Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Want Quick and Easy Anxiety Symptom Relief While Teaching?
Try these three quick and easy strategies to instantly reduce your anxiety symptoms--even with a room full of students! 

* How limiting beliefs prevent us from progressing–both as teachers in our classrooms and careers AND in our personal lives.

* How to identify if a belief is limiting us or serving us.

*What to do when we notice we have a limiting thought and want to let it go.
* How to produce the results we want in our classrooms and our lives. 

Not sure if Coaching for You? 
There's Only One Way to Find Out!
Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Try these three quick and easy strategies to instantly reduce your anxiety symptoms--even with a room full of students!

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Mentioned in this Episode:
Mel Robbin's The High Five Habit

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Episodes Mentioned:
Why Emotions Are Important

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

___

Do you ever feel crippled by anxiety when trying to perform basic teacher tasks? If so, you'll want to sign up to be the first to hear about my soon-to-be-released course just for teachers. It's called, Calm in the Classroom: Anxiety Solutions for the Modern-Day Teacher. In this self-paced course, we dive deep into understanding the causes of anxiety and explore lasting anxiety symptom solutions! You won't want to miss this! Click here to get all the details when we are ready to launch! 

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Episodes Mentioned:
Episode 4: Your Infinite Worth
Episode 7: Why Emotions are Important

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

___

Do you ever feel crippled by anxiety when trying to perform basic teacher tasks? If so, you'll want to sign up to be the first to hear about my soon-to-be-released course just for teachers. It's called, Calm in the Classroom: Anxiety Solutions for the Modern-Day Teacher. In this self-paced course, we dive deep into understanding the causes of anxiety and explore lasting anxiety symptom solutions! You won't want to miss this! Click here to get all the details when we are ready to launch! 

 

Do you have a teacher problem that you can't seem to tackle on your own? No worries! I've got you! Sign up today for a Free Problem-Solving Coaching Session! Together, we can apply the principles of coaching to help you feel better and find creative solutions! 

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

Hey Teacher Friend!

Do you ever feel crippled by anxiety when trying to perform basic teacher tasks? If so, you'll want to sign up to be the first to hear about my soon-to-be-released course just for teachers. It's called, Calm in the Classroom: Anxiety Solutions for the Modern-Day Teacher.

In this self-paced course, we dive deep into understanding the causes of anxiety and explore lasting anxiety symptom solutions! You won't want to miss this! Click here to get all the details when we are ready to launch! 

 

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

___

Do you ever feel crippled by anxiety when trying to perform basic teacher tasks? If so, you'll want to sign up to be the first to hear about my soon-to-be-released course just for teachers. It's called, Calm in the Classroom: Anxiety Solutions for the Modern-Day Teacher. In this self-paced course, we dive deep into understanding the causes of anxiety and explore lasting anxiety symptom solutions! You won't want to miss this! Click here to get all the details when we are ready to launch! 

Anxiety is all too common for teachers--especially this time of year! Grab your free guide to feeling better while still teaching here!

Most people prefer to try on a new pair of jeans before they buy! Coaching can feel the same way: you want to know what you're getting before signing up!

Your first mini-session with Certified Life Coach Brenna Nelson is FREE! Click HERE to sign up today! 

___

Do you ever feel crippled by anxiety when trying to perform basic teacher tasks? If so, you'll want to sign up to be the first to hear about my soon-to-be-released course just for teachers. It's called, Calm in the Classroom: Anxiety Solutions for the Modern-Day Teacher. In this self-paced course, we dive deep into understanding the causes of anxiety and explore lasting anxiety symptom solutions! You won't want to miss this! Click here to get all the details when we are ready to launch! 

The intention behind Teacher Appreciation Week is lovely: to celebrate the hard work of teachers and their efforts to educate the rising generations. 

However, what I’m noticing as I’m coaching and working with teachers is that sometimes we use this week against ourselves (despite the fact that it is intended to be a celebration). 

If we aren’t managing our minds, our default human brains can turn this week into the opposite of what its creators intended. We might not actually feel appreciated throughout this week. We may even use this week to point out all the ways teachers are actually NOT appreciated at all! 

Unfortunately, doing this will leave you feeling terrible!  

In this episode, I want to talk about some subtle shifts we can make in our minds to alter the way we think and feel about this week that will benefit us both now and in the future!

Tune into this episode to learn:
*Why teachers may feel unappreciated during Teacher Appreciation Week.
*What actually causes the feeling of appreciation.
*Two short and simple exercises you can do to increase the amount of appreciation you feel for yourself, your career, your colleagues, and more!


Episode Notes:

* Check out this episode we mentioned all about understanding your self worth: Your Infinite Worth.
* Like what you're learning on the podcast and want to go deeper? Schedule a FREE call with me HERE.
* Looking to reduce your levels of Teacher Anxiety? Check out these three quick and easy coping strategies you can use to lower your anxiety immediately while still teaching! Grab your copy HERE!

Contact Me:
* Email: brenna@brennanelsoncoaching.com
* Website: www.brennanelsoncoaching.com
* Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching

Thank you so much for listening! Your engagement truly matters! Please follow and leave a review! Your 5-star review is greatly appreciated and helps this podcast find more teachers who may be struggling with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm! Let's do them a solid and spread the word! On your favorite podcast platform, look for the "Write a Review" prompt!

On this podcast,  we talk a lot about our thoughts, about shifting our mindset to create more useful emotions. And there’s good reason for that: thoughts are the cause of all our emotions and our emotions drive all our actions which, ultimately, create our results. If we want different results in our lives, we need to address the root cause of our results: our thoughts. 

That said, we can’t do that–we can’t do thought work–if we haven’t first processed our present emotions. At least not very well. 

Thought work and emotion work go hand-in-hand. 

Tune in to his episode to learn how to manage all those end-of-school-year teacher emotions in a healthy way!
 

* Check out this episode we mentioned all about the importance of emotions: Episode 4: The Importance of Emotions

Like what you're learning on the podcast and want to go deeper? Schedule a FREE call with me HERE.

Looking to Lower Your Teacher Anxiety?
Check out these three quick and easy coping strategies you can use to lower your anxiety immediately while still teaching!

Grab your copy HERE!

Contact Me:
Email: brenna@brennanelsoncoaching.com
Website: www.brennanelsoncoaching.com
Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching

Thank you so much for listening! Your engagement truly matters! Please follow and leave a review! Your 5-star review is greatly appreciated and helps this podcast find more teachers who may be struggling with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm! Let's do them a solid and spread the word! On your favorite podcast platform, look for the "Write a Review" prompt! 

 

However, this is easier said than done. 

As teachers, we often find it easier to focus on areas that require improvement rather than highlighting our successes. By embracing a balanced approach that acknowledges our strengths and achievements, we contribute to our well-being and to that of our colleagues and students.

Tune in to learn why we teachers struggle so much to celebrate our contributions and how to shift our understanding to generate more positive momentum in our teaching careers!

Episode Notes:
* Check out this episode we mentioned all about the importance of emotions:
Episode 25: Unwanted Thoughts
Episode 4: Your Infinite Worth

Try Out Coaching!
Like what you're learning on the podcast and want to go deeper?
Schedule a free call with me HERE.

Seeking More Calm in your Classroom?
Check out these three quick and easy coping strategies you can use to lower your anxiety immediately while still teaching!

Grab your copy HERE!

Email: brenna@brennanelsoncoaching.com

Website: www.brennanelsoncoaching.com

Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching

Thank you so much for listening! Your engagement truly matters! Please follow and leave a review! Your 5-star review is greatly appreciated and helps this podcast find more teachers who may be struggling with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm! Let's do them a solid and spread the word! On your favorite podcast platform, look for the "Write a Review" prompt! 

As the school year draws to a close, whatever transpired over the past nine or ten months is now your circumstance. And, just like everything in life, you get to choose what story you want to tell about yourself as a teacher over the past year. 

Were you the triumphant hero? Did you persevere and overcome every challenge and adversity? Or were you the passive victim? The lone survivor?

You get to choose how you want to frame the past school year. You might as well frame it in a way that serves you!

Tune in to learn how to think about your past school year in a way that helps you grow and evolve into the next version of yourself!

In this episode, we discuss:

*Framing Our Stories: Our ability to choose the narrative of our experiences.
*The Power of Intentional Storytelling: Encouragement to consciously shape our reflections.
*Identifying Neutral Facts: Distinguishing between facts and interpretations.
*Self-compassion and Reflection: Approaching personal growth with kindness.
*Addressing Unmet Needs: Taking proactive steps to fulfill personal requirements.
*Choosing Empowering Narratives: Adopting thoughts that serve personal growth.
*Embracing Rest and Rejuvenation: Highlighting the importance of intentional summer breaks.

The Strength of Teachers Episodes Referenced:

Like what you're learning on the podcast and want to go deeper? Schedule a FREE call with me HERE.

Looking to Lower Your Teacher Anxiety?

Check out these three quick and easy coping strategies you can use to lower your anxiety immediately while still teaching!

Grab your copy HERE!

Contact Me:

Email: brenna@brennanelsoncoaching.com

Website: www.brennanelsoncoaching.com

Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching

Thank you so much for listening! Your engagement truly matters! Please follow and leave a review! Your 5-star review is greatly appreciated and helps this podcast find more teachers who may be struggling with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm! Let's do them a solid and spread the word! Look for the "Write a Review" prompt on your favorite podcast platform! 

Enjoy your well-deserved summer break! Episodes will resume August 2024!

 

Episode Summary:
As the new school year begins, it's the perfect time for a fresh start—whether you're a first-year teacher or a seasoned veteran. In this episode, we explore how teachers can reset their mindset, choose what to continue, start, or stop doing, and approach the year with renewed energy and purpose. We discuss key back-to-school teacher tips for creating intentional changes that lead to more fulfilling classroom experiences and personal growth. Discover how you can make this your best school year yet, with strategies that help you thrive.

**Start Fresh Anytime
While the start of a school year is a natural time for change, you can create fresh starts whenever you want.

**Evaluate Your Life and Choose What to Continue
Reflect on what’s working well, both in your professional and personal life, and commit to the things you truly want to keep.

**Consciously Choose New Habits
Identify areas where you'd like to improve or make positive changes—whether it's adding new classroom routines, personal habits, or relationship dynamics.

**Let Go of What’s Not Serving You
Stop doing the things that no longer align with your values or goals. This could be anything from over-grading assignments to saying yes when you mean no.

**Embrace Growth Over Comfort
Though making changes can feel uncomfortable, personal and professional growth leads to thriving, not just surviving.

Listen to our episode on The 50-50 Principle.

