Teachers in Transition: Career Change and Real Talk for Burned-Out Teachers

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As the days drag on that we are self-isolating and keeping to ourselves as much as possible, we may start to experience some symptoms of cabin fever.

Having a routine that limits our activities and keeps us cooped up in the house for this long (we're going on six weeks or thereabouts here in my part of the world) can make us cranky and irritable.

The important thing is to avoid taking your irritability out on your family. Remember, they're cooped up, too! Your kids want to play with their friends. They miss school. They even miss their teachers!

So, during these times of high stress, anxiety, and uncertainty, we have a responsibility to take ownership of our feelings--including our cranky moods.

In this week's episode, Dr. Kitty Boitnott puts on her Stress Management Coach hat and talks about daily practices that may help you improve your mood.

The article that she refers to in the episode is available here:  https://bit.ly/3cEv0zt.

 

#mood #mentalhealth #stress 

#anxiety #cabinfever #irritability #health #healthyhabits #pandemic #COVID19

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Job hunters and career changers are facing unique challenges during this historic period. We have been struck down by the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic that has the country in its grip along with the economic fallout of closing down all non-essential services in an effort to slow the spread of the deadly virus.

You don't have to stop your job search during this period, however, and in this episode of 
"Teachers in Transition," Heart-Centered Career Transition and Job Search Coach advises people about how they need to adjust their approach right now.

Companies may not be hiring at the moment, but when things start to get back to "normal"--whenever that might be--you want to be ready. That's why staying on track and working on your resume, cover letter skills, your LinkedIn profile, and your interviewing skills is so important. If you slack off while everything is slowed down, you won't be ready when it is time to start applying again.

You also need to adjust your networking approach. You need to find ways to meet people virtually through LinkedIn but also through webinars and seminars and online social get-togethers.

Listen to this episode to hear how Kitty advises you to approach your job search during this unusual time.

#jobsearch #careertransition #careerchange #jobsearchtips #careeradvice #teachersintransition

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During these difficult days, weeks, and months, we are all feeling the stress and strain of living with a ruthless pandemic that is also causing economic mayhem. If you think you're stressed, imagine how our children are feeling!

This episode points to the importance of helping our children learn how to manage their stress because they are certainly as stressed as you are--perhaps even more so.

I wrote a post recently on what you as a parent or a significant adult in a child's life can do to help ease their fear, uncertainty, and concern about what is happening and what the future holds.

The truth is that none of us knows what the future holds. All we can do is the best we can today. But our best must include managing our stress, controlling our tempers, and profiling positive role modeling for our young ones.

To learn more about my thoughts on this matter, please listen in. To read the post I refer to in the episode, check out below:

"Teaching Your Kids to Learn Stress Management During These Difficult Days" https://kittyboitnott.coachesconsole.com/show_client_newsletter/?utm_nooverride=1&utm_source=transactional&utm_medium=newsman&utm_campaign=TransactionalEmails-20200331&id=5e7f8f72fbb5816a3d11779c&cld=-1 #stress #stressmanagement #stressrelief #stressedkids #stressedchildren #stressawareness #emotionalwellbeing #wellnesscoaching #selfcare #wellness #teachersintransition

If you would like to download my eBook on stress and stress management strategies, take a look here:  http://teachersintransition.com/ebook.

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Whether you are working from home or you've been laid off or furloughed during the pandemic, because of the "stay at home" order that many of you have been given, you now have some extra time on your hands. Like it or not, you can't go anywhere except the grocery store and drugstore, and there's only so much Netflix one can watch.

Might I suggest that you use this time to work on your LinkedIn profile? You may have a profile that now needs to be updated. Or you may have set up an account that you never got around to completing.

If you do choose to work on your profile, I want to suggest several items that you should not include if you want to make the best possible impression on viewers. Listen in to learn what those items are.

#LinkedIn, #LinkedIn profile, #professionalprofile #jobsearchtips #jobhunting; #careerhelp

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Many of us were at a point of feeling highly stressed and anxious even before this latest situation that has all of us in its grip. Part of the reason I became a stress management coach is that I wanted to help people learn how to manage and reduce their stress.

Taking care of our psychological wellness is an essential part of maintaining our health overall. So when you start to feel your thoughts running away with negativity, worry, and fear, it's time to do something to stop those thoughts in their tracks. Develop a mantra or a positive affirmation that you can use to interrupt the negative thoughts.

You need to turn those negative thoughts around. And you need to safeguard your mental and emotional wellbeing. This episode offers 5 ways you can go about doing that. It is based on the newsletter I wrote this week. If you would like a copy of it, click here:  http://bit.ly/emotionalwellbeing.

#stress #stressmanagment #stress relief #wellbeing #mentalhealth #psychologicalhealth #coronavirus #COVID19 

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No matter where you live or what you do, the current health crisis which has turned into an economic calamity is impacting you. You have probably been asked to stay home from work unless you are a health professional, a government worker, or a first-responder. What does all this mean if you were in the midst of a job search or an effort to change your career?

The honest answer is that your job search or career change will now have to be delayed. No one is going to be hiring right now. Who knows when things will ever get back to "normal?"

With that said, I don't think you should just give up on your efforts. I advise that you use this time of social distancing and self-isolation to double down on some of the parts of your job search or career change that you might not otherwise have had time to do.

For example, research the job, company, or industry you are interested in entering. If you take this time now to study the challenges that will be facing the industry or company when this is all over, and you can offer possible solutions, when the time is right, they will want to grab you up as soon as possible.

