¿DID YOU KNOW THAT EMOTIONS ARE CONTAGIOUS?

In my past reflection I spoke about the personal development of people in times of pandemic, because as a teacher I am convinced of all the effects that we are experiencing because of it together with various social problems that also hit the emotional health of all and more very hard in which we have double responsibility as parents and teachers, in a situation that is not easy at all but as I have always said if together we still make efforts we will better manage our emotions, since in life nothing is forever and today we teachers have to understand that education total that we are developing with our students is transitory

However, it is necessary to bear in mind that negative emotions are transferable and highly contagious.

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In relation to this, I was struck by an educational article that I just read where it is detailed that the mental health of teachers worsened since the pandemic, yielding a very significant percentage in the most common symptoms such as:
Anxiety 59%
Insomnia 55.1%
Irritability 41%
Increased appetite 31.4%

These figures are really worrying in those people who have the responsibility of educational guidance in any nation in the world

Since we know that the school is the fundamental axis to strengthen the foundations and emotions of the students and being a teaching professional, the teacher is responsible for guiding the students in their learning process, but as a teacher ¿ in these circumstances they will be able carry out effectively their function when the present limitations is a negative action on their mental health? and therefore this also affects their students

It is important to remember and keep in mind that emotions are contagious have a brutal impact on the intelligence of children and certainly emotions leave a mark on the body, be it positive or negative, therefore this current situation is worrying in some teachers

However, it is necessary to bear in mind that occupational mental health is a representation of preventive health that personalizes a state of integral well-being of the worker and is transferred to the entire group since negative emotions are transferable and highly contagious, since in the opinion of of this psychologist named Pekrun
"Emotions play an important role in the psychological life of the student and have a high influence on motivation and cognitive strategies and, therefore, on learning and school performance"
(Pekrun, 1992)

In this sense, it is essential that teachers maintain good mental health but unfortunately the statistics are providing us with a worrying percentage to which we must pay more attention in order to be able to solve part of this situation that is not easy but not impossible.

With the firm conviction that a comprehensive education should be promoted in the school where we, the teachers, have this great responsibility, although it must be articulated with the entire student and community collective, once again I urge you to join forces and do everything in your power. within our reach to protect our mental health because that way we will be protecting ourselves and in turn we also protect the emotions of the students

How will we do it?

In the opinion of Amanda Céspedes, a psychiatrist at the University of Chile, she insists that the first thing we must do is face emotional education, this task, according to the expert, must be approached in a comprehensive manner where tools that last over time are provided, such as multidisciplinary measures focused on individual work, effective group techniques in the treatment of conflicts and organizational strategies within schools

This situation requires necessary strategies that can be addressed effectively in a space where we are limited by a pandemic where we must all know the magnitude of adversity which must be faced in a positive way, seeking a true effectiveness of the problem, first of all believing in ourselves that we are capable because we are the size of the commitment and obviously as teachers we have a role of transcendence in the future of our students as well as in our family

Another aspect that the teacher must focus on despite adversities for the sake of our health and that of our students who also feel confused and some distant because of the way they receive their activities where some cannot comply with it due to some limitations is keep calm look for new tools and be flexible since we are in a context of uncertainty where we need to have the best disposition, courage and the faith necessary to face it since this is not the end of the process the more positive we stay the better we will face the situation and thus we will be lowering that level or pressure of effects that today can be very dangerous for everyone
In the same way, