"You can't pour from an empty cup" is an old cliché. For a lot of teachers, it may feel like refilling from an empty well.
NSW teachers suffer burn out at twice the global average (Duggan, 2025), 60% of days off are due to mental or emotional problems, and teachers experience moderate-to-severe depression at four times the rate of the general population (Black Dog Institute, 2023).
The impact is huge, and the ripple is real - a recent study found that depressive symptoms and stress were "key predictors of teachers’ intentions to leave" (Arnold & Rahimi, 2025).
I appreciate that the biggest cause of poor mental wellbeing for teachers often lies in the system – workloads, deadlines, excessive administration, etc. I also appreciate that offering “wellbeing tips to empower the individual” in the context of huge workloads and a burned out school culture might even seem patronising.
However, there is scope for an individual to build their personal ‘resilience bank’. I encourage anyone, including and especially teachers, to focus on what I call the giant “LEAPS” (Little Effort, Awesome Payoffs) of mental health - simple, evidence-based tools that take very little time and yield big results:
SLEEP - The single most important habit for physical and mental health
Moments: In those moments where you cannot sleep, focus on the breath. This takes the mind "off itself" and helps with relaxation (Walker, 2025).
Minutes: Write down all the things that are stressing you out for 10-15 minutes a few hours before bed - one study showed those who did this feel asleep twice as fast (Walker, 2025).
Mornings: 5-10 minutes of morning sunlight viewing (when sunny) or 15-20 (when cloudy) resets the body clock (Huberman, 2022).
MOVEMENT - The most under-rated tool in mental health
Early: Fast walking for one lap of the school in the morning - 10 minutes of fast walking has been shown to improve mood, memory and focus for at least two hours (Suzuki, 2018).
Easeful: 10 minutes of exercise per day beats running 10km per day for a month then stopping.
Embedded: Stand-up desks, walk-and-talk meetings (think “shifting” instead of “adding”).
CONNECTION - The biggest predictor of emotional health and life satisfaction
Personal: Face-to-face connection (especially eye contact) fuels oxytocin, dopamine, serotonin and vasopressin (Santos, 2025). Aim to connect with friends and family both inside and outside of work.
Positive: Emotions are contagious – connect with positive people as much as you can.
Prosocial: Random acts of kindness are one of the quickest, high leverage actions you can take (American Psychiatric Association, 2023). Notes of encouragement on a colleague's desk, "paying it forward" at the canteen, the opportunities are endless.
MINDFULNESS - The best focus tool in our hyper-distracted age:
Meditation: Sit still, close the eyes, focus on the breath. When the mind wanders, bring it back to the breath. Research shows as little as three minutes per day can help (Harp, 2008).
Ventilation: Two breaths in through the nose, then one long exhale. Repeat if necessary (Huberman, 2022).
Observation: Write down 1-3 words describing how you’re currently feeling (AKA “name it to tame it”)
GRATITUDE - The smallest hinge that swings the biggest door
Thanking the world: Write down three things that went well in the past 24 hours (Seligman et al., 2005).
Thanking others: Give shout-outs to other staff for good things they’ve done
Thanking self: Write down three wins/goals you hit this week
(If this all seems overwhelming, my encouragement is pick one and try it for a week).
What’s happening “out there” - whether it’s time pressures, heavy workload, or difficult parents - may be outside your control. But with a few small tweaks, you can take back control of your inner world and wellbeing.
References
- American Psychiatric Association. (2023). The mental health benefits of simple acts of kindness. APA Blogs. 17th February. https://www.psychiatry.org/News-room/APA-Blogs/Mental-Health-Benefits-Simple-Acts-of-Kindness
- Arnold, B. & Rahimi, M. (2025). Teachers’ working conditions, wellbeing and retention: an exploratory analysis to identify the key factors associated with teachers’ intention to leave. The Australian Educational Researcher. 7th February. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13384-024-00794-1#citeas
- Black Dog Institute. (2023). Teacher mental health and burnout could halve workforce, new data by Black Dog Institute. 27th February. https://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au/media-releases/teacher-mental-health-and-burnout-could-halve-workforce-new-data-by-black-dog-institute/
- Duggan, S. (2025). 'It feels very tick-a-box’: what teachers really think about staff wellbeing initiatives. 1st April. https://educationhq.com/news/it-feels-very-tick-a-box-what-teachers-really-think-about-staff-wellbeing-initiatives-192104/
- Harp, D. (1999). The three minute meditator. Fine Communications.
- Huberman, A. (2022). Sleep toolkit: Tools for optimising sleep & sleep-wake timing. Huberman Lab. https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/sleep-toolkit-tools-for-optimizing-sleep-and-sleep-wake-timing?timestamp=1244
- Huberman, A. (2022a). Breathing techniques to reduce stress and anxiety. Tim Ferriss podcast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZKIupBUuc
- Santos, L. (2025). How to achieve true happiness using science-based protocols. Huberman Lab. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Phm-Alz1Zjo
- Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive Psychology Progress: Empirical Validation of Interventions. American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421.
- Suzuki, W. (2017). “The brain-changing benefits of exercise”. TED Talk. https://www.ted.com/talks/wendy_suzuki_the_brain_changing_benefits_of_exercise?referrer=playlist-how_can_we_keep_our_brains_healthy#t-399469
- The Educator. (2025a). New learning series explores teacher wellbeing. The Educator. 19th Feb. https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/new-learning-series-explores-teacher-wellbeing/286559
- Thorne, L. (2023). Teachers say poor mental health, excessive screen time, the biggest problems facing young people. ABC News. 18th Sept. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-09-18/mental-health-depression-anxiety-support-coming-for-schools/102831464
- Walker, M. (2025). How to fix your sleep & supercharge your life. Modern Wisdom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf_NTmu2uvg
Written by Nick Kenny. First published on LinkedIn.