As a job seeker, you want to present yourself as a problem solver. Can you help the company overcome a specific challenge that has had them stymied? Can you figure out ways to help them make more money? Can you help them see ways to save so they can save money?

These are essential questions for you to be able to answer. So while you are stuck at home, you can do the deep dive into research that you wouldn't have time for before now.

You could also use this time to beef up a skill or learn something new that would serve you well in your new job search. Use one of the online course providers (I personally think Udemy.com is the bomb) and learn a new skill or that you can add to your resume when the time is right.

For more about how you might use this time while you are stuck at home, take a look at my newsletter for this week. You may download it here:  http://bit.ly/feelingstressedduringuncertaintimes.

Take care, be safe, and stay home!!!

P.S.

I am offering a free webinar workshop on how to approach writing your resume. Join me this coming Saturday, March 21, 2020, at 2:00 PM EDT. To register, click here:  https://event.webinarjam.com/register/3/37l4qax. It's FREE!

#jobsearch #careerchange #coronavirus #COVID19 

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We are experiencing a global phenomenon right now, and it is impacting the health and wellbeing of thousands of individuals worldwide. It is also affecting the economy because of the uncertainty around global markets.

There isn't a lot the average person can do about any of it except to stay informed and do what he or she can to protect themselves and their loved ones.

In this episode of "Teachers in Transition," Dr. Kitty Boitnott urges her listeners to pay attention to the medical experts and follow their advice based on facts and scientific evidence. Filter out the messages from news pundits and government officials who have a reason to either exaggerate or downplay the effects as they exist right now.

Do what you can to protect yourself by following some of the recommendations personally. For my part, for the time being, I will curtail travel and wash my hands more often. I will fist bump friends and colleagues instead of shaking hands. And I will do what I can to protect others from my germs by coughing or sneezing into the crook of my arm instead of my hand.

For facts about the disease, check out the link to a post from the Johns Hopkins Medicine Page:  https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus/2019-novel-coronavirus-myth-versus-fact

Stay safe. Stay well. 

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When you are thinking of changing jobs or careers, the first question that comes to mind is often what you want to do and what you feel you would enjoy, not to mention what you might be qualified to do.

I recommend that you take time at the beginning of the process to do a lot of self-reflection and introspection. Consider what your core strengths, abilities, and aptitudes are.

Not sure? Then start by asking someone who knows you well--a spouse, sibling, or close friend--someone who knows you and will be honest with you--and ask them to outline what they perceive to be your strengths, talents, and strong suits.

You might be surprised. We often have blind spots about what we do well, mistakenly assuming that if we can do something easily, everyone else can as well. That's not so.

After that, I also recommend that you check out some of the available assessments. Some are free. Some are low fee. Others may cost more, but it would be worth it by offering you the information you can't get anywhere else. For example, I offer a Pathway Planner Assessment that measures personality preferences, aptitudes, and cognitive abilities. It is also connected to O*Net, the government's online occupational handbook. If you would like to learn more about that assessment, reach out to me about the costs at [email protected]. For general information, you can download the brochure here: https://go.aws/38jnhUR

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Stress affects us in a variety of ways including mentally, physically, and emotionally. We sometimes feel the emotional and mental impact of stress, and we may be aware of some of the physical symptoms, but few people know about how stress impacts a variety of hormones.

One of the hormones that stress can wreak havoc on is cortisol. We need a healthy balance of cortisol in our system for quality sleep, to maintain a healthy blood pressure and sugar level and for many other reasons.

Cortisol out of balance can cause weight gain, interrupted sleep, cardiovascular issues, and many other physical maladies.

Listen to today's episode to learn more and download the newsletter that Kitty wrote this week about cortisol levels and why you need to be aware of the importance of healthy levels.

Also download Kitty's ebook on stress entitled, Stressed, Stretched, and Just Plain Overwhelmed:  A Guide to Managing Your Stress and Developing a Greater Sense of Work-Life Balance. To download the ebook, click here:  http://teachersintransition.com/ebook.

To download the newsletter article entitled "Do You Need to Lower Your Cortisol Level?" click here:  http://bit.ly/corisollevel

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If you are thinking of changing your job or career, chances are you feel stuck, and one of the reasons you feel stuck is that you don't know what you would like to do instead. In fact, you don't even know what you might be qualified to do instead.

That's why you need to learn how to research. You need to research different jobs that sound interesting to you. You need to research different companies you think you might like to work for. And you need to research industries. You don't need to hook your wagon to an industry that may have peaked and will be obsolete in 10 years, after all.

Where do you do all this research? We are so lucky to live in a time when you have most of the answers to these kinds of questions quite literally at your fingertips. Start with Google--or your favorite search engine if Google doesn't do it for you. But start with a comprehensive Internet search and see what you learn.

Don't forget to make the most of your LinkedIn connections and others who might be in your inner circle of friends and acquaintances with whom you could set up an informational interview. In an informational interview, you ask questions about what it's like to work in a specific job, for a specific company, or in a specific industry. Make notes. Learn as much as you can. What you are striving for is to make a smart move into a job you will enjoy with a company you like working for in an industry that you are excited about and has a sunny future.

A resource I mentioned in this episode that can help you refine your resume and help you make yourself a better fit for a job description you may have an interest in was Jobscan.co. Check it out!

#jobsearch #careerchange #jobsearchtips #careertransition

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