Back-to-School Teacher Tips You Don’t Want to Miss:
Learn how to create a fresh start this school year by wiping the slate clean, redeciding on purpose what to keep, and adding new habits that will help you thrive in and out of the classroom. Tune in for these back-to-school teacher tips that promote intentionality, growth, and a thriving teacher mindset.

Subscribe & Review:
If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to our podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps us grow and reach more educators like you!

Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching

#BackToSchoolTeacherTips #FreshStartForTeachers #TeacherMindset #ThrivingTeacherLife #TeacherWellness 

In today’s episode, we discuss how to recover when the school year doesn’t start off as planned. Whether you’re dealing with new teaching environments, navigating post-pandemic challenges, or simply facing unexpected hurdles, it's important to remember that a rough start doesn't define your entire year. Host Brenna Nelson shares her personal experience of starting the year on the wrong foot and offers valuable classroom management tips to help you reset and regain control.

It’s Okay to Struggle: Acknowledge that even seasoned teachers can face difficulties in the classroom. It’s crucial to show compassion to yourself and understand that a tough start doesn’t mean failure.

Calm Your Nervous System: When things feel overwhelming, your nervous system may go into fight, flight, or freeze mode. Learn strategies to calm yourself down, including deep breathing and grounding techniques. This will help you think more clearly and problem-solve effectively.

Own What’s True: Analyze what didn’t work without judgment. Ask yourself what actions or classroom management strategies were ineffective and how you can make intentional changes to improve the situation.

Shift Your Thinking: Instead of saying “I don’t know how to manage this class,” try reframing it as “I don’t know yet” or “I’m figuring it out.” This subtle shift can lead to more hopeful and productive action.

Focus on What You Can Control: While you can’t control student behavior, you can control how you respond. Set clear expectations, model respectful behavior, and enforce consequences. You can also manage your own mindset and take proactive steps, like seeking support from colleagues.

Avoid the ‘I Don’t Know’ Trap: Saying “I don’t know” leads to inaction. Instead, take one small step forward, knowing that action brings clarity.

Calm in the Classroom Course: Join the waitlist for Brenna's upcoming course, where she dives deeper into managing stress, anxiety, and overwhelm in the classroom. Sign up here.

Previous Episode: The 50-50 Principle: Explore the idea that life is always 50-50—positive and negative emotions—and how to embrace this balance. 

Whether you're struggling with classroom management or just need a fresh start, this episode offers practical advice for resetting and moving forward. Remember, every day is a new opportunity to shift your thinking and improve the teaching experience for yourself!

Tune in now to gain actionable classroom management tips and make this school year a success! 

Play the Long Game: Like farmers, teachers sow seeds that take time to grow—progress isn't always immediate.

Adapt to Your Environment: Just as farmers adjust their methods to the climate, teachers should tailor their approach to the unique needs of each classroom and student.

Manage Expectations: Growth, whether in crops or students, takes time. We may not always see the immediate impact of our efforts.

Focus on What You Can Control: Teachers, like farmers, face many external challenges, but focusing on what’s within your control is key.

Maintenance is Easier than Repair: Whether it’s relationships, classroom management, or student progress, it’s easier to maintain than catch up.

Fall is a season of harvest, reminding us of the long-term impact teachers have on students.The importance of nurturing students over time and accepting that results may not be visible for years. Practical insights on how to handle classroom environments, build strong student relationships, and stay patient in the teaching journey.

For Teachers: If you're navigating the school year and need some inspiration to keep planting those seeds of knowledge, this episode is for you. Let’s take a lesson from our farmer friends and play the long game in education.

Click Here to Book Your Complimentary Coaching Call! 

Whether you're a new teacher trying to fit in or a seasoned educator needing a mental health boost, this episode provides actionable insights to help you thrive socially and emotionally.

*Why feeling excluded is hardwired into our brains
*The importance of processing emotions to avoid burnout

*Practical ways to connect with colleagues and make new teacher friends
*How self-love is the foundation for meaningful relationships

Key Quotes:

“True friendship and connection start with self-love and self-acceptance.”

Actionable Tips for Teachers:

- Process your emotions fully before taking action. Click here to learn how! 

- Perform a thought download to identify negative thought patterns.

- Shift your mindset with empowering thoughts like, “I am enough just as I am.”

- Show genuine curiosity and interest in your colleagues to build strong connections.

- Reframe your thoughts: Believe that you’re already friends with your coworkers.

Links Mentioned

Search Keywords:

- teacher mental health training*  

- overcoming teacher isolation  

- making teacher friends  

- emotional well-being for teachers  

- self-care for educators  

- improving teacher relationships

If this episode resonated with you, please consider sharing it with a fellow teacher or leaving a rating and review. We’re here to support you in your mental and emotional health journey, and your reviews help us reach more educators who need it!

 

Welcome back to The Strength of Teachers! In this episode, we’re diving into an essential and timely topic for educators dealing with the aftermath of a natural disaster, like hurricanes, floods, or fires. Our focus today is on offering emotional and mental support for teachers navigating these difficult times, with actionable advice to help you, your students, and your community move forward.

Caring for Your Mental and Emotional Health:
After a hurricane or natural disaster, it's natural to feel overwhelmed. We discuss the importance of regulating your nervous system, processing emotions, and avoiding panic-driven reactions. You’ll learn how to move from a state of survival to one of calm, clarity, and action.
Managing Negative Inputs and Staying Grounded:
In challenging times, it’s crucial to be mindful of what you let into your mental space. We'll talk about limiting exposure to negative influences, including social media and news, and focusing instead on constructive solutions for recovery.
Steps to Regain Control and Find Purpose:
We highlight the steps you can take once you’ve stabilized your nervous system: from focusing on small, actionable tasks to asking yourself empowering questions like, "How can I help today?" These simple actions will help you start rebuilding, whether it’s for yourself, your family, or your students.
The Power of Community and Contribution:
You don’t have to go through this alone. We explore how leaning on your community and finding ways to contribute (whether big or small) can be healing, both for you and those around you. When teachers help, especially after a hurricane or disaster, the ripple effect can transform entire classrooms and communities.
Self-Care for Teachers After a Disaster:
Learn what true self-care looks like during this time. It goes beyond bubble baths and chocolate—it’s about prioritizing your emotional and nervous system health to ensure long-term resilience.
Introducing My Course: Calm in the Classroom
In the final stages of development, my course, Calm in the Classroom, offers step-by-step techniques for teachers to manage their mental and emotional health in stressful times. Sign up to get on the waiting list and be notified when it launches.

Process Your Emotions: Understand that feeling overwhelmed or anxious after a disaster is normal, but learn to avoid ruminating on the negative.
Start Small: Whether it's filing a FEMA form or getting through today’s lesson plan, taking one step at a time builds positive momentum.
Ask Useful Questions: Shift your mindset by asking questions that focus on solutions, not problems.
Be Patient with Yourself: Recovery and rebuilding is a long process. Prioritize your well-being to show up as the best version of yourself for your students and community.
Help Others: Once you're in a stable place, focus on helping others—whether it’s your students, colleagues, or neighbors. Your contribution, however small, can have a massive impact.

Free Coaching for Teachers
I’m offering free coaching to any teachers impacted by recent hurricanes or natural disasters. Prioritizing your mental health is key to long-term recovery. Click here for your free session!

Join the Waitlist for Calm in the Classroom
My new Calm in the Classroom course designed to help teachers manage stress and regulate emotions is nearly complete. Sign up HERE for updates on the launch!

Final Thoughts:
We’re thinking of all the teachers affected by these difficult times. Remember, it’s okay to take things one day at a time and prioritize your emotional well-being. You are strong, and you can find your way through this. If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out—our teacher community is here to support you. 

In this episode of The Strength of Teachers, we explore the importance of teacher wellness through the lens of self-trust. Host Brennashares a personal story about how failing to listen to her intuition led to a back injury, drawing a powerful parallel to how teachers often doubt their instincts in the classroom. 

With a sea of opinions from administrators, specialists, and even social media, it can be easy to question your own judgment as an educator. 

However, Brenna emphasizes that teachers are professionals with deep knowledge of their students and subjects, and that trusting yourself can be a key part of maintaining wellness.

* Trust your own instincts as a teacher; you know your students and their needs best.
* While seeking advice and resources is valuable, your unique expertise is what matters most in your classroom.
* Excessive external opinions can lead to self-doubt, but believing in your own capabilities fosters a stronger teaching practice.
* Taking care of your teacher wellness means recognizing when to pause, reflect, and listen to yourself.

Teacher Wellness Tip of the Week:
If you're feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and ask yourself, "What is my intuition telling me?" Trust your inner voice as a guide for both your personal and professional life.

New Course Alert!
Want to feel more calm and peaceful in your classroom?

Sign up for the waitlist for Brenna's new course, Calm in the Classroom, where you'll learn how to manage emotions, regulate your nervous system, and create a fulfilling teacher life.

Sign up at brennanelsoncoaching.com/calm.

Ready to Get Coached?
Nearly every other profession employs life coaches! Why not teachers? Try coaching out for FREE and see how the tools and content apply to your real life situations! Click Here to book your session today!

Follow The Strength of Teachers on Instagram and share this episode with your teacher friends!

Episode Summary
In this episode of The Strength of Teachers, we discuss the perfectionist mindset many educators struggle with, its impact on teacher self-care, and how to shift toward a healthier outlook of excellence rather than flawlessness. Tune in to learn strategies for managing the stress and anxiety that often accompany an “all-or-nothing” mentality in the teaching profession and for insights on embracing imperfection, finding balance, and sustaining happiness as a teacher.

1. Teacher Perfectionism vs. Striving for Excellence
Understanding the difference between perfectionism and striving for excellence, focusing on setting realistic goals in teaching and personal growth. While perfectionism is driven by a fear of inadequacy, excellence centers on hopeful growth. This shift in mindset is crucial for teacher self-care and a sustainable career.

2. Signs of Perfectionism in Teaching
Perfectionist tendencies often manifest in excessive busyness, procrastination, or self-doubt. We discuss how perfectionism adds to teachers' stress, overwhelm, and anxiety—ultimately impacting classroom environments and mental well-being. Recognizing these signs is the first step toward healthier practices.

3. How to Move Beyond Perfectionism
Learn the actionable steps teachers can take to break free from perfectionist thinking, including self-reflection, generating processing emotions, and adopting a growth mindset. The episode also highlights the beauty of "Wabi-Sabi"—appreciating imperfections—as a reminder that teachers’ value isn’t tied to flawless performance.

4. Introducing "Calm in the Classroom" - A Course for Teacher Wellness
For more help creating an emotionally healthy environment for yourself and your students, check out my upcoming course, Calm in the Classroom, designed to teach essential emotional and mental skills for managing stress, overwhelm, and anxiety. Teachers will learn how to regulate their nervous systems, build resilience, and create a more balanced teaching life. Sign up to be notified when enrollment opens!

