As a teacher, manager, or administrator, you’re often in stress-producing situations. Here are a couple of tips to, in Shakespeare’s words, “knit up the ravell’d sleave of care”:

Sleep cures many ills.  Make sure you’re getting enough of it. Try getting to bed an hour earlier for a few days—you might be surprised at how much better you function.

Breathe deeply.  Yoga instructor and former Teaching Music managing editor Beth Pontiff says deep breaths help open up the body, reduce tension, and get more oxygen to the system.

Limit screen time or take short breaks, at least five minutes every hour, per the Kaiser Permanente Vision Center in Reston, Virginia.

Drink more water.  Many people run around dehydrated—don’t be one of them.

Check your diet.  If you’re eating mostly prepared foods, your salt intake may be off the charts. Excess salt, like too much alcohol, can mess with your blood pressure.

Move it!  Your body is a machine that works better the more you use it. Exercise helps.

Ask for help.  Got a problem that’s resisting solution? Get the advice of others, and don’t hesitate to ask for assistance if you need it.

Keep your cell phone off as much as possible. Use it primarily for outgoing calls. “You don’t want to be available to everybody all the time,” says work/life balance expert Jeff Davidson (www.breathingspaceblog.com).

Make time for fun.  Many people don’t schedule personal time to enjoy life or give themselves a chance to just implode for an hour. A vacation may be one of your best professional investments.

Got an idea to share with colleagues that’s helped you beat stress? Tell others about it on the Higher Ed / Admin / Research Forum.

Resource:  Read a number of helpful tips for teachers in “Beware of Stress” by Paul Fergus.

—Ella Wilcox, July 15, 2008, MENC: The National Association for Music Education (www.menc.org)