Positive thinking

Mary Thornton, University of Hertfordshire Teachers have a lot to put up with at the moment in terms of workload and stress. But what may come as a surprise to some is that, just like in the playground, bullying can be a big problem in the teaching world. Research shows that when a teacher is being bullied, the bully is often (but not always) the headteacher – who is increasingly stressed and can sometimes take out their worries about Ofsted inspections on their staff. And with this in mind, Dr Pat Bricheno and I recently studied the experiences of 39 bullied teachers in the UK. All became ill as a result of being bullied – mostly with anxiety, stress and depression. The symptoms they described included palpitations, shaking uncontrollably, crying a lot, drinking too much, raised blood pressure, and taking multiple medications. We also heard about teachers who were getting so upset they were crying in their cupboards, while still on the job. This was due to an atmospher...

Michael Smith, Northumbria University, Newcastle   Writing about positive emotions may help to reduce stress and anxiety, according to our new study , published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. Earlier research has also found that writing about negative emotions – getting things “off your chest” – can improve your mental health . And it seems to benefit physical health, too. Stress affects your physical health, so it is thought that improvements in mental well-being might stop people becoming physically unwell. Research has shown that writing about negative emotions can lead to fewer visits to the doctor , fewer self-reported symptoms of ill health , and less time off work due to ill health . Not many studies have investigated writing about positive emotions, but if writing about negative emotions helps people deal with their negative thoughts and feelings, then it’s possible that focusing on positive emotions might have a positive effect on people’s me...

Michael J.Porter, University of Central Lancashire   Stress is great. It makes us faster, stronger, more agile and our brains have better recall and flexibility. That’s why people are willing to put themselves in stressful work situations or engage in extreme sports . The problem is that uncontrolled, stress can leave us frozen to the spot and unable to think – something all too familiar for people having to speak in public or students sitting in the exam hall. Stress developed because it gives an evolutionary advantage . For early man, and with predators everywhere, food could be scarce and diseases prevalent. By understanding what is happening inside our bodies and why, we can learn to control stress and use it our advantage. Your body, when stressed When you’re feeling stressed, it’s a sign that your body is going into emergency mode. The turbo button is pressed, the engine of your body has roared into overdrive and you become superhuman. This means becoming u...

Noortje Uphoff, University of York Poverty remains a widespread problem. In the UK, 30% of children are growing up in poverty. More than half of these children are in working households , and poverty is on the rise even for children whose parents work in government-funded jobs . According to new research from the University of Geneva, these children may be at risk of poorer health in adulthood – even if they escape poverty later in life. This suggests that childhood adversity doesn’t just affect our choices, but also directly compromises the biological ability of our bodies to stay healthy. Our childhood affects our health across the course of our lives. Stress, it seems, is a major contributor. While a life lived with financial, educational and social security and stability may not be free of worries, a disadvantaged childhood means more exposure to a number of difficult circumstances and events . These may include social tensions, domestic abuse, neglect, food and ...