Mentioned in this Episode:

Michelangelo's Prisoners: Check out the famous "unfinished" sculptures here!

Calm in the Classroom - Ready to overcome perfectionism and manage stress better? Join the waitlist HERE to be notified when Calm in the Classroom is available.

Follow Brenna on Instagram - Connect with Brenna at @brennanelsoncoaching for more teacher self-care inspiration, podcast updates, and to share your teacher self-care journey.

Free Coaching Calls - Interested in personal support? Book a free coaching call to dive deeper into teacher wellness and self-care. 

Keywords: Teacher self-care tips ; Managing teacher stress and anxiety ;  Overcoming perfectionism for teachers ; Teacher wellness and mental health ; Self-care for teachers with high standards

Hit play on this episode to gain insight into perfectionism, prioritize your wellness, and cultivate a fulfilling teaching journey! And if this episode resonates with you, don’t forget to subscribe and share The Strength of Teachers podcast with your teacher community. 

In this episode, we dive into how teachers can manage the stress and worry that often come with uncertain times, especially during pivotal events. With so much outside of our control, worry can feel like a natural response. However, we explore why excessive worry is often counterproductive and how it can drain emotional and physical energy without changing outcomes. 

Instead, this episode introduces strategies for building self-trust as a healthier approach to uncertainty, offering ways for teachers to process fear, anxiety, and other challenging emotions more effectively.

Brenna emphasizes the importance of staying present, releasing the "what ifs," and taking intentional actions that align with your values. From facing hypothetical fears to embracing self-compassion, this episode guides teachers in cultivating a resilient mindset. 

Whether it’s trusting in your ability to handle future challenges or finding grounding actions that bring relief, this conversation aims to empower teachers with tools for managing worry in the classroom and beyond.

**Why worrying feels productive but isn’t—and what to do instead.

**How focusing on self-trust can reduce fear about uncertain events.

**Practical strategies for building emotional resilience in challenging times.

**Why shifting focus from hypothetical worries to present actions brings peace.

**Inspiration to move past worry through mindful actions, self-compassion, and mindset shifts.

Mentioned in this Episode:

Calm in the Classroom Course: Master emotional regulation techniques, process hard emotions, regulate your nervous system, and adopt a balanced mindset for both personal and professional growth. Click HERE for more details!

Episode 7: The Power of Emotions

For questions, reach out at brenna@brennanelsoncoaching.com.

Quote Highlight: “Action is the antidote to despair.” — Sharon McMahon

Tune in for actionable advice that empowers teachers to face uncertainty with calm confidence, emotional strength, and self-trust.

Episode Summary:
In this episode of The Strength of Teachers, we tackle one of the most common struggles among educators: feeling unsupported. Whether it’s a lack of understanding from administrators, colleagues, or even family members, many teachers feel isolated as they juggle numerous responsibilities inside and outside the classroom. 

Tune in as we discuss practical, empowering steps you can take to find the support you need, redefine what support looks like, and build a more sustainable path to success and well-being in your career.

Define What Support Means to You: Take a moment to reflect on what you need to feel supported. Make a list, and identify which aspects you can control and fulfill yourself.
Prioritize Self-Support: Learn how to lighten your load by letting go of unnecessary tasks. Supporting yourself might mean carving out time for sleep, exercise, or prioritizing simple self-care practices.
Shift Your Perspective: Often, support is present but goes unnoticed. Try recognizing all the ways people around you are helping, from custodial staff to friends and family.
Directly Ask for Help: If you need specific assistance, communicate it clearly and directly. Many times, people are willing to help—they just need to know what’s needed.
Think Outside the Box: If traditional support isn’t available, consider creative solutions like grant writing, enlisting parents or volunteers, or seeking help from colleagues and students.

Sign up for a free coaching call for personalized support and practical solutions.

Explore grant opportunities through DonorsChoose and other funding platforms for teachers.

Feeling Stressed, Anxious, or Overwhelmed? Help is available! Check out the all-new course just for teachers: Calm in the Classroom! You will learn how to create peace inside and out through the tools and resources taught in this course! Sign up HERE!

Get help with YOUR specific problem! Complimentary Coaching Calls Available! Click HERE!

Teacher support doesn’t have to be a distant hope. With clear communication, a shift in perspective, and a proactive approach, you can access the support you need to thrive. Your feelings are valid, but you don’t have to feel stuck. Reach out, get creative, and most importantly, have your own back.

In this episode, we explore:

**The psychology behind gratitude and how it strengthens relationships.

**Why focusing on gratitude for your students can shift your mindset and classroom dynamics.

**Practical strategies to cultivate and express gratitude—even with challenging classes.

**How fostering gratitude can lead to a more connected, cooperative, and joyful classroom.

Whether you're grappling with a tough school year or just looking for ways to deepen your connection with students, this episode will leave you inspired to focus on the positive and embrace the power of appreciation.

Gratitude Improves Relationships:
Studies show expressing gratitude builds stronger connections in personal and professional relationships, including with students.

Gratitude Benefits You First:
Feeling gratitude uplifts your mood, which helps you show up as the best version of yourself.

Connection Over Correction:
Expressing genuine appreciation for students fosters cooperation, attentiveness, and a positive classroom environment—not through manipulation but through authentic connection.

Start Small:
Even in challenging situations, you can find small moments or qualities to appreciate in your students, building a habit of gratitude that transforms your perspective.

Notice and name individual student efforts. 

A simple “Thank you for showing up today and trying your best” goes a long way.

Appreciate the little wins in your classroom: quieter days, a student’s humor, or even the fact that everyone made it through the day!

Share your gratitude with the whole class: “I’m grateful for the energy and creativity you bring to this room.”

Complimentary Coaching Call: Struggling with negative thought patterns? Join a free coaching session to reframe your mindset.

Check out Episode 29 "How to Solve Any Teacher Problem" for more on the mindset model discussed today.

Calm in the Classroom - Modern-day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety

Join the Conversation:
If this episode resonated with you, share it with your teacher friends or on social media! Don’t forget to leave a kind review—it helps more educators discover The Strength of Teachers.

Website: brennanelsoncoaching.com

Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching

In today’s episode, we’re exploring Kobe Bryant’s famous “Mamba Mentality” and how his ten rules for success can inspire teacher motivation, classroom improvement, and a positive teacher mindset. These principles are not just for athletes; they offer valuable insights for educators striving for success, well-being, and impact in the classroom.

1. Get Better Every Day – Small, daily improvements add up. Even without “teacher stats,” every interaction and experience builds our expertise. Embrace the journey of continuous growth as an educator.
2. Prove Them Wrong – Believe in your students’ abilities and challenge their limitations. Great teaching often involves finding creative ways to help students succeed, even when others doubt them.
3. Work on Your Weaknesses – Identify areas for improvement in your teaching practice. Self-improvement (without self-flagellation) is key to long-term success as a teacher.
4. Execute What You Practiced – Preparation is crucial in teaching. The more we rehearse and plan our lessons, the more confident we become in the classroom.
5. Learn from Greatness – Observing other successful teachers can offer inspiration and techniques to elevate your own teaching methods.
6. Learn from Wins and Losses – Reflecting on both positive and challenging experiences in the classroom can help you refine your teaching approach.
7. Practice Mindfulness – Cultivating a mindful teaching mindset helps reduce stress and improves classroom dynamics. Learn to bring awareness to your thoughts and responses.
8. Be Ambitious – Set high goals for yourself and your classroom. Your ambitions can drive you to apply for teaching grants, pursue professional development, and innovate in your teaching.
9. Believe in Your Team – Collaboration with your teaching team can enhance the overall learning experience. Build trust and support among colleagues for a thriving classroom environment.
10. Learn Storytelling – Be mindful of the narratives you tell yourself about teaching challenges. Reframe negative stories to empower yourself and create a positive classroom environment.

Why Listen?
If you’re a teacher looking to improve classroom strategies, teacher well-being, and mindset, this episode will provide you with practical and inspiring advice. Listen in to learn how Kobe’s powerful rules for success can transform your teaching journey and bring a fresh perspective to your everyday challenges.

Mental & Emotional Health Resources for Teachers
Like what you're learning on the podcast and want to go deeper? Schedule a FREE call with me HERE.

Looking to better manage your teacher stress, overwhelm, and anxiety in the classroom? Be the first to learn how to have Calm in the Classroom with the all-new course just for teachers! Click HERE to receive all the details!

Contact Me:
Email: brenna@brennanelsoncoaching.com
Website: www.brennanelsoncoaching.com
Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching

Thank you so much for listening! Your engagement truly matters! Please follow and leave a review! Your 5-star review is greatly appreciated and helps this podcast find more teachers who may be struggling with stress, anxiety, and overwhelm! Let's do them a solid and spread the word! Look for the "Write a Review" prompt on your favorite podcast platform! 
 

In this heartfelt return to The Strength of Teachers, host and certified life coach Brenna Nelson talks directly to the burnt-out teacher, the overworked educator, and anyone who’s wondering how to keep showing up for their students without sacrificing their own well-being.

We’re diving into:

**The emotional toll of doing “all the things” as a teacher
**How to identify what's truly essential vs. what can be let go
**Why giving yourself permission to pause isn't just okay—it’s necessary
**Setting down responsibilities without guilt or shame
**Encouragement and tools for finishing the school year with strength and intention

If you're ready to release the pressure, reclaim your energy, and approach the rest of the school year with clarity and calm, this episode is for you!

🎧 Tune in now—and if you're feeling called, book a free coaching session with Brenna at brennanelsoncoaching.com/free to get personalized support designed just for teachers like you.

👩‍🏫🧑‍🏫Ready for More? Join this FREE Masterclass on Why Self-Care Doesn't Work for Teachers! Click HERE to join! 

This episode dives into how you can start your own personal rebrand. Whether you're trying to break old habits like people-pleasing or perfectionism, or you’re building new ones like setting boundaries or prioritizing your health, the first step is always the same: learning to love yourself exactly as you are right now.

You’ll learn:

✅Why self-love is the foundation of any lasting change
✅Why increasing your capacity will serve you and others
✅How mindset—not willpower—is the secret to true transformation
✅Why “white-knuckling” change doesn’t work, and what to do instead

If you’re ready to take your teaching—and your life—to the next level, this episode is the perfect place to start.

✨ Let’s grow together.

👉 Ready for support on your next-level journey? Let's Go! Book a Free Coaching Call HERE or check out my brand new course just for teachers, Calm in the Classroom HERE.

Are your thoughts spinning with all the unknowns of next school year? You’re not alone—and this episode of the Next Level Teacher Podcast is here to help you stop the spiral. 

We’re talking about the “what-if wasteland,” that mental space where our brains try to plan for every hypothetical scenario and leave us feeling anxious, overwhelmed, and burned out.

