Why Our Modern Lifestyle Is affecting our Mental Fitness.
As educators, we are experts at caring for others. We plan, we nurture, and we give our all to our students. But today, I want to talk about something we often overlook: the science of why our own mental fitness can feel so low.
We’ve all been there, feeling disappointed, exhausted, or perpetually on the edge of burnout. While we often blame the marking pile or the curriculum changes, the truth is that our modern lifestyle is a setup for sickness. It is strange that we haven’t yet classified our global levels of anxiety and burnout as a public health crisis. We’ve normalised these feelings as "just part of the job," but we are unintentionally sinking our own life rafts, not through how we think, but through how we live.
The Physical Roots of Mental Fitness
The core message I want to emphasise is this: Mental fitness and physical health are one unit. They are two sides of the same coin. In the teaching profession, we tend to live in our heads, but our emotional well-being is anchored in five "Core Actions" we take every day.
These aren't just "habits" like biting your nails; these are the fundamental pillars of your life: Food, Movement, Sleep, Technology, and Substances.
1. The Sugar Rollercoaster
In the staffroom, it’s easy to reach for a biscuit or a sugary coffee for a quick energy boost. However, sugar is a primary "low mood culprit." It feeds bad gut bacteria, crowding out the healthy bacteria responsible for making neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, the chemicals we need for emotional stability.
Constant sugar spikes lead to low-grade inflammation that eventually hits the brain. Researchers have even suggested that some forms of depression are actually metabolic issues. When our blood sugar crashes, we don’t just feel "hangry", we feel anxious and irritable.
2. The Sedentary Trap
Teaching involves a lot of standing, but it also involves hours of sedentary work: grading, planning, and admin. When we sit for hours, we slow the blood flow and oxygenation to our brains. Moving our bodies is "nature’s antidepressant". It helps the brain create new neurones and rewires our pathways to help us stay balanced in the face of a stressful classroom environment.
3. The Digital Drain
Between interactive whiteboards, computers, and personal phones, many of us spend up to 12 hours a day staring at screens. This triggers a constant, low-grade "fight or flight" response. It interferes with our sleep and isolation; even when we are "connected" online, we are often disconnected from the communities that actually strengthen our self-esteem.
4. The "Brain Wash" (Sleep)
We often sacrifice sleep to finish a lesson plan, but sleep is when your brain literally "takes out the rubbish." At night, your brain cleans out metabolic waste. Without 7–9 hours of quality sleep, you are left in "metabolic disarray", making you more vulnerable to poor decision-making and emotional instability the next day.
5. Coping Mechanisms
Finally, there is the use of alcohol or other substances to help you "wind down." While a glass of wine after a hard day is common, alcohol is a proven depressant. It interferes with your resting heart rate and prevents deep, restorative sleep. It might help you fall asleep, but it ensures you wake up feeling unrefreshed and less capable of handling the next day's stress.
Self-Evaluation: Are You Self-Sabotaging?
It’s time for a quick "start of the year assessment" of your own well-being. Grab a piece of paper or open a note on your phone. Don't overthink—just answer with Never, Sometimes, Mostly, or Always.
Refined Foods: I eat pasta, bread, crisps, biscuits, or sugary drinks (including "healthy" packaged snacks) every day or every other day.
Activity: I am sedentary (no dedicated exercise or movement) most days of the week.
Sleep: I get less than seven hours of restful, unaided sleep.
Screens: I spend at least five hours a day looking at a computer or phone screen.
Substances: I drink alcohol or use other substances more days than I don't (4+ days a week).
Stress: I feel stressed on a daily basis.
Recovery: I purposefully exercise, meditate, read, or spend time in nature to feel good.
Support: I feel supported by my friends, family, or colleagues.
Moving Forward
There are no "right" or "wrong" answers here, only data. Look at your responses: which of these core actions is having the greatest impact on your mood?
We cannot always change the demands of the education system, but we can change how we equip our bodies to handle them. When we prioritise our physical biology, our mental resilience follows. You got this!
