Episode 21: Looking after yourself

The principal role can be both demanding and complex. It requires a lot of managerial and administrative tasks, you're the professional leader of the school and you have responsibility for and oversight of others, and your workload may feel overwhelming at first. It's absolutely essential that you take time to look after yourself.

If this episode raises concerns for your own health, please talk to someone you trust or see your doctor. If you need to speak to someone now, contact:

• 1737, Need to talk? Free call or text 1737 to talk to a trained counsellor.
• Anxiety New Zealand 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389)
• Depression.org.nz 0800 111 757 or text 4202
• Lifeline 0800 543 354
• Rural Support Trust 0800 787 254
• Alcohol and drug helpline 0800 787 797
• If it is an emergency, call 111.

 

My guests are:

• Mārama Stewart, former tumuaki and leadership advisor for the Ministry of Education
• Robin Fabish, former tumuaki and leadership advisor for the Ministry of Education
• Lesley Murrihy, former principal, now chief advisor in Te Poutāhu, the curriculum centre of the Ministry of Education.

 

This podcast was produced for the Ministry of Education as part of Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals.

 

You can learn more about this topic by accessing Te Ara Tīmatanga mō ngā Tumuaki - The Beginning Pathway for Principals e-learning modules on the Education LMS: https://training.education.govt.nz

 

Show notes

Episode themes:

• Things you can do when you first start as tumuaki to help your wellbeing in the longer term.
• No one solution fits everyone - different people need different things to sustain their wellbeing.
• The wide range of stresses that can impact a principal’s wellbeing.
• Importance of having a team of people you can lean on and call for advice or support – coaches, mentors, colleagues, Ministry of Education experts – when you need help.
• Don’t be afraid to spend school money on a quality coach, because you being properly supported will ultimately benefit your school.
• Learning to balance the parts of yourself in relation to the principal role.
• Dangers of using alcohol or other substances to cope with stresses.
• The importance of prioritising self-care – how you do that and what you feel is most important is up to you.
• Ways to prioritise your to-do list.
• Burnout, and ways to pull yourself back from the brink by decentering work in your life.
• The importance of delegation.
• Being ‘lonely at the top’ is a choice, not a given. Connecting with others is really important.
• Supports you can tap into as a tumuaki.

 

Additional information

Stephen Covey – rocks - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zV3gMTOEWt8   

 

Questions

1:31 [All] When you first step into the role as tumuaki, what are some of the things that you can do to help your well-being in the long term?

 

6:04 [All] What kinds of stresses can impact on a principal's wellbeing?

 

13:32 [All] And is it that that constant juggle between priorities and of the different parts of you that you need to pay attention to that makes self-care such a challenge for tumuaki?

 

16:41 [All] What are the what are the dangers that come with not looking after yourself? 

 

20:08 [All] How did you go about prioritizing your work to make sure that you did what you needed to do, but also didn't stress yourselves out trying to do it all? [burnout discussed in this answer]

 

32:51 [All] What did you do for your own wellbeing when you were tumuaki?

 

36:07 [All] What's your best advice for new tumuaki about looking after themselves?