*The most common “what-ifs” teachers face at the end of the school year
*Why your brain fixates on hypothetical problems
*The emotional cost of spinning in uncertainty
*Simple mindset strategies to bring you back to the present moment
*How to re-anchor in what is real—and stop wasting energy on what isn’t

Whether you’re worried about staffing changes, your contract, new curriculum, or just feeling too burned out to think about next year, this episode offers clarity, calm, and direction.

✨ You don’t have to live in the what-if wasteland. You can come back to now—and take care of what’s real. ✨

Helpful Links for Teachers Mentioned in this Episode:

FREE Coaching Call with Brenna - Feeling lost in the What-if Wasteland? Bring your list of worries or concerns to a free 1:1 call and I can help you focus your energy on what matters now. Click HERE to schedule!

The Calm in the Classroom course is open for enrollment! Learn all the tools, skills, and strategies I teach my 1:1 clients at your own pace, on your own time! If you are looking for more calm, clarity, and confidence in yourself, in your classroom, in your life, then this class is for you! Sign up today by clicking HERE!

Related Episodes:

Welcome back, Teacher Friend! This is your go-to space for teacher tips and support, practical mindset shifts, and real strategies to help you show up as your most resilient, empowered teacher self.
 
In this episode of the Next Level Teacher Podcast, we’re diving into one of the simplest but most powerful tools to support your mindset as an educator—The Post-It Note Pep Talk. 

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, navigating behavior challenges, or just trying to stay afloat during a tough season, this episode offers a grounding practice you can start using today.

* Why your thoughts create your emotions—and how that affects your teaching energy.
* How to give your brain equal airtime with positive thoughts that support you.
* The science-backed reason why imagining success can influence your results.
* How to create your own Post-It Note Pep Talk!
* Real-life examples of empowering, believable thoughts you can borrow or build from.
* How this quick mindset shift can help both you and your students build confidence and resilience.

Grab a sticky note, jot down one empowering thought that speaks to your heart, and place it somewhere you’ll see it—your desk, your mirror, your laptop. This little habit can help rewire your brain for more peace, more clarity, and more joy in your teaching day.

Want a ready-made list of inspiring pep talk phrases? 🎁
 👉 Download your free Post-It Note Pep Talk guide

💬 Let’s Coach Through It Together:
Struggling to believe those positive thoughts? That’s where coaching comes in. In your free first coaching session, we’ll clear out those unhelpful thoughts and create believable ones that actually make a difference.

Check out the blog post HERE!

🎯 Book your free session now at: brennanelsoncoaching.com/free

❤️ Help Another Teacher Friend:
Know a fellow educator who could use a mental and emotional lift?
 📩 Share this episode with them and let’s spread the support!

And if this episode of the Next Level Teacher Podcast helped you, please take a minute to leave a kind rating or review. It helps more teachers find the tips and encouragement they need.

🎧 Until next time, keep going, keep growing, and remember—you’ve got this.
 

#NextLevelTeacher #TeacherPodcast #TeacherTipsAndSupport #TeacherMindset #TeacherWellness #PostItNotePepTalk

In this episode, released just in time for Teacher Appreciation Week, Brenna shares a personal story that highlights what true appreciation for teachers really looks like. After a rough school morning with her kindergartner, Brenna witnessed the powerful impact a caring teacher can make in a child's life—and in a parent's heart.

She reminds educators that while the world may not always recognize the full scope of what teachers do, the small moments of kindness, presence, and emotional support leave lasting impressions. Whether it’s checking in on a student, offering a comforting word, or making a child feel seen, these are the everyday acts of greatness that define this profession.

If you’ve ever wondered whether what you do matters, this episode is your reminder: it absolutely does.

Listen in to feel seen, valued, and truly appreciated this Teacher Appreciation Week. 💛

Ready to Get Out of Survival Mode in the Classroom?
Trade the Chaos for Calm with the all-new teacher course: Calm in the Classroom: Modern-day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety! There is a better way to be a teacher!

Click HERE to Learn More! 


🔗 Learn more at brennanelsoncoaching.com

📩 Contact: theteam@brennanelsoncoaching.com

In this inspiring and honest episode, Brenna shares her top new teacher tips—not about lesson planning or classroom decor, but the deeper mindset tools she wishes she had when she started teaching. These are the tips no one tells you in teacher training—how to manage your emotions, set boundaries, and stop tying your worth to your job title.

If you're a first-year teacher—or even a seasoned educator—feeling the emotional weight of the job, this episode is a must-listen. Learn how to stay grounded, protect your peace, and show up as the best version of yourself in and out of the classroom.

🧠 In This Episode, You'll Learn:
* Why your thoughts create your teaching experience
* How taking time for yourself isn’t selfish—it’s strategic
* The truth about boundaries—and why good teachers don’t say yes to everything
* What to do when your brain offers you negative self-talk like “I’m failing these kids”
* Why you are not your job (and why that realization can change your life)

Manage your mind first. Your thoughts—not your students or your principal—shape your day.

Caring for YOU is not optional. Nervous system regulation can change your teaching.

Set boundaries early. You can be a great teacher without burning out.

Challenge negative thoughts. You don’t have to believe every thought your brain offers.

You are more than a teacher. Your worth is inherent—no test score can change that.

Check out the blog post HERE!

🎓 Ready to Go Deeper?

Check out my course: Calm in the Classroom
It's packed with emotional wellness tools, mindset coaching, and nervous system regulation practices to help you thrive—not just survive—in your teaching career.

And for Teacher Appreciation Week, it's 25% off!

Learn more and enroll HERE!

Email us anytime at theteam@brennanelsoncoaching.com. We love hearing from listeners like you!

Calm in the Classroom Course

Follow Brenna on Instagram: @next.level.teacher

Please rate, review, and share it with a teacher friend! Your support helps more educators discover the tools they need to create calm, clarity, and confidence in the classroom.

Welcome back to The Next Level Teacher, where we talk all things teacher wellness, mindset, and how to show up in your classroom with calm and confidence.

In today’s episode, we’re diving into a surprising, science-backed, and often underused tool for managing teacher stress: laughter. 

Teaching is hard. The emotional weight, the constant demands, the pressure to get it all right—it adds up fast. And while most of us are searching for better routines, strategies, or self-care tips, we’re overlooking something simple and powerful: the ability to laugh at ourselves, our situations, and the chaos of it all. 

In this episode, I’m sharing: 

** Why laughter helps regulate your nervous system

** How humor reduces stress and boosts resilience

** Stories from my own classroom that reminded me not to take it all so seriously

** Why your ability to find lightness matters more than you think

** How laughing more often can help you feel better—without adding one more thing to your plate

If you’re tired, tense, or feel like teaching is getting heavier by the day, this episode will remind you that it’s okay (and necessary!) to find the funny. Because when we stop taking ourselves so seriously, we create space to actually enjoy this work again.  

👉 Want to go deeper?
My course, Calm in the Classroom, gives you the emotional tools you were never taught in your credential program. Learn how to regulate your nervous system, process stress in real time, and create the kind of calm that lasts.
✨ Join the course now at brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher  

💬 Mentioned in this episode: 

- Why laughing isn’t a “fluffy” strategy—it’s neuroscience

- My student’s brutal (but hilarious) fashion critique

- The moment I tripped in front of my whole class... and survived

- Quick tips for inviting more laughter into your teaching life 

Thanks for listening! If this episode made you smile (or exhale), consider leaving a review or sharing with a teacher friend who could use a little lightness right now.

 🎧 See you next time on The Next Level Teacher.

Read the blog post Here!

Looking for the most effective classroom management tool that actually works in real classrooms? 

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna Nelson shares the strategy no one’s talking about — and it has nothing to do with stickers, clip charts, or new seating arrangements.

Discover why emotional regulation is the most powerful classroom management tool at your disposal — and how your own nervous system could be the key to shifting your classroom energy and student behavior.

**Why most classroom management trainings ask the wrong question
**What happens in your classroom when you’re dysregulated (and when you’re not)
**A simple emotional regulation tool you can use in-the-moment
**Why your calm is more effective than any reward system
**How to start practicing nervous system awareness — today

Ready to make calm your classroom superpower?
Explore Brenna’s full course, Calm in the Classroom, where you’ll learn how to stay emotionally grounded even on your hardest teaching days: brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher

Check out the Blog Post:
The BEST Classroom Management Advice for Teachers

🗬 Why even well-meaning thoughts like “I should be able to handle this” or “There’s not enough time” may be doing more harm than good
🗬 How to identify when a thought is useful vs. harmful by tuning into your emotions
🗬 Simple mindset shifts that help calm your nervous system and prevent burnout
🗬 The real reason self-care advice often falls flat—and what works instead
🗬 How this all ties into what recent teacher burnout statistics are missing

👩‍🏫 This episode is for you if:
You feel like you're on the edge of burnout

You’re tired of surface-level “self-care” tips and want real, science-backed tools

You’ve ever thought “If I don’t do it, it won’t get done right” or “There’s just not enough time”

🎁 Mentioned in this episode:
👉 Enrollment is OPEN for Calm in the Classroom – a transformative course for teachers who want to build emotional resilience, manage stress effectively, and feel better in their classroom.

💡 Quote to Remember:
 "You can struggle and still be a great teacher. Beating yourself up doesn’t help—it only drains the resilience you need to move forward."

Check out The Next Level Teacher Blog! More free help for educators who are not just tired, but teacher-tired.

👉 If May feels more like Mayhem, you’re not alone. End-of-year demands are high, but the overwhelm you’re feeling is not because of the number of tasks. It’s because of the thoughts you’re having about those tasks.

Inside this episode, I’ll walk you through:

🧠 Why your brain short-circuits when faced with too much
🧠 The truth about stress and how your thoughts create it
🧠 How to stop spinning in overwhelm and start shifting your mindset
🧠 Simple, science-backed mental shifts that reduce burnout and help you feel calm—even when your plate is full
🧠 How choosing different thoughts can help regulate your nervous system

🔥 Plus: I share one of my favorite strategies for prioritizing your day without panic so you can get more done—without sacrificing your mental health.

💡 Remember: It’s not about doing more. It’s about thinking differently.

🎓 Want to go deeper?

Enrollment is now open for my course, Calm in the Classroom!
This isn’t fluff or surface-level self-care—it’s a practical, neuroscience-informed approach to emotional regulation for teachers. You’ll learn how to rewire your brain for calm, resilience, and confidence—no matter what’s happening around you.

 👉 Learn more: brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher

✨ Let’s Connect:
📸 Instagram: @next.level.teacher
💌 Subscribe to my Next.Level.Notes to receive weekly mindset and wellness strategies to take yourself to the next level!


