Phase

Key message/ Key Findings

Communicate 1

Why is it important to identify and acknowledge stress?

Firstly, you need to know that a moderate amount of stress
achieve increased
is needed to make you excited in your life, motivates and improves
knowledge about
your work performance. It is when moderate becomes excessive,
mh and its effects
over prolonged periods of time (from eustress to distress)
on productivity
(graphic: can we parallel it with eating? like spreading too much
kaya on my bread)
RUSSELL
Need to identify stress so that you can categorise them;
those that will have great impact, and those that are not that
significant
If we dont know how to identify and acknowledge it, it
begins to creep into our life and a stressful work becomes the
norm
It is a corporate responsibility as much as an individual one
Need to know that not all stress are harmful; helpful stress
are called eustress, they serve as a motivator to help us excel
and perform our best in our new job position (for beginning
teachers)
What are the common stressors in your workplace?
Teachers bring work home daily no time to finish at work
Responsible to the students, parents, school
administration/board
Conflict between amount of time to teach and curriculum
No proper immediate platforms for teachers to destress
High level of stress can lead to:
Lack of concentration/ability to think rationally
Easily distracted
Absenteeism
Less enthusiasm (or less passion) => link to our video
Communicate 2
=> communicate
our campaign
I read from a
campaigns guide
book that we
cannot keep
communicating
the issue/the big
picture. It is
important to sell
your campaign
instead.
Alternatively, you

Transforming mental well-being at work, one conversation at a time.

When your blood boils: Instead of curbing inside yourself or become highly
irritable, heres a simple solution: Talk to your co-workers.
What is mental well-being in the workplace?
=> a feeling of balance, satisfaction and effectiveness in the work
environment.
Support from colleagues can literally keep blood pressure down. Stressors like
work performance and work-life balance (from our previous infographic) can lead
to decreased work efficacy (previous infographic) and in some extreme cases,
the development of poor mental health conditions.
Nip in the bud
Whether it is the fear or awkwardness about talking to our co-workers about their

Source
Swich, Kevin and
Patricia Hanley,
Stress and the
Classroom Teacher.
Washington,
D.C.: National
Education
Association, 1980.
Joseph, Russell.
Stress Free
Teaching, A Practical
Guide to Tackling
Stress in
Teaching, Lecturing
and Tutoring.
London: Kogan
Page Limited, 2000.
http://www.hpb.gov.s
g/HOPPortal/healtharticle/266
http://www.skillsyoun
eed.com/ps/workpla
ce-stress.html

http://www.webmd.com/bala
nce/news/20030414/worksupport-helps-heart

http://www.managersgestionnaires.gc.ca/eng/me
ntal-health-guideworkplace#Conversation

can create a
critical path for
your TA to be
hooked.
RUSSELL

mental well-being or talking about our own mental well-being, reluctance to talk
about mental well-being is not good for anyone.
Work stress is sometimes exacerbated by the lack of outlets where teachers can
relieve their emotions. This is due to the back to back schedule and a lack of
practice; conversations with our co-workers. Talking about mental well-being in
the workplace can strengthen relationships, aid management of stressors, break
stereotypes and take the taboo out of something that affects us all.
Mental Well-being at work, a shared responsibility [insert picture of one fish
swimming in one direction, and the rest in another to highlight that this whole
campaign must be a joint effort]
Healthy workplace cannot be achieved by one single teacher. Crowdsource
resources. Fact: You dont have to be a mental health expert to talk about mental
well-being. Your co-workers can provide an immediate and hassle-free support
which can be more effective than seeing your counsellor or psychiatrist.

Educate 1
(Resilience)

The Hardy Teacher

What is Hardiness and why do you need it?

