RECOGNISING THE

SIGNS OF STRESS

Puthut J. Buntolo

QUESTION
How do you react if your attempts to
reduce work pressure are ineffective?

STAFF IN A SECONDARY
SCHOOL
1. I find sustained thought or concentration difficult.
2. I suppose I get worries and moan more to other
people.
3. I feel angry and frustrated.
4. Psoriasis.
5. Stomach knots up.
6. Sometimes irritable bowel syndrome.
7. Moodiness and irritability.

THE DEPUTY HEADS OF

PRIMARY SCHOOLS
1. I get short tempered, intolerant, tense and aggressive.
2. I find it difficult to listen to others problems or appreciate
their needs.
3. I become less effective in my job.
4. I am unable to break out of the downward spiral; even if I
know what I should do I cannot bring myself to do it.
5. I become withdrawn from what is going on around me.
6. I avoid people.

THE TEACHERS IN SCHOOL A

ADDED SOME SIGN OF STRESS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Long-term illness,
Increased probability of error,
Loss of memory
Irritable bowel syndrome.

THE TEACHER-RESEARCHER IN
SCHOOL A ALSO COMMENTED:
Many of my colleagues seem to find it comforting that
they were not the only ones suffering from a particular
stress-related ailment. Many of the respondents were
willing to relate that their reactions to stress were
increasing. Many told me that they had actually felt
under great stress over the last few years, especially
since the advent of the National Curriculum and its
associated demands. Many felt that their reactions to
stress were becoming more extreme.

THE TEACHERS IN SCHOOL C

ADDED THE SIGN OF STRESS:
1. Frustration,
2. Headaches
3. Hypersensitivity to criticism.

THE TEACHER-RESEARCHER
IN SCHOOL B COMMENTED:
I see in the staff room and in meetings irritability, poor
humor, moodiness, reluctance to make decisions, hectic
but seemingly purposeless activity, and inability to
concentrate. These I believe are all signs of stress.
Colleagues I know well admit to insomnia, taking time
off, domestic conflict, heavy drinking and/or smoking
and frequent use of tranquilizers. I would now suggest
that many of these are symptomatic of occupational
stress.

THE TEACHER-RESEARCHER IN SCHOOL C

COMMENTED ON INTERACTION BETWEEN
STRESS REACTIONS AND COPING
RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES

My perception of the school is of one with a high level of mutual support between
all grades of staff and this greatly reduces the potential stress from poorly
motivated, less able and disruptive pupils. The school culture also gives a
relatively high degree of control to staff, which gives them a feeling of control of
the situation and hence reduces stress. Also the school does not tend to jump on
bandwagons but weighs up the benefits to pupils before embarking upon change.
It would seem from the results of the survey on the stress reaction of staff that
middle managers are suffering
less stress than teaching or nonteaching staff. This could suggest that middle
managers have developed successful coping strategies for themselves but they
are not always helping their staff to do the same. Alternatively it could mean that
middle managers are less stressed because they have a relatively high degree of
control in a small institution and are not involved in the stronger hierarchical
system of a bigger school.

From these report stress symptoms from primary

and secondary teachers have indicated that
there is a significant discrepancy between
the pressures experienced by staff and
their coping resources and strategies. It is
necessary to reduce these pressures and
strengthen resources.

IDENTIFYING AND SHARING THE COPING

STRATEGIES AND RESOURCES TO REDUCE STRESS
The secondary teachers gave a number of detailed and wide-ranging reports of the actions
they took at school and at home. They are:
1. I set aside family time with my boys from 58pm before starting working etc. I try to
encourage my husband to join in functions to which I am required to go. He is in the school
choir and comes to some social occasions. I work late most nights, until midnight or later. I
make lists and cross things off to make myself feel good. I do crossword puzzles before I
go to sleep to "switch off" and then sleep like a log!
2. Often I take the initiative and try to change the system. Its a slow process, but it gives
me a feeling of being in control! Sometimes I take a walk at lunchtime with a friend, and
have a good moan!
3. I play sport or swim or walk up hills and try to avoid my husband winding me up. We go
abroad on holiday if we can manage it, as that is the only time I am not in contact with
school
4. I delegate where possible but all the members of my department are as busy as I am! I
have been to the head and told him that I could not cope with the job, which was
extremely effective. Communication and telling the truth are great reducers of tension