🎧 Share this episode with a fellow educator who needs a mindset reset!

teacher burnout, stress management for teachers, overwhelmed teachers, end-of-year teacher stress, teacher mindset, calm classroom, teacher mental health

In this candid and compassionate conversation, Brenna shares a powerful reminder that while summer break offers rest, it doesn’t heal burnout. You’ll learn why emotional exhaustion doesn’t disappear with a beach trip and why true burnout recovery requires intentional work—starting with the right tools.

If you’ve ever thought, “I’ll feel better once it’s summer,” but found yourself back in burnout mode by the end of September, this episode explains exactly why that happens—and how to break the cycle for good.

✨ In this episode, you’ll learn:
** Why summer break alone doesn’t fix burnout
** What emotional burnout actually is (hint: it’s more than being tired)
** The trap of waiting for relief without addressing the root causes
** Why mindset, nervous system regulation, and emotional processing matter now more than ever
** What you can do this summer to truly reset—and not just collapse

🎁 FREE RESOURCE:
Grab your free copy of The Teacher’s Summer Reset, a 7-day step-by-step system to help you decompress, process, and prep for a stronger fall.

👉 www.brennanelsoncoaching.com/burnout

READY TO GO NEXT LEVEL?
Take your personal development to the next level by enrolling in the Calm in the Classroom course! You will learn all the emotional and cognitive skills and tools that will help you uplevel your teaching, your career, and your life!

Enroll Now by visiting www.brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher.

Your future self will thank you!

PREFER A MORE PERSONALIZED APPROACH?
Bring your personal concerns and situations to a 1:1 coaching session in which Brenna will coach you through any problem or challenge you're facing in or out of the classroom!  Your first session is on the houSE

Sign up today at www.brennanelsoncoaching.com/fee

In this powerful episode of The Next Level Teacher, Brenna explores the real teacher burnout definition and challenges the idea that systemic change alone will fix the emotional and mental exhaustion many educators face.

We often look to external solutions—lower class sizes, better testing policies, or more classroom support—to solve the teacher burnout crisis. While these are important, they aren't enough.

Burnout is not just a result of the education system—it’s an emotional experience rooted in unmanaged stress, pressure, and internal thought patterns.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

** The most accurate and helpful teacher burnout definition
** Why time off (like summer break) won’t fix burnout long-term
** The power of an “inside-out” approach to emotional resilience
** Why building inner strength is essential before we try to change the system
** Practical tools and free resources to help you reset this summer

📥 Grab the free Summer Reset for Teachers at: brennanleonsoncoaching.com/burnout

🎓 Ready to build the skills to beat burnout for good and feel empowered again?
Explore 1:1 coaching or the Calm in the Classroom course: brennanleonsoncoaching.com/resources

You’ll learn:

**Why emotional resilience is the foundation for effective teaching

**How increasing your emotional capacity improves classroom management, communication, and your own mental well-being

**Why traditional PD misses this essential skill

**Practical ways to build emotional resilience this summer

Whether you’re fully unplugging or itching to prep for next year, this episode will help you set intentional goals that support your personal and professional growth.

🎧 Ready to turn summer rest into strength? Let’s dive in! Visit brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher today!

Resources Mentioned:
 👉 Calm in the Classroom course
👉 1:1 Coaching with Brenna
 📩 Questions? Email: brenna@brennanelsoncoaching.com
 📱 Let’s connect on Instagram: @Next.Level.Teacher

After spending a week camping and backpacking in northern Michigan with 60 teens and a group of incredible leaders, she felt the shift in her own body and mind—and wants to encourage every teacher to explore nature as a healing, empowering tool.

**What happens in your brain when you walk in nature

**Why your amygdala keeps you in survival mode—and how to calm it

**The difference nature made after a week totally unplugged

**How this applies directly to the demands of teaching

**How the Calm in the Classroom course helps you regulate your nervous system all year long

Website: brennanelsoncoaching.com

Instagram: @next.level.teacher

In this episode, Brenna shares a personal story (yes, it involves the dentist!) and walks you through how to recognize when you're stuck in resistance… and how to shift into a more empowered, solution-focused mindset. Because sitting in frustration won't solve anything—but curiosity just might.

**Why old strategies may not work in a post-COVID classroom

**The emotional toll of resisting change—and what to do instead

**How to reframe challenges as opportunities for growth

**A mindset shift that can carry you into the new year with clarity

**How the Calm in the Classroom course can help you build resilience and confidence

Website: brennanelsoncoaching.com

Instagram: @next.level.teacher

Summary:
 In this episode, Brenna offers a powerful mindset shift for teachers facing the start of a new school year. By realizing that you always have a choice—whether to stay in the classroom or step away—you can reclaim your agency, release resentment, and walk into the year with renewed purpose.

**Why teaching from a sense of obligation leads to burnout and resentment

**How to reframe your career as a conscious choice

**A personal story that illustrates the power of agency

**The most important mindset shift you can make this year

**How the Calm in the Classroom course can help you build resilience and avoid burnout

Website: brennanelsoncoaching.com


Instagram: @next.level.teacher


Subscribe to the Next Level Teacher Podcast wherever you listen

In this episode, you'll learn: 

🧠 Why your thoughts matter more than your lesson plans
🧠 A 5-minute mindset check-in you can do before school starts
🧠 Two go-to strategies to manage unhelpful thoughts
🧠 How to create emotional relief without resorting to toxic positivity

Links & Resources: 

🎓 Course: Calm in the Classroom
Use code PODCAST for over 25% off

📷 Follow me on Instagram: @brennanelsoncoaching 

Forget test scores, admin approval, or Pinterest-worthy classrooms. This is about creating a definition of success that’s clean, empowering, and completely within your control.

You'll learn:

** Why most definitions of success leave teachers feeling anxious or defeated
** What a “clean goal” is—and how to create one
** How to shift your focus from external results to internal growth
** A simple mindset exercise to help you set the tone for your entire school year
** Why your worth as a teacher (and human) isn’t tied to your performance

Your success is yours to define.

You don’t have to earn your worth this year.

You’re already worthy.

Now let’s teach from that place.

🔗 Links & Resources:
🧘‍♀️ Calm in the Classroom - Resilient Teacher Course – Get the tools to regulate your nervous system, manage your mind, and create a more sustainable teaching life.

👉 brennanesloncoaching.com/calmteacher

🎉 Use code PODCAST for over 25% off for a limited time!

📌 Connect with Brenna:
Website: brennanesloncoaching.com
Instagram: @brennanesloncoaching

Subscribe & Review: If this episode helped you, share it with a teacher friend and leave a quick review!

** Why veteran teachers seem like they “have it all together” (and what’s actually true)

** The stand-up comedy story that reframes what it means to “figure out teaching”

** A life coach’s take on building confidence through repetition and resilience

** Encouragement for those in their first few years of teaching

**How to define success on your terms

🎁 Mentioned in this episode:
Calm in the Classroom - Teacher Resilience Course – My signature course for building emotional resilience as an educator.

Enroll at brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher and use code PODCAST for a special discount.

Follow along on Instagram @Next.Level.Teacher

What You’ll Learn:
**Why your job can’t create your happiness—and why that’s actually empowering
 
**A real-life teacher example of how thoughts shape your classroom experience

**The difference between blame and emotional responsibility

**Three mindset tools to help you feel better—without needing anyone else to change

**A gentle reminder that your worth is never tied to your job

This episode is for you if:
**You feel like your happiness is totally at the mercy of your admin, students, or workload

**You’re tired of waiting for the system to change before you can feel better

**You want practical, honest, and compassionate mindset support as a teacher

🎁 Mentioned in this episode:
 👉 Calm in the Classroom – a coaching-based course for teachers who want to feel more in control of their emotional wellbeing.
Use code PODCAST for a listener discount.

Follow along on IG: @Next.Level.Teacher

Do you struggle with setting and holding healthy teacher boundaries?

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, we’re breaking down the myths around boundaries and giving you practical tools to protect your time, energy, and peace of mind.

You’ll learn:
**Why boundaries don’t push people away—they actually strengthen relationships
**The biggest misconceptions teachers have about boundaries
**How to set limits without guilt, anger, or drama
**Five simple steps to creating boundaries that last
**Real-life examples of boundaries with students, parents, and colleagues

Boundaries aren’t about controlling others—they’re about protecting what matters most to you so you can show up as your best self in the classroom and beyond.

If you’re ready to prevent burnout and create a healthier balance in your teaching life, this episode is for you.

👉 Ready for more support?

Grab your first coaching session free at brennanelsoncoaching.com/free

Explore the Calm in the Classroom course at brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher

Tune in to Learn: 
** What toxic positivity really looks like in the classroom
** Why ignoring or “masking” emotions keeps you stuck
** How to allow and process stress in healthy ways
** The difference between resisting emotions vs. building resilience
** Practical tools to feel calm and grounded—without pretending everything’s fine

✨ Whether you’re battling burnout or just want better ways to handle teaching stress, this episode will give you clarity and real strategies you can start using right away. 

Resources + Links Mentioned in This Episode: 

Free 1:1 Coaching Session → brennanelsoncoaching.com/free

Calm in the Classroom: Modern-day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety  → brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher

FREE 5-Day Mini-Course: Why Self-care Doesn't Work for Teachers (And what to do instead!)  Click HERE to join! It's FREE!

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, I’m sharing 10 things resilient educators do differently—and how you can start practicing them right now.

You’ll learn:

**Why separating facts from drama protects your energy.
**How resilient teachers process emotions instead of resisting them.
**Simple shifts to question negative thoughts (and what I tell “Barbara,” my inner critic).
**How to generate useful emotions on purpose—even during grading marathons.
**Why having an identity outside of teaching makes you stronger inside the classroom.

Resilience isn’t about being perfect or never struggling—it’s about how quickly you bounce back. These 10 practices will help you build the habits that fuel strength, calm, and joy in teaching.

👉 Download the free guide, “10 Things Resilient Teachers Do Differently” at brennanelsoncoaching.com/resilient.

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, Brenna Nelson shares a 5-step framework that shows you how to prevent teacher burnout by working with your brain, emotions, and nervous system. You’ll walk away with practical tools you can use right away—not more “self-care tips” that don’t actually solve the problem.

If you’ve ever wondered why bubble baths and coffee runs aren’t enough to restore your energy, this episode will help you understand what’s really going on beneath the surface—and how to change it.

✅ What teacher burnout really is (and what it isn’t)
✅ Why self-care alone doesn’t work to prevent burnout
✅ How your brain’s survival mode may be keeping you stuck
✅ 5 practical steps to build resilience and restore calm in your classroom
✅ How to start rewiring your thought patterns with simple shifts

Resources & Links Mentioned
🎧 Listen to my episode on Toxic Positivity for a deeper dive--Click HERE.