Encourage
positive attitudes
towards talking
about mental
wellbeing

Hardiness consists of commitment (vs. alienation), control (vs.

powerlessness), and challenge (vs. threat). Persons high in hardiness
involve themselves in whatever they are doing (commitment), believe and
act as if they can influence the events forming their lives (control), and
consider change to be not only normal but also a stimulus to development
(challenge).
Active coping: Increased level of hardiness is able to protect your health
in stressful events. It is a protective factor against undesirable mental
health outcomes.
An hardy individual is one who views events that could be potentially
stressful as meaningful and interesting (commitment), sees oneself as
capable of changing stressful events (control) and see changes as
opportunities for growth (challenge).
Understand what is external source of resiliency (social support, hence
the need for conversations) and what is internal source of resiliency
(hardiness, hence, refer to our top 3 tips below)
Findings:
i) Hardiness and social support can buffer the effects of stress on
depression
ii) In particular, one component of hardiness, commitment, is shown to
moderate the relationship between stress and depression.
iii) Implication the need for self-help support networks & group therapy
in workplace as a preventive measure to mental health problem.

i) Hardiness and
Social Support as
Moderators of
Stress. Pengilly,
J.W., & Dowd, E.T.,
2000
ii) Type A and
Hardiness. Suzanne
C. Kobasa,
Salvatore R. Maddi,
and Marc A. Zola
iii) Hardiness and its
role in the stress
burnout relationship
among prospective
Chinese teachers in
Hong Kong
David W. Chan*
iv)
http://www.psychaliv
e.org/webinarresourcespsychologicalhardiness-keyresilience-stress/

Ways you can become a Hardy individual

1) Make a To-Do list to pace out what you hope to achieve and not to
indicate what you have to complete
2) Take Action: solve a problem rather than letting yourself get paralyzed
by negativity. Own the problem, stay involved in the circumstances.
3) Stay Connected: have at least one or two people at work who you can
turn to for support. Build socially supportive interactions at work.
4) Release Tension: Talk to a friend at work to express your emotions and
let go of tension
5) Avoid being self-indulgent; dont say things like Its hard being a
teacher these days
6) Address the problem head-on; focus on solving the problem instead of
procrastinating it
7) Keep believing; know that you can have an influence over the
outcomes

Educate 2
Emotional
Intelligence
(more internal)

How to mentally prepare for a new school year?

A couple of weeks before the new term
Do a bit of work; Preparation. It allows you to feel in control
and you are likely to panic less when the term begins
Rehearse saying No- Lets admit it, it is hard to reject
requests from co-workers or our supervisor. Practising say No in
such challenging situations can come in handy when it actually
happens
Ask yourself how you feel; talk about your mental wellbeing. It is perfectly okay to feel dread, fear or even frustration.
You need to acknowledge these emotions before you can tackle
them.
First week of the term:
Create a division between Home and Work
Worry at set times in the day- designated worry times
Some goals for 2015 Academic year
Enhancing your Emotional intelligence involves:
A. Controlling and managing overwhelming stress
Will you quickly reduce stress in the moment in a variety of
settings? (i.e. Try the Count to 10 technique, buy a wind chime)
The ability to recognize your emotions and keep them from
overwhelming you (i.e. Looking out for signals when you are in
distress, did you clench your fist/jaw? did your heart pound
faster?) More often than not, identifying these signals can help you
manage and control your emotions more effectively.

http://www.theguardi
an.com/teachernetwork/teacherblog/2014/aug/20/te
acher-wellbeinghow-to-prepare-fornew-school-year
http://www.helpguide
.org/articles/emotion
al-health/emotionalintelligence-eq.htm

B. Improve communication
Will you connect emotionally with others by using
nonverbal communication? (i.e. Make eye contact with your coworkers, Give your co-worker a pat on their back when you ask
them how are they, smile at your co-workers)
Will you use humor and play to stay connected in
challenging situations? (i.e. develop playful communication)

Try setting aside regular, quality playtime. The more you joke,

play, and laughthe easier it becomes.

Find enjoyable activities that loosen you up and help you
embrace your playful nature.
Practice by playing with animals, babies, young children, and
outgoing people who appreciate playful banter

Will you resolve conflicts positively and with confidence?

