsupport.org.uk/ Hello and welcome to the TeachStrong Talks podcast! A place for real conversations about effective well-being for school staff. Today, we’re joined by secondary school PE teacher Chris Misselbrook. We connected with Chris during one of our well-being webinars. When we invited those on the webinar to share any experiences they had had of meditation, he went on camera to talk about the effects this practice has had on him. I reached out to Chris afterwards and found that he would talk openly about his experience with burnout, how that led to him being signed off work, and what changes he has made to help him bounce back. Across the country, many of those who work in schools are struggling with their mental health. The latest Teacher Wellbeing Index from Education Support found, not surprisingly, that stress has increased over the course of this year, with 62% of education professionals describing themselves as stressed. The report also found an increase in symptoms of poor wellbeing such as difficulty concentrating, insomnia and tearfulness. And finally, just over half of those surveyed have considered leaving the profession because of pressures on their mental and physical health, with many of those citing workload as the main reason for this. So, it’s in this context that I think having conversations like the one I had with Chris are really important. Not only to reassure staff that they are not alone if they are struggling, but to offer some ideas of what has helped someone return to the