💻 Want to go deeper? Check out my course, Calm in the Classroom, where I guide you step-by-step through this framework. Learn more here.

🆓 Looking for personalized help with YOUR situation? Sign up for a free one-on-one coaching session with Brenna! Click HERE to schedule.

📲 Connect with me on Instagram: @next.level.teacher

👉 Read more on The Next Level Teacher blog! Click HERE!

Next Steps
If this episode on how to prevent teacher burnout resonated with you, please:

❇️ Share it with a teacher friend who needs this message.
❇️ Follow the podcast so you never miss an episode.
❇️ Leave a review to help more teachers discover these tools for resilience and calm.

✨ Burnout doesn’t have to define your teaching journey. With the right framework, you can feel calmer, clearer, and more in control every day in your classroom.

✅ Why common teacher self care ideas often fall short
✅ The deeper reason teachers still feel burned out despite “self-care”
✅ The missing link: emotional regulation and nervous system awareness
✅ Practical strategies to support yourself beyond surface-level fixes

🆓 Free Mini Course: Why Self-Care Doesn’t Work for Teachers (and What to Do Instead)

📷 Follow me on Instagram: @Next.Level.Teacher

🔗 Learn more at The Next Level Teacher Blog. Click HERE!

If you’ve ever felt like teaching is more emotionally draining than you expected, this conversation will help you understand why—and what you can do about it.

✅ Why emotional regulation is rarely taught in teacher prep programs
✅ How your emotions affect your teaching more than you realize
✅ Why emotional regulation is the invisible foundation of effective pedagogy
✅ Practical next steps for new teachers who want to avoid burnout

💻 Course: Calm in the Classroom: Modern Day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety - The necessary teacher training you didn't get (but probably need!) Click HERE for more info! Use the discount code PODCAST to get over 25% off!

📷 Follow Brenna on Instagram: @Next.Level.Teacher

🔗 Learn more at The Next Level Teacher Blog. Click HERE!

✅ Why external validation never feels like enough
✅ How relying on outside approval creates burnout for teachers
✅ A simple mindset shift to help you remember your unshakable worth
✅ Listen in for encouragement and practical insight on breaking free from the cycle of conditional self-worth.

Related Episodes:
🎙️ Episode 4: Your Infinite Worth
🎙️ Episode 20: When Teachers Make Mistakes
🎙️ Episode 44: Embracing Imperfection - Breaking Free From Teacher Perfectionism

💻 Course: Calm in the Classroom: Modern Day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety - The necessary teacher training you didn't get (but probably need!) Click HERE for more info! Use the discount code PODCAST to get over 25% off!

📷 Follow Brenna on Instagram: @Next.Level.Teacher

🔗 Learn more at The Next Level Teacher Blog. Click HERE!

✅ Why mindset-only stress strategies often fall flat
✅ The role your nervous system plays in burnout prevention
✅ A two-step process: regulate first, reframe second

If you’ve ever tried to “think” your way out of stress without success, this episode will give you a more effective approach to preventing burnout.

💻 Course: Calm in the Classroom: Modern Day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety - The necessary teacher training you didn't get (but probably need!) Click HERE for more info! Use the discount code PODCAST to get over 25% off!

📷 Follow Brenna on Instagram: @Next.Level.Teacher

🔗 Learn more at The Next Level Teacher Blog. Click HERE!

In this episode, Brenna shares how teachers can handle disruptive students without yelling, snapping, or losing control. Using cognitive and emotional strategies and tools, she breaks down how your thoughts create your emotions — and how your emotional regulation can calm the room faster than any behavior chart.

You’ll Learn:
 ✅ Why student emotions feel contagious — and how to take charge of your own emotions.
 ✅ How to utilize The Model to manage your mind during classroom chaos.
 ✅ Simple thought shifts to stay calm when students act out.
 ✅ How your nervous system can help regulate your students’ nervous systems.
 ✅ Why your calm is the most powerful classroom management tool you have.

Mentioned in this episode:
 👉 Calm in the Classroom — Brenna’s signature course for teachers who want to reduce stress and stay emotionally grounded. brennanelsoncoaching.com/calm

Episode Summary:
Ever feel emotionally drained after a school day, even when nothing major “went wrong”? That’s the invisible load of teaching — the emotional labor no one sees but every educator feels.

In this episode, Brenna Nelson, educator and certified life coach for teachers, shares practical teacher stress relief tips to help you recognize emotional over-functioning, release what’s not yours to carry, and build sustainable calm in your classroom and your mind.

You’ll learn:
 ✅ What “the invisible load” really is and how it shows up in daily teaching life.
 ✅ Why so many teachers feel pressure to manage everyone’s emotions.
 ✅ How to use The Model to separate what’s yours from what isn’t.
 ✅ Practical teacher stress relief tips to decompress and reset after work.
 ✅ How to care deeply without burning out.

Mentioned in this episode:
 👉 Calm in the Classroom course: brennanelsoncoaching.com/calm

Episode Summary:
Teachers are some of the most caring professionals on the planet—and while that empathy makes you great at your job, it can also leave you emotionally exhausted. In this episode, Brenna Nelson, certified life coach for teachers, breaks down how to stop caring what other people think using practical mindset tools rooted in brain science.

You’ll learn:
 ✅ Why your brain is wired to care about others’ opinions (and how that’s not a moral flaw).
 ✅ The thought patterns that keep teachers trapped in overthinking, overworking, and perfectionism.
 ✅ How to create confidence that isn’t dependent on praise, evaluations, or approval.
 ✅ Real-life examples of shifting from external validation to internal calm.
 ✅ How to apply the Thought Model to stop rumination and emotional burnout.

Mentioned in this episode:
 👉 Calm in the Classroom course — learn to manage stress and emotions with thought work tools: brennanelsoncoaching.com/calm

You’ll learn how to give yourself grace, regulate your emotions, and find moments of peace and purpose even in the hardest seasons. Brenna shares real cognitive and emotional strategies rooted in neuroscience, including how to reframe your thoughts, process emotions, and create calm in your classroom even when everything feels like too much.

Because teaching is exhausting—but it’s also meaningful. And with the right mindset, compassion, and tools, you can keep showing up in powerful, sustainable ways.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
 ✅ Why it’s okay to not be at 100% when life gets tough
 ✅ How to offer yourself grace without giving up your standards
 ✅ A simple coaching model for managing emotional overwhelm
 ✅ How to stay effective and connected with your students, even in hard seasons
 ✅ Practical ways to find calm, purpose, and presence when teaching feels heavy

Mentioned in this episode:
 🎧 Calm in the Classroom course — Learn emotional regulation tools for teachers at brennanelsoncoaching.com/selfcare

Episode Su
mmary:
In this episode of The Next Level Teacher, Brenna explores one of the most emotionally demanding realities of education today: teachers supporting student mental health.

Teachers are increasingly asked to support students struggling with anxiety, trauma, and emotional regulation—all while managing lesson plans, behavior, and academic expectations. It’s a role that can feel both sacred and overwhelming.

Brenna offers a refreshing perspective rooted in life coaching and emotional wellness: the best way to help students is to start with your own inner work. You can’t pour from an empty cup. You can’t calm a dysregulated student when you’re in emotional overdrive yourself.

In this episode, you’ll learn how to support student mental health without overstepping your role or burning out. Brenna walks you through how to regulate your own emotions, set clear boundaries, and model the kind of calm and compassion that help students feel safe and connected.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
✅ Why teachers can’t (and shouldn’t) be therapists—and what your role actually is
✅ How emotional regulation in teachers helps students feel safe and grounded
✅ Practical strategies for supporting student mental health without burnout
✅ The power of healthy boundaries and emotional responsibility
✅ Why your self-care is an act of service, not selfishness

Mentioned in this episode:
✨ Calm in the Classroom course — Learn emotional regulation tools to create calm, connection, and resilience in your classroom.
Visit brennanelsoncoaching.com/calm

**Why the holiday season impacts your nervous system so intensely
**How joyful moments regulate your brain and improve mood, memory, and focus
**Why long to-do lists and seasonal chaos trigger stress responses
**Simple ways to support your nervous system during December
**Practical tools to help you feel calmer, steadier, and more grounded

Whether you’re thriving this season or barely hanging on, you’ll walk away with tools to help you protect your peace and your energy. 

Mentioned in this episode:
→ Calm in the Classroom, Brenna’s course to help teachers feel grounded and in control year-round. 

If you’ve been feeling stuck in negativity, overwhelmed by challenges, or drained after conversations with coworkers, this episode unpacks why—and what you can do about it. 

Inside, you’ll learn: 

**What complaining actually does to your brain
**How chronic negativity affects memory, mood, decision-making, and stress
**Why even listening to complaining can drain your energy
**The neuroscience behind “neurons that fire together, wire together”
**Simple ways to shift out of the “Grinch mentality”
**Four practical strategies to retrain your brain toward resilience

This episode is packed with teacher-friendly neuroscience, empowering mindset shifts, and realistic steps you can start using today. 

Mentioned in this episode:
→ Calm in the Classroom, Brenna’s step-by-step course to help teachers feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control. 

Teaching often trains our brains to focus on what’s missing — what’s underfunded, broken, or not working the way it should. And while wanting change in education is valid and necessary, constantly scanning for what’s wrong can quietly increase stress, burnout, and emotional exhaustion.

In this holiday-season episode of The Next Level Teacher, we pause — just briefly — to help teachers notice what is already working in education and in their classrooms.

This episode is not about toxic positivity, ignoring real problems, or settling for less.

It’s about giving your brain and nervous system a little relief during a season that can feel heavy.

Through a personal holiday story, life coaching insights, and simple neuroscience, we explore why teachers’ brains naturally focus on what’s lacking — and how gently shifting attention can help you feel calmer, steadier, and more grounded.

This is a reflective, supportive episode for teachers navigating stress, burnout, and the emotional weight of the holiday season.

In this episode, you’ll hear:
✅ Why the teacher brain is wired to notice problems first
✅ How negativity bias impacts teacher stress and burnout
✅ Why gratitude doesn’t mean ignoring broken systems
✅ A simple “holiday wish list” exercise for teachers
✅ How noticing progress can calm your nervous system
✅ How to hold space for both what’s hard and what’s working

This episode is for teachers who:
❤️ Feel overwhelmed, burned out, or emotionally drained
❤️ Care deeply about education and still want change
❤️ Struggle to “see the positive” without guilt
❤️ Want mindset support without pressure or platitudes
❤️ Are looking for calm and perspective during the holidays

Gratitude isn’t about pretending everything is fine.
 It’s about helping your nervous system feel safe enough to keep going.

🎧 Press play for a calming holiday perspective shift — created specifically for teachers.