(i.e. Write down in your journal when you have an argument with a
co-worker, review it 1 week later, choose your arguments, not all
conflict is worth arguing)

Educate 3
social intelligence

YY

Social intelligence is the ability to connect with others to build

trusting and meaningful relationships.
Taking time and effort to listen to and understand your colleagues
perspectives will help build a strong social network to rely on for
support when the school term gets hectic.
Six ways to develop your social intelligence
1) Create rapport (infographic to be similar to the avoid
saying one russell did, showing good and bad examples)
a) Show interest but be polite
b) Listen actively
c) Empathise
2) Be clear
3) Think before you speak or act

http://www.hpb.gov.s
g/HOPPortal/content
/conn/HOPUCM/pat
h/Contribution
%20Folders/uploade
dFiles/HPB_Online/
Health_Topics/Ment
al_Health/Adult_me
ntal_wellbeing/social
-intelligence.pdf
http://peersforprogre
ss.org/learn-aboutpeersupport/sciencebehind-peersupport/

4)
5)
6)
7)

Be authentic
Be open-minded
Understand the context

Build up your emotional resilience and the best way to

build resilience and avoid stress is to get support from others. Go
beyond facebook chats, ask your colleagues out for a cup of tea at
Tiong Bahru Bakery to prep yourself for the new year
8)
9) Find a colleague you can talk to- Spend an hour each
week with someone you can talk through work-related issues with.
Ideally this colleague should be of equal status to avoid an
imbalance of power. You want the person you meet with to be able
to understand the problems you face so it is better if they do
similar work. Get together with them regularly to talk, focusing on
solutions to problems rather than just dwelling on the problems
themselves. You can easily get trapped in a paralysis when you
think things are awful and there is nothing you can do.

Benefits of good social intelligence

Social support leads to:
1. Improved well-being
2. Decrease stress & burnout
3. More job satisfaction
Overall, studies have found that social support:

decreases morbidity and mortality rates

increases life expectancy

increases knowledge of a disease

improves self-efficacy

improves self-reported health status and self-care

skills, including medication adherence

reduces use of emergency services

Additionally, providers of social support report less depression,
heightened self-esteem and self-efficacy, and improved quality of life.

(Sundin, Hochwalder, Bildt, & Lisspers, 2007).

Educate 4
Self esteem
RUSSELL

Do you know what are cognitive distortions?

=> refer to ways that our minds convince us that something that isnt really
true. Such inaccurate mindset often set the stage for negative thoughts
and emotions.

http://www.mind.org.
uk/informationsupport/types-ofmental-health-

Three things to avoid:

Polarized thinking
=> If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total
failure.
Overgeneralization
=> If something bad happens only once, we expect it to happen over and
over again. A person may see a single, unpleasant event as part of a
never-ending pattern of defeat.
Filtering
=> occurs when we focus on the negative aspects of a situation by
magnifying their severity and completely ignoring the positive aspects.
One picks out a unpleasant detail and dwell on it so much that his/her
reality darkens

problems/selfesteem/consequenc
es-of-low-selfesteem/#.VG4nP9Y
qY0M
http://psychcentral.c
om/lib/15-commoncognitivedistortions/0002153

Low self-esteem and poor mental well-being are often related to one
another. Negative thinking patterns associated with low self-esteem, such
as doubting your own abilities as a teacher, can develop over time and
lead to mental health problems such as depression or anxiety.
Conversely, poor mental well-being can affect your effectiveness in
school, such as a loss of concentration when teaching classes. This can
have a negative impact on the way you perceive yourself.
To stop this cycle from perpetuating, here are some tips for you to build
your self-esteem:

Educate 5
Prerequisite to
having cognitive
efficacy is good
night rest. Since
our activity for
that week already
teaches about
cognitive efficacy,
infographic can
supplement it
YY

Do something you enjoy

Try to build positive relationships
Learn to be assertive
Look after your physical health
Set yourself a challenge
Learn to identify and challenge negative beliefs
Focus on positive things
Try mindfulness techniques

A hards day rest

A good night sleep is needed to:
1) Improve cognitive functions, which include thinking,
concentrating, learning and reasoning
2) According to the World Health Organisation, 52% of people who
have a sleep problem also have a defined mental health problem and
54% of people who had a sleep problem also had a physical health
problem.
Going to bed with your work:
A vicious cycle:
Bring work home -> stress and frustration that accompanies work is brought
home -> poor sleep quality -> lessen cognitive efficacy -> cognitive functions
decreases -> cannot finish task -> Bring work home

http://time.com/3183
183/you-askedwhats-the-idealtime-to-go-to-sleep/
http://www.hpb.gov.s
g/HOPPortal/content
/conn/HOPUCM/pat
h/Contribution
%20Folders/uploade
dFiles/HPB_Online/
Educational_Materia
ls/sleep.pdf

