A teacher’s job has an essential contribution towards every aspect of development a country needs, being saddled with such huge responsibility could pose a negative effect on the health of teachers which could in a way affect their productivity. Several studies have shown that the mental and physical health of a teacher are major determinants of their work ability and some of the factors that influence the state of health are lifestyle, income, workload, presence of a disease condition amongst others. Burn out, inability to afford healthcare services, poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyle are some of the results reflected by the body when affected by the aforementioned factors. This article aims to enlighten teachers on ways to maintain a good health status which will enable them carry out their duties effectively and also enjoy the goodness of life.

The World Health Organisation have defined Health as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. What this simply translate is that there is more to being healthy than being free from disease(s) so, even if one is living with a disease condition, such person can still maintain a healthy status.

Some of the ways teachers can attain a better health include:

Food: most teachers are underpaid however, this is not an excuse to be malnourishedthe importance of good food to the overall health is often underestimated and “good food” doesn’t have to be expensive, for every expensive food, there is always a cheaper alternative. Eating all classes of meal in their right proportion helps to build the immune system thereby, making it easy for the body to fight off diseases. As important as good food is, drinking clean water regularly is also of utmost importance since water is one of the classes of food. A balanced meal with regular water intake, equals a healthy body system.

Rest: teachers are usually saddled with a lot of responsibilities. Writing the lesson note, lesson plan, sourcing for instructional aid to ensure effective learning, some even taking extra classes and the list goes on, these and more might leave teachers with little to no time to rest. However, it is vital for teachers to take resting seriously, taking some minutes or hours to rest each day is necessary to ensure continuously effectiveness in carrying out their responsibilities as several researches confirmed there is a significant relationship between the effect of stress on the teacher and the students’ performance. Rest also guarantees teachers a stable mental and emotional wellbeing.

Health insurance: teaching is one of the lowest paying job which is a major reason most teachers are unable to afford a good health care considering how expensive a good health service is, most will rather seek unprofessional or substandard alternatives. Health insurance schemes are very much affordable now, with packages for every economic class, just search for the available brands and the care centres they partner with then make your choice. Having a health insurance is like a parachute that guarantees safe landing whenever one is sick and short on cash, one can always visit the clinic and seek immediate treatment.

Proactivity: teachers need to adopt the habit of being proactive especially when it comes to their health, regular blood pressure and blood sugar checks, seeking immediate medical treatment when symptoms are felt, and generally just taking their health seriously. Also, people living with a medical condition should abide by all recommendations and seek help when necessary.

Support system:  maintaining good relationship with friends and family members is a way of strengthening our support system, these are the people who we turn to for comfort when we feel emotionally drained or need to make a decision. Having a good support system will promote mental and emotional wellbeing thereby, promoting total health.

Exercise: the importance of exercise in keeping most of the body organs active and the entire boy fit cannot be overemphasized. Being physical active through exercise does not necessarily require a gym as the subscription for gym membership are usually expensive. Though a gym might have all the necessary equipment for exercise however, there are other ways to keep the body system active which will almost not need an equipment, some of which are jogging, taking a walk, skipping, jumping and so much more.

Teachers are a major stakeholder in moulding the future of school children and their overall health status influences their ability to build school-children into the best of shapes, becoming empowered with the knowledge on how to strike a balance between work and health should be vital to all teachers. Staying healthy for teachers should be a top priority as the future of a lot of school-children lies in their hands.