Articles
How Preschool Educators Can Manage Stress & Build Resilience from Within
They say you can’t pour from an empty cup. By extension, early childhood educators can’t raise happy children if they aren’t happy themselves. This isn’t just a cliched old saying. Research has found that stressed educators tend to exhibit less empathy and have their teaching performance inhibited (Cann, 2020). Conversely, passion and creativity rises in tandem when educators experience elevated levels of wellbeing (Turner, 2019).
In this article, NIEC Deputy Director (Academic) Dr Kok Siat Yeow shares three practical strategies that preschool educators can implement immediately to create a healthier learning environment for both themselves and their students.
While support systems matter, it’s equally important to look within and grow strength from the inside out.
– Dr Kok Siat Yeow, ExCEL@NIEC Deputy Academic Director
Why self-care isn’t optional for preschool educators
Beyond just ‘coping’, which implies tolerating unpleasant circumstances, true wellbeing allows one to experience more positive emotions than negative ones on a consistent basis. This not only helps an educator to function well in the classroom, but also as a parent, spouse, friend, and family member.
Today, preschool educators are supported through available digital resources such as mindline@work for stress management and counselling, Development Days for team building, and the removal of mandatory Saturday operations for work-life balance.
However, it’s important to note that policy can only do so much. Inner work still has to be done in order to achieve and maintain true wellbeing.
Stress management tips for preschool educators
Strategy 1: Reframe your internal narrative
Every event can be framed in two different ways. For example, a colleague walking past without greeting can be interpreted as:
- “They don’t like me” OR
- “They’ve got a lot on their plate today”
Putting aside the reality of the situation, our interpretation is often what produces the emotion, not the event itself. Negative framing often leads to extreme outcomes that can be mentally draining:
- Black-and-white thinking — everything is either a triumph or a disaster, with no middle ground (“My principal never appreciates me — no point working so hard.”)
- Unrealistic expectations — holding yourself and others to a rigid “should,” and feeling let down when reality doesn’t measure up
- Personalisation — assuming everything that goes wrong is somehow about you, even when there’s little evidence for it
The solution isn’t to suppress how we feel, but to understand the underlying thought process. Naming the thought is often the first step to loosening a negative emotion’s grip. From there, you can start crafting a different story and setting clear intentions for how you wish to show up instead.
Tip: The next time you catch yourself having a strong emotional reaction, try asking yourself: What was the first thing that went through my mind? What memories does this stir up? What am I actually worried will happen next?
Strategy 2: Be in tune with your body
Bodily awareness through techniques such as deep breathing are often dismissed despite being the most effective. The best part about these techniques is that they can be done at nearly any time of day without special preparation or equipment.
For example, the simple act of placing a hand gently over the left chest and breathing with intention has been shown to release oxytocin; a hormone associated with feelings of safety and trust. In fact, breathing techniques become more effective as your body becomes familiar with the patterns. Practising this during moments of calm allows you to take a step back from reacting during high-tension situations.
Strategy 3: Lean into your community
Internal work doesn’t necessarily have to be done alone. Seeking out individuals who are willing to hold a safe space to listen to your frustrations, or simply believing in your ability to overcome challenges can go a long way in not only carrying you through the toughest weeks, but enhance one’s wellbeing. Of course, this self-reinforcing cycle can only be established if we are willing to give back to one another. But when we do, magic happens.
Tip: Take a moment to think back to when a colleague has helped you through a difficult stretch. How did you feel? Would you be able to offer the same support to someone else on your team when they need it?
Master self-care and mental health with sustainable habits
Taking care of one’s mental health isn’t about rewriting one’s personality, but building small, sustainable habits that strengthen the emotional muscles required to shoulder the weight of early childhood duties.
If you’re looking to build on these habits with more structured guidance, NIEC’s Personal Mastery CPD courses — such as Personal Mastery: Learning as Self-Leadership — go deeper into these areas, and clock your CPD hours. You can browse the full range of CPD courses for in-service educators to find what fits your development plan this year.
INTRODUCING OUR FACULTY
Dr Kok Siat Yeow is Deputy Academic Director at ExCEL@NIEC, with over 15 years of teaching, supervisory, and administrative experience as a childcare teacher and centre supervisor. She holds a Doctorate in Education, completed in 2011, with a thesis on developing cognitive functions and enhancing learning effectiveness in preschool children. Dr Kok currently oversees the Advanced Diploma in Early Childhood Leadership (ADECL) for early childhood leaders, and her areas of specialization includes Personal Mastery, Mentoring and Leadership.
References
Cann, R. (2020). The importance of teacher wellbeing. The Education Hub. https://theeducationhub.org.nz/the-importance-of-teacher-wellbeing/
Turner, K. (2019). Teacher wellbeing: Its effects on teaching practice and student learning. Issues in Educational Research, 29(3), 938–952. https://www.iier.org.au/iier29/turner2.pdf