Did you know? (choose any one to put onto infographic_

1) Sleep quality decreases the later you sleep
2) Deep, non-rapid eye movement sleep (the more restorative one)
occurs in the early part of the night.
3) Towards daybreak, one will experience more of the Rapid Eye
movement sleep (the dream-infused one).
4) The catch is that, the transition between the restorative sleep to
the dream-infused one occurs between 8pm to 12 midnight, so the earlier
you sleep, the more restorative rest you will get (differs from person to
person)
5) Another important thing to note is that, if you are waking up at
6.30am in the weekday, catch up with an extra hour of rest during the
weekends. DO NOT deviate too much from your normal waking hour as
that will disrupt your sleep rhythms and make bedtime very challenging.

Going To Bed with

Your Work: Head
Teachers Burnout
and Sleep Quality
http://www.howdidyo
usleep.org/aboutthis-campaign/

Good sleep doesnt just mean just mean 8 hours of sleep - the amount that
each person needs is different. The important thing is that you get good quality
sleep.
1) Keep your bedroom only for sleep so that it is a place associated
with sleep. Keep distractors away- television, laptop
2) Limit vigorous physical activity before bed- avoid your last minute
push ups and crunches. Instead, do them in the morning to boost your
adrenaline level

3) Establish a relaxing routine before bedtime. This may involve

having a hot bath, listening to soothing music, or reading a book. Marking
or creating your powerpoint slides should be avoided.
4) Worry less, dont think about what you need to do the next day.
When lying on bed, make a conscientious effort to rest your mind.

Educate 6
Positive selfesteem
YY

Yes I can - 5 Things to tell yourself from the moment you step out from home ->
school -> Home
Morning: Care about your appearance, Am I dressing my best so that I can bring
positive vibes to my students and colleagues?
When you look good, you feel better. Start the day right by doing
some stretching, push ups or have a good breakfast. Step out of your
house feeling like a million dollarS.
Arrive at School: Keep on keeping on proficient at something, in your case,
thats teaching.
Many years down the road, we promise youll be able to see the
hearts that youve touched.
First Lesson: Dont look outward for affirmation, a healthy self-esteem is a
measure of how worthy you think you are.
Receiving feedback is good, but use them constructively and not
to validate your performance.

http://liveboldandblo
om.com/11/relations
hips/50-things-youcan-do-to-improveyour-self-esteem

Mid-day: Help freely, Have I offered someone help today?

When you stop perceiving yourself as an individual, but as being
part of a network of teachers in your workplace, you will begin to
experience your self-worth and self-esteem at a brand new dimension.
Before you end Work: Practice gratitude, Have I said thank you to a colleague
who offered help to me?
Be grateful for any help that was rendered to you, write them
encouraging words and pass the act forward.
Before you head to bed: Read something inspirational, Read books and articles
that uplift you and make you feel positive. Stay away from negative television
programs, web sites, advertising or anything that reinforces a poor self-image.

Educate 7
How to offer
assistance to
colleagues who
are experiencing
suboptimal
mental health
V

Upon realising that your fellow teacher has been displaying signs of suboptimal
mental well-being in the staffroom, it is only normal for you to feel hesitant and
uncertain of how to approach him. However, you do not have to be a certified
mental health practitioner to offer assistance. Heres how you can do so:
1. Explore the situation
Start a conversation by first sharing your observations of how he is acting
differently and showing your concern. Refrain from making any judgments or
conclusions. Instead, encourage him or her to tell you more about what he is
experiencing. Rather than advise him on what he should do, you should ask if
there is anything you can help him with. This is to avoid possibly giving the wrong
advice without understanding the full picture.

https://www.workpla
cestrategiesforment
alhealth.com/pdf/Hel
ping_troubled_cowo
rkers.pdf

2. Encouraging action
Help him maintain good relationships with the other teachers and his students in
school during the low periods. He may feel overwhelmed by the number of tasks
or problems at hand. Remind him to focus on handling one issue at a time and
offer assistance whenever necessary. Working for excessive hours in the
staffroom may not be healthy nor productive, and you should encourage him to
go on short breaks with you to catch a breather.
3. Seeking additional help
Aside from the support you have been giving, he may require more specialised
and professional help. You should direct him to any resources the school might
have, such as iCare counselling, as well as inform him of how he can also talk to
his General Practitioner about his condition.

