Your body, a bit like a jazz band, has its own groove... a deep-down, inbuilt beat that jams with the melody of the birds and the perpetual motion of the sun. It’s our Circadian Rhythm, aka ‘body clock’, an internal timer that registers light and regulates hormones, digestion and temperature accordingly. So, when we harmonise with our own metronome and have a healthy relationship with the rise and fall of the sun, we naturally will feel better, think better and sleep better.

What are Circadian Rhythms?

Circadian Rhythms were first described in 1729 by French Astronomer Jean Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan after he noted the leaves of a mimosa plant opening in the morning and closing in the evening… even in a dark room. In the centuries since, scientists have learned that the same 24-hour cycle orchestrates physical, mental, and behavioural changes across the tree of life, from animals to plants and even microbes.

Light and dark are the biggest triggers of circadian responses; however, stress, temperature, physical activity, and nutrition also play key roles depending on the species. But just because we use the same clock as an owl, doesn’t mean we should mimic its schedule. It goes without saying that rhythmic responses are species-dependent, but given some variations, don’t worry if you’re a ‘hoot’ after midnight, but more on that later. In evolutionary terms, these behavioural rhythms have been preserved and honed over time; as they say, the early owl catches the mice! (Cermakian & Boivin, 2003).

The Human Clock

You might be familiar with the human circadian rhythm; after all, it governs your daily routine, but deep in your cells, it is an inbuilt mechanism that controls your hormone release, body temperature, digestion, appetite, and sleeping patterns. This clock is less of a metaphor and more of a protein timer, but it is a bit different to the one on the front of your oven. Proteins in our cells create a 24-hour cycle by turning each other on and off in a specific rhythm commanded by the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus or, more legibly, the SCN). This collection of 20,000 nerve cells in our brain observes light signals and resets this cycle daily, acting like a master clock (Reppert & Weave, 2002). This helps regulate sleep by releasing melatonin at night, when there isn't much light to make us sleepy. Conversely, morning light reduces melatonin levels and increases cortisol, helping us to get up in the morning and stay awake (Duffy & Czeisler, 2009).

While it might feel as if the 2019 school year has just wound up, the 2020 classes have already begun. How did that come around so fast?

This may have felt like a strange, and at times tense, summer in Australia. Some people are coming back to work feeling more exhausted than when they went on holiday. Whether you are teaching in a community directly impacted by fires or somewhere kilometres from it all but seeing the impact on the news, it has been the overarching story of the new decade. As teachers, you are often called upon to be the emotional glue in your community while balancing teaching plans, marking and increasing workloads.

This is a time to get to know your community and to look after each other. Being mutually supportive at this time of year can help us to get back into the swing of life.  As well as being there for colleagues and friends, helping other people is a great technique of self care. We get an emotional boost when we are kind to others and when we offer support to others – it makes us feel connected, and strengthening social bonds allows us to draw on the support from others when we feel personally or professionally overwhelmed.

AccessEAP are part of your professional community. We offer 24-hour phone counselling if you feel that you are in a crisis, as well as providing face to face counselling at a few days notice. The ability to share your worries can help you to gain perspective and find solutions, and as your school allows you to have access to multiple sessions with a counsellor each year, we can provide an outlet valve for the stresses that modern teaching can bring. As well as educator, your role includes pastoral care of your students and at times, their families. So while you are available for a range of supports for those around you, AccessEAP is part of the network that is here to support you in supporting those around you.

Work stress often starts small – restless nights, feeling uncharacteristically snappy, or blue. Being on the lookout for changes in how you feel before they become significant can make it easier to address problems. Making contact with an AccessEAP counsellor earlier can make returning to normal smoother. And if there are issues that are impacting on the whole teaching faculty – like talking to students about the images we all witnessed this summer – we also provide training to organisations on a range of issues. We have training which can be delivered to your organisation or by webinar, with topics like Resilience through Change, Managing Challenging Behaviours, and Burnout and Compassion Fatigue. We offer direct support for managers who are holding teams together, by phone and in-person as needed through our Manager Support Hotline.