The day after Christmas can feel many different ways for teachers — calm, joyful, heavy, quiet, lonely, or just plain exhausting. And all of it is valid.

In this gentle holiday episode of The Next Level Teacher, you’re invited to pause — without reflecting, fixing, or planning — and simply let yourself be human.

This episode offers a reminder teachers often need but rarely hear: you don’t have to earn rest, and you don’t need to feel motivated, grateful, or productive to be okay.

This episode is intentionally short, soft, and supportive — designed to meet teachers exactly where they are during winter break.

No pressure.
No goals.
No “making the most of your time off.”

Just permission to breathe.

In this episode, we talk about:
🔹Why there’s no “right” way to feel after the holidays
🔹How teacher brains struggle to fully turn off — even on break
🔹Why rest can feel uncomfortable (and why that makes sense)
🔹Separating thoughts from commands during quiet moments
🔹Letting your nervous system settle without effort or fixing

This episode is for teachers who:
🔹Feel emotionally tired after the holidays
🔹Are holding mixed feelings about winter break
🔹Struggle to rest without guilt
🔹Want a calm, grounding listen with no action steps
🔹Need reassurance more than advice

You don’t need to improve anything today.
 You don’t need to plan what’s next.
You are already allowed to rest.

🎧 Press play for a gentle reminder made just for teachers.

The New Year comes with a lot of pressure — especially for teachers. New routines. New systems. New versions of yourself.

But what if real change doesn’t come from doing more… it comes from doing less, more consistently?

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher, we’re talking about why most resolutions fail, why motivation isn’t the problem, and how small, sustainable shifts can create meaningful change — even on your hardest days.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, behind, or exhausted by the idea of “starting fresh,” this episode is a nice reset.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
✔️ Why New Year’s resolutions often create more pressure than progress
✔️ The difference between best-day habits and worst-day habits (and why the worst-day version matters most)
✔️ Why consistency beats intensity every time
✔️ How small shifts compound over time and build trust with yourself
✔️ What it really means to “show up” — without doing it perfectly
✔️ A simple exercise to help you identify one small shift that actually sticks

Key takeaway:
Nothing changes if nothing changes — but change doesn’t have to be big, dramatic, or exhausting.

One small, steady shift can completely change how this year feels in your classroom and in your life.

Ready to feel calmer in your classroom?
If one of your goals this year is to feel less overwhelmed, more regulated, and more at ease while teaching, check out my course Calm in the Classroom.

Inside, I teach teachers how to make subtle mindset, emotional, and nervous-system shifts that pay off in big ways over time.

👉 Learn more and enroll at brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, we talk about how to approach the new year as a teacher in a way that actually feels supportive, sustainable, and realistic. 

Whether you love New Year’s resolutions or secretly dread them, this conversation will help you reset your mindset without piling on guilt, shame, or unrealistic expectations. 

You’ll learn why so many teacher goals fall apart by February, how pressure-based motivation works against long-term change, and why self-compassion—not self-criticism—is the key to calmer classrooms and a more sustainable teaching career. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 
🎆 Why New Year’s resolutions can help—or hurt—teachers
🎆 How pressure, perfectionism, and shame block real change
🎆 The difference between goals driven by self-love vs. self-judgment
🎆 How to create change that feels lighter, not heavier
🎆 Why your thoughts matter more than the goal itself
🎆 How small mindset shifts can improve classroom management and teacher well-being

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or like you should be doing more this year, this episode offers a gentler, more effective way forward—one that supports your nervous system, your energy, and your future self. 

✨ Want support with a gentle reset?
Calm in the Classroom: Modern-Day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety is designed to help teachers feel calmer, more grounded, and more in control—without toxic positivity or hustle culture. 

Learn more at brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher. 

In this episode of The Next Level Teacher Podcast, we delve into why dealing with “difficult people” can feel overwhelming for teachers and what actually helps. 

You’ll learn why the problem isn’t just the other person’s behavior, but what’s happening inside your brain during those interactions—and how shifting your thinking can completely change your experience. 

This episode breaks down how the brain reacts to conflict, why social interactions can feel threatening even when we’re physically safe, and how relying on instinct alone often keeps teachers stuck in cycles of frustration, avoidance, or rumination. Most importantly, you’ll discover where your real power is—and how to use it. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 
☑️Why relationships are one of the biggest sources of teacher stress
☑️How powerless thinking keeps difficult situations stuck
☑️Why your brain reacts so strongly during conflict at school
☑️The difference between reacting vs. responding with intention
☑️How to stay emotionally steady when others are not
☑️Why struggling with difficult people is a skill gap—not a personal flaw

You’ll also hear how learning the right emotional and communication tools can transform the way you handle tough conversations—without becoming more confrontational, people-pleasing, or emotionally exhausted. 

✨ Want practical tools you can use right away?
I created a teacher-only masterclass called How to Deal with Difficult People to help you: 

🌟 Understand why certain people trigger you
🌟 Separate facts from the stories your brain creates
🌟 Take back emotional ownership
🌟 Set boundaries without guilt or anger
🌟 Approach difficult conversations with clarity and confidence

This short, practical masterclass is designed specifically for real school scenarios—coworkers, parents, administrators, and everyday interactions that teachers face.

It’s currently just $13 and gives you immediate access to tools that can make teaching feel calmer and more manageable.
 

👉 Learn more and sign up at brennanelsoncoaching.com/difficult 

You don’t need other people to change for teaching to feel better.
You don’t need to become someone else.
You just need the right tools.

Get them HERE!

You know the ones:
➡️ The email that makes your stomach drop.
➡️ The coworker or administrator whose name alone triggers tension.
➡️ The hallway you avoid to prevent running into that one teacher.

The interaction may only last a few minutes… but lingers emotionally for hours.

In this episode, I’m sharing a personal story about a professional relationship that once left me feeling small, defensive, and emotionally drained—and the realization that changed everything.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

🌟 Why certain interactions feel so overwhelming (and why it’s not a personal flaw)
🌟 How your nervous system plays a role in difficult conversations at school
🌟 Why “just don’t take it personally” doesn’t actually work
🌟 The internal skills that help teachers stay calm, grounded, and confident—even when the other person is tense or difficult
🌟 How to stop handing your peace over to someone else’s mood or reactions

If you’re a teacher who feels emotionally hijacked by certain people at work—students, parents, coworkers, or administrators—this episode will help you see those interactions differently and give you a more empowering way forward.

🎓 Want more support?
I created a masterclass called Dealing With Difficult People, designed specifically for teachers who want to feel steady, confident, and in control of themselves at work—no matter who they’re dealing with.

👉 Learn more and sign up HERE:
www.brennanelsoncoaching.com/difficult
 

Pre-suffering is what happens when we emotionally suffer over things that haven’t happened yet—worrying about lessons going wrong, difficult student behavior, parent emails, administrator observations, or even larger concerns outside of school.

While those concerns may be real and valid, constantly worrying about them doesn’t prevent problems or prepare us—it only doubles our stress and drains our energy in the present moment.

In this episode, you’ll learn:
👉 What pre-suffering is and why teachers are especially prone to it
👉 How worrying ahead of time increases anxiety and reduces effectiveness in the classroom
👉 Why pre-suffering doesn’t prevent problems or make them easier to handle
👉 How anxiety shuts down problem-solving and creative thinking
👉 Practical ways to return to the present moment and regulate your nervous system
👉 Simple actions that help break the cycle of rumination and worry

Staying grounded in the present moment is one of the most powerful ways to reduce teacher stress and create a more sustainable teaching experience. 

You don’t need to stop caring—you just don’t need to suffer twice.

✨ Want support breaking the cycle of worry?
Join me for a free coaching call where I’ll help you work through stress, anxiety, and overthinking in real time.

👉 Sign up here:  www.brennanelsoncoaching.com/free
Spots are limited, so grab a time that works for you.

If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking, “I’ll feel better in June,” this episode is for you.

Teaching is demanding, emotional, and deeply meaningful work—and joy doesn’t magically appear when stress disappears. Joy is something teachers can intentionally create, even during busy and imperfect school days.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ Why so many teachers unintentionally postpone joy until summer
✨ How your thoughts—not your circumstances—create your emotional experience at school
✨ A simple breakdown of The Life Coach School Model and how it applies to teaching
✨ How to reframe daily tasks (like grading) without pretending teaching is easy
✨ Three daily practices that help teachers intentionally create joy—without adding to their to-do list
✨ Common mindset traps that keep teachers stuck in stress and how to step out of them
✨ Why productivity doesn’t equal joy—and what actually does

You’ll walk away with practical tools you can start using today to feel lighter, more grounded, and more connected to what matters most in your classroom.

✅ Want support practicing this in real time?
Join me for a free coaching call, where we’ll apply these tools directly to your real teaching challenges.

👉 Sign up here: www.brennanelsoncoaching.com/free

💛 Take This With You:
Joy isn’t accidental. It’s intentional.
And as teachers—the people shaping future humans—you deserve to feel it now, not just in summer.

In this episode, Brenna shares a powerful truth: your brain’s default settings are designed to look for danger and problems — not peace and possibility. While this once kept humans safe, it now keeps many teachers stuck in cycles of overwhelm, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion.

You’ll learn why your brain naturally focuses on what’s wrong, how this affects your emotions and nervous system, and why it becomes harder to problem-solve or respond intentionally when you’re stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode.

Using relatable classroom examples and a memorable metaphor, Brenna explains how unmanaged thinking can create unnecessary suffering — and how you can begin stepping out of that pattern with awareness and simple mental skills.

This episode is for teachers who:

➡️ Feel emotionally drained by the school day
➡️ Notice constant stress or anxiety around emails, evaluations, or student behavior
➡️ Want to feel calmer, more confident, and in control of how they show up

Are you ready to stop reacting and start leading your life with intention?

There is a better way to teach — one that feels lighter, more sustainable, and more aligned with who you want to be in the classroom.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why your brain’s default mode makes teaching feel harder than it has to be
✅ How negative thoughts create emotional overwhelm and limit problem-solving
✅ What happens when your nervous system stays in fight, flight, or freeze
✅ The difference between unavoidable challenges and unnecessary suffering
✅ Why resilient teachers aren’t born that way — they build skills
✅ How managing your mind can transform your teaching experience

💛 Ready to Feel Calm and Confident in the Classroom?
If you’re ready to stop metaphorically “sitting on the tack” and start leading your classroom with clarity and calm, Brenna’s course Calm in the Classroom: Modern-Day Solutions to Teacher Stress, Overwhelm, and Anxiety is designed to help you do exactly that.

In this course, you will learn how to:

✨ Manage stress and emotional overwhelm
✨ Regulate your nervous system
✨ Show up confidently in difficult situations
✨ Build resilience no matter what your classroom throws your way

🎉 Use code PODCAST for 25% off
Visit: brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher

Ready to uplevel your teacher life? Click HERE to learn how!