Educate 8

5 ways you can think differently this academic year!

I think, therefore I am. Ren Descartes
Air: Raise questions
Constantly create questions to clarify and extend your
understanding. Whats the real question?
Water: Follow the flow of ideas
Look back to see where ideas came from and then look
ahead to discover where those ideas may lead.
Fire: Make Mistakes

right.

Intentionally get it wrong to inevitably get it even more

Earth: Understanding deeply, by grounding your thinking

Dont face complex issues head- on, first understand
simple ideas deeply. Clear the clutter and expose what is really

The 5 elements of
effective thinking
http://press.princeto
n.edu/class_use/cou
rses/burger/s9810.p
df

important.

Quintessential : Change
The unchanging element is change- by mastering the first
4 elements, you can change the way you think and learn. Change
is the universal constant that allows you to get the most of of your
career and life.

Initiate 1
(use the
Conversation
model introduced
by benjamin)
Achieve
behavioural
intentions by
providing
opportunities
by
providing tips on
how to start and
create
opportunities
Present in a
coupon
form/stickers

Tips for talking

1) Talk, but listen too. Simply being there will mean a lot.
2) Keep in touch: meetup, phone, email or text.
3) Dont just talk about mental health, talk about
everyday things as well
4) Remind them you care: small things make a big
difference
5) Be patient: ups and downs can happen.
Other tips
Take the lead: If you know someone has been unwell, dont be
afraid to ask how they are. They might want to talk about it, they
might not. But just letting them know they dont have to avoid the
issue with you is helpful.
Avoid clichs: Phrases like Cheer up, Im sure itll pass and Pull
yourself together wont help. Try to be open minded and nonjudgemental. You won't always understand what's going on for the
other person, but lending an ear is the important part.

Think about body language: Try to be relaxed and open. It

probably goes without saying that a gaping mouth, regular clock

http://www.time-tochange.org.uk/talk
-about-mentalhealth/tips
Should consider
TTCs campaign
style:
testimonials/videos
to convey the
messages.

watching or looking uncomfortable wont go unnoticed.

Ask how you can help: People will want support at different times
in different ways, so ask how you can help.
Dont just talk about mental health: Keep in mind that having a
mental health problem is just one part of the person. People don't
want to be defined by their mental health problem so keep talking
about the things you always talked about. Just spending time with
the person lets them know you care and can help you understand
what they're going through.
Dont avoid the issue: If someone comes to you to talk, try not to
brush them off. Asking for support can be a hard step to take.
Give them time: Some people might prefer a text or email rather
than talking on the phone or face to face. This means they can get
back to you when they feel ready. Whats important is that they
know youll be there when theyre ready to get in touch. What about
sending an e-card?
Find out more: If you think you might feel awkward or
uncomfortable, you could find out more aboutmental illness. If you
think it would help, you could also find about other help thats
available.
Initiate 2
(some
conversations are
scary, some are
not example)

Change to coupons? Consider chains (e.g. yakun, toastbox, check

out friend modes partners) /places in the west for sponsors as the
location is more likely to be convenient.

http://www.mayocli
nic.org/healthyliving/stressmanagement/in1. Coffees On Me (increase social intelligence)
depth/sociala. Hi ____! Its been a while Lets grab a
support/artcuppa at <place/sponsor?> on <date><time>. Cheers, 20044445?pg=2
<name>
2. Cheer up
a. Hi <name> It looks like its been tough
on you this week, heres a coupon for a <e.g.

cupcake/sponsor promo/offer>! Let me know if I can

help! Cheers, <name>
Manage your mental wellbeing
Stay in touch. Answering phone calls, returning
emails and reciprocating invitations let people know you
care.
Don't compete. Be happy instead of jealous when
your friends succeed, and they'll celebrate your
accomplishments in return.
Be a good listener. Find out what's important to your
friends you might find you have even more in common
than you think.
Don't overdo it. In your zeal to extend your social
network, be careful not to overwhelm friends and family with
phone calls and emails. Save those high-demand times for
when you really need them. And while sharing is important,
be wary of "oversharing" information that's personal or
sensitive, especially with new or casual acquaintances and
on social networking sites.
Appreciate your friends and family. Take time to
say thank you and express how important they are to you.
Be there for them when they need support.