Why I wanted to be a healthier teacher!

I have been trying to live a healthier lifestyle for a few months now. So you have a better idea of what I am going to expose let me tell you a little bit about my health issues as a teacher.

Everyone in the World acknowledges teaching as one of the highest stress jobs. As teachers we are expected to do numerous things and on top of it attend to our students and lessons. We are constantly exposed to illnesses and stress. My health issues got worse since a started teaching. My first two years as a teacher were very hard on my health. I was constantly absent because I either had to go to a doctor (generalists, urologists, gastroenterologist, obgyn) you name it I had to go to it. After a while I got better but whenever stress raised up again I will start getting sick. I was not sleeping enough, skipping meals or eating junk. This reflected in my teaching why? I did not have enough energy, I had to be absent a lot, I was cranky and I did not have the strength to plan good lessons plus my tolerance was lower.

When I moved to Texas a few months ago a familiar illness pattern started to appear. It was a new experience all the way, new education system, alternative certification program and newly wed! Plus allergies came to a start which I never had! I used all my sick and personal day on the first semester and off course parents started to complain and I do not blame them but at the same time my health is important. In all of it I started to get a little depressed and overwhelmed, so I had to do something about it.

I went to a doctor and he explain that I was under lots of stress and my immune system was not responding well. He recommended a low dose anti depressant, workout, vitamins and healthier eating. In my head I was like what???? I do not have time for none of that! But I had to, so I accepted the anti-depressant as something short term and it actually helped. I was more focused and not so worried as I was before so I could actually started to have better night sleep. I organized my schedule so I could try and get at least a 7 to 8 hour sleep. Just by doing that I notice more energy during the day and a better mood. To that I added workouts, a very healthy shake as breakfast which I usually skipped and a healthier meal planning.
I saw the difference right away and my students and co-workers too. I only do a 30 minute (21dayfix) workout after I get home and it makes me have more energy to finish all the school work or other chores that I have left for the day. This helps me relax and throw all the frustration or stress that the day has put on me. The shakeology helps out greatly with all the vitamins, minerals that I am doing has 70 super nutrition ingredients which boost your digestive and immune system and lots of vitamins, mineral and proteins.

In conclusion what I want to stress out is that our job is very stressful and it exposes ourselves to many illnesses. Do research about it, I have and all coincide in the same things and that is that we need to take care of ourselves and look for healthy ways to deal with all that stress. As much as our students need intention teaching, aligned lesson plans and engaging lessons, they also need their teachers in the classroom, healthy teachers for that matter. We are there role models for our students and for that we need to model that being healthy is a very important part of being successful and a great person. If you need help in this area, motivation or some info please let me know. I want to help teacher become healthier teacher. I host a facebook group where we encourage and motivate each other to achieve this important goal. Hope this help and stay healthy!