Teachers are constantly walking a tightrope between pushing through and burning out. One voice says, “Try harder.” Another says, “You need to stop.” But how do you know which one is right?

In this episode, Brenna explores one of the most important emotional skills a teacher can develop: learning when to push through productive discomfort and when to honor real limits.

You’ll discover why the question isn’t simply push or rest, but why you’re choosing either one. Brenna explains how fear, guilt, and “shoulds” often disguise themselves as discipline or self-care — and how awareness helps you choose with intention instead of reacting on autopilot.

With relatable classroom examples and coaching-based insight, this episode helps teachers build discernment, emotional intelligence, and self-leadership so teaching can feel more sustainable and aligned with their values.

This episode is for teachers who:

👉 Feel torn between trying harder and needing a break
👉 Wonder if they’re being lazy or genuinely exhausted
👉 Want to grow without burning out
👉 Are ready to make choices based on clarity instead of fear

There is a middle path between hustle and collapse — and it starts with awareness.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
☑️ Why wellness advice often misses the mark for teachers
☑️ How to tell the difference between emotional resistance and true exhaustion
☑️ When pushing yourself leads to growth — and when it leads to burnout
☑️ Why rest can be an act of courage, not weakness
☑️ How self-awareness creates sustainable teaching
☑️ The key question that helps you decide: push or rest

Teaching will always have challenges — but it doesn’t have to be fueled by guilt, fear, or constant depletion. With the right skills, you can lead yourself with intention and build a teaching life that feels steadier and more sustainable.

Ready for More Help?

⭐ Free Mini-Coaching Session ⭐
Feeling Stuck? Bring any problem or challenge you're facing at school to a complimentary one-on-one coaching session with Certified Life Coach, Brenna Nelson. Click HERE to find a time that works for you!

📧 Weekly Teacher Tips 📧
Want weekly inspiration? Sign up to get weekly inspiration and teacher mindset tips to help you better navigate the ups and downs of life in the classroom! Click HERE to gain free access!

😠 How to Deal with Difficult People Masterclass 😠
Struggling with that "one" person at school? Not sure how to navigate a toxic situation? Dread interacting with that overly zealous parent? I've got you covered. Sign up for my "How to Deal with Difficult People Masterclass" and approach those tricky situations with calm, confidence, and clarity! Click HERE to learn how to show up as your best self!

What if the biggest thing shaping your teaching experience isn’t your students, your schedule, or your school… but the thoughts you practice every day?

In this episode, Brenna explores a powerful truth from psychology and neuroscience: your brain doesn’t believe what’s objectively true — it believes what you repeat. Whatever you rehearse in your mind becomes familiar, believable, and eventually shapes how you feel, how you act, and the results you create in your classroom.

Using the self-coaching model — thoughts create feelings, feelings drive actions, and actions create results — Brenna shows how repeated thinking can quietly reinforce stress, overwhelm, and self-doubt for teachers. 

She also explains why visualization and intentional thought practice can literally rewire the brain and create new emotional and behavioral patterns.

You’ll learn how your brain filters your classroom experience through the stories you tell yourself, why negative default thinking feels so convincing, and how to begin training your mind with purpose instead of letting it run on autopilot.

This episode is for teachers who:

✴️ Feel stuck in negative thought loops about teaching
✴️ Want to feel calmer and more confident in the classroom
✴️ Struggle with overwhelm, anxiety, or self-doubt
✴️ Are ready to take ownership of their inner world
✴️ Want to create a more intentional teaching experience

Your brain is always learning — the question is what you’re teaching it.

🎧 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
✅ Why your brain believes repetition more than truth
✅ How thoughts create emotions and drive your classroom behavior
✅ The role of visualization in rewiring your brain
✅ Why default thinking leads to stress and intentional thinking leads to agency
✅ Simple steps to begin practicing new thoughts on purpose
✅ How small repetitions create powerful change over time.

Teaching doesn’t have to feel driven by stress and self-doubt. When you learn to manage your thoughts intentionally, you create a calmer, more empowered classroom experience — from the inside out.

Ready for More Help?

⭐ Free Mini-Coaching Session ⭐
Feeling Stuck? Bring any problem or challenge you're facing at school to a complimentary one-on-one coaching session with Certified Life Coach, Brenna Nelson. Click HERE to find a time that works for you!

📧 Weekly Teacher Tips 📧
Want weekly inspiration? Sign up to get weekly inspiration and teacher mindset tips to help you better navigate the ups and downs of life in the classroom! Click HERE to gain free access!

😠 How to Deal with Difficult People Masterclass 😠
Struggling with that "one" person at school? Not sure how to navigate a toxic situation? Dread interacting with that overly zealous parent? I've got you covered. Sign up for my "How to Deal with Difficult People Masterclass" and approach those tricky situations with calm, confidence, and clarity! Click HERE to learn how to show up as your best self (even when others don't)!

What if the key to becoming a calmer, more confident teacher had nothing to do with classroom management strategies—and everything to do with how you train your brain? 

In this episode, Brenna shares an inspiring story from Olympic gold medalist Eileen Gu, who credits much of her success not just to physical training, but to mental training—intentionally shaping how she thinks under pressure. 

And here’s the powerful truth:
You don’t have to be an elite athlete to benefit from this same process. 

Teachers can use neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to rewire itself—to create more calm, confidence, and joy in the classroom. 

In this episode, you’ll learn: 

What neuroplasticity really means (in simple, human language)
How your daily thoughts are shaping your teaching experience
Why teachers are especially vulnerable to stress-based thinking patterns
How to train your brain for patience, emotional regulation, and resilience
Why thought work is just like building muscle—small reps done consistently
How to stop living on “default mode” and start living intentionally

If you’ve ever thought: 

“I’m exhausted.”
“This is too much.”
“I don’t have enough time.”
“My students are impossible.”

This episode will show you how to gently retrain your brain—without toxic positivity or pretending teaching is easy. 

Your brain is the most powerful tool you bring into your classroom every day. And when you learn how to use it intentionally, teaching doesn’t have to feel so heavy.  

🔗 Resources Mentioned 

Calm in the Classroom
Learn how to use your brain to work for you instead of against you.
Visit: https://www.brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher
Use code PODCAST for 25% off
30-day money-back guarantee 

What if the reason teaching feels so heavy isn’t because of what happened today… but because your brain keeps replaying yesterday?

In this episode, we’re talking about the difference between ruminating and actually processing emotions—and why so many teachers stay stuck in stress without realizing it.

Teachers are natural problem-solvers. So when something goes wrong—a difficult student interaction, a tough parent email, or a lesson that flops—our brains go straight into analysis mode. We replay it, dissect it, and try to “figure it out.” It feels productive… but often, it’s just practicing distress.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

➡️ Why rumination feels like emotional work but actually keeps stress stuck
➡️ The key difference between thinking about your feelings and feeling them
➡️ How unprocessed emotions pile up and make teaching feel heavier over time
➡️ Why processing emotions is faster (and kinder) than ruminating
➡️ A simple way to recognize when you’re looping vs. releasing

If you’ve ever found yourself replaying a classroom moment at 1 a.m., this episode will help you understand what’s really happening—and how to finally let it move through instead of living rent-free in your head.

🎧 Tune in to learn how to stop practicing distress and start creating emotional relief—one feeling at a time.

Do you ever replay a difficult classroom moment over and over in your mind?

Maybe it’s something a student said, a parent email, or a moment in class you wish you had handled differently.

Hours later—sometimes even after you get home—you’re still thinking about it.

In this episode, we’re talking about the brain chatter that keeps teachers stuck in those loops of rumination and stress.

In the previous episode, we talked about how rumination often masquerades as “processing,” when in reality we’re just replaying the same moment again and again. Today, we take that conversation one step further and explore how to quiet the mental chatter that creates those emotional spirals in the first place.

You’ll learn why your brain keeps offering those repetitive thoughts (hint: it’s actually trying to help you), why rumination keeps teachers feeling tense and exhausted, and what you can do to gently interrupt the cycle.

When you understand how your brain works—and learn how to guide it with more intention—you can stop feeding the mental loops that keep you stuck and start creating more calm and clarity in your day.

• Why your brain replays difficult classroom moments on repeat
• The difference between processing emotions and ruminating
• How rumination feeds stress and keeps your nervous system activated
• Simple ways to interrupt the mental loop when your mind won’t let something go
• How presence and awareness help quiet the brain so you can actually solve problems
• Small daily practices that help retrain your brain for calm

This episode is a powerful reminder that your brain is not the enemy—it’s simply running on default settings that were designed to protect you.

But when you learn how to guide your thinking instead of automatically believing every thought your brain offers, you can create a much calmer teaching experience.

Because the truth is you don’t have to listen to every negative story your brain tells you.

So I asked myself a simple question:

The answer might surprise you.

It’s not a classroom management strategy.
It’s not a behavior system.
And it’s not another productivity trick.

It’s this:

Not because you control your students or the system—but because you can learn to work with the most powerful tool you bring into the classroom every day:

In this episode, we explore how the thoughts your brain practices shape your daily teaching experience—and how small shifts in focus can dramatically change how teaching feels.

Same classroom. Same students. Same circumstances.

But a completely different experience.

• Why two teachers can have completely different experiences with the same students
 • How your brain determines what feels stressful in the classroom
 • Why joyful and calm teachers aren’t just “naturally positive”
 • Simple ways to start training your brain for more peace and resilience
 • Small daily practices that can transform how teaching feels

To celebrate 100 episodes, I’m offering $100 off my course Calm in the Classroom where I teach these exact skills in depth. Click HERE to get the tools!

Use code 100 for a limited-time discount.

👉 Learn more: brennanelsoncoaching.com/calmteacher

Teaching is built on thousands of small moments—but most teachers move so quickly from one responsibility to the next that they rarely pause long enough to notice when something actually goes well. 

In this episode, Brenna shares a recent personal “small win” and explains why it’s so important for teachers to intentionally recognize the quiet victories that happen every day. 

Our brains naturally focus on mistakes, problems, and what still needs fixing. That’s helpful for problem-solving, but it can also make it feel like nothing we do is ever enough. 

When we intentionally pause to notice a small win—whether it’s a calm response to a challenging moment, a student finally participating, or simply getting through a hard day with kindness—we begin to train our brains to see a fuller picture of our impact. 

In this episode you’ll learn: 

Why teachers’ brains naturally overlook their successes
How small wins shape your experience of teaching
One simple reflection question to ask yourself at the end of the day

Because the life of a teacher isn’t defined by one big breakthrough. 

It’s shaped by the small victories we choose to see. 

Reflection Question:
What is one small win from today?