THE PRIMARY SCHOOL DEPUTY

HEADS IDENTIFIED SOME
STRATEGIES CONSIST OF 2
In school
CATEGORIES:
strategies as:
1. Completing a limited number of tasks.
2. Doing anything that can be done straight away, straight
away!.
3. Talking to colleagues who share my views of what is
important in the job.
4. Talking about the pressures with head and senior
management team.
5. Getting on with the job in hand.
6. Talking to headwe have a very good relationship.

Outside school
strategies as:

Relaxing baths, running, aromatherapy oils, reading

Agatha Christie, keeping fit, sport, doing something
completely different and unrelated to work, physical
activity, reading, making time for myself, having a calming
down time when I first get home, always taking Sunday off
and usually going for a walk or a pub lunch, switching off
at home, cutting grass in the garden, making time for my
family such as bathing my daughter, cutting off from
school with my young family in the evening, talking to
husband: all activities put problems into perspective, offload the problems of the day on to the family.

To reduce the harmful effects of stress, a wide range of skills, knowledge, techniques,
relationships, thoughts and activities have been identified by primary and secondary
teachers in the reports. The resources is classified as:
Personal resources

1. Prioritising.
2. Often I take the initiative and try to change the system.
3. Developing different styles of teaching to enable me to
cope with a continuous stretch of it.
4. Doing something completely different and unrelated to
work.

Interpersonal
resources

1. Cutting off from school with my young family in the

evening.
2. Sometimes taking a walk at lunchtime with a friend
and having a good moan!
Organizational
resources

1. Talking to colleagues who share my views of what is

important in the job.
2. Talking about the pressures with the head and senior
management team.

Community resources

1. Always taking Sunday off and usually going for a walk or a pub
lunch.
2. Having more sporting activities.
3. Walking up hills!
Primary and secondary teachers found that personal or interpersonal resources and
strategies appear more often than organizational. The teacherresearcher in school
C wrote about the value of staff support:

My perception of the school is of one with a high level of mutual

support
between all grades of staff and this greatly reduces the potential
stress from
poorly motivated, less able and disruptive pupils.

DEVELOPING PERSONAL AND WHOLE

SCHOOL STRESS MANAGEMENT
PROGRAMMES AND POLICIES
Personal/Interpersonal
Strategies

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Relaxation,
Exercise
Cognitive Restructuring
Visualization
Assertiveness Training
Time Management.

Identificatio
n:

1. Review the coping strategies checklist from Schools A,

B and C (table 10.2)
Used to identify the major work pressures on teaching and
non-teaching staff and the recognition of the signs of stress.
2. Strengthen the organizational resources.

WHAT ARE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR REDUCING

STRESS IN SCHOOL FOR YOU AND YOUR
COLLEAGUES?

1. More awareness from the executive of what is happening on the ground would
save a tremendous amount of frustration and therefore stress.
2. The management team should plan ahead and attempt to avoid late decisions
which mess up our teaching programme.
3. Meetings should be more effective and there should be a fortnightly staff
newsletter to replace the present method of communication at staff meetings.
4. Have a selection process which ensures a better fit between person and job.
5. More money should be invested in training so as to develop more confidence in
the job.
6. Team-work, which provides group support, should be encouraged.
7. Teachers roles should be reviewed to minimise confusion, conflict and
overload.

TRAINING FOR MIDDLE

MANAGEMENT:
1. Organisations should actively encourage the
setting up of support groups.
2. All staff should receive training on stress
management techniques and on identifying stress
causes and reactions.
3. The training advocated should be part of a staff
development INSET programme and should follow
a stress audit of teams and the whole school.


RECOMMENDATION FOR SUPPORT STAFF:

1. Access to the staffroom and its facilities;

2. Representation on the governing body;
3. Consultation about matters in which they have an
interestfor example, a whole-school no-smoking
policy;
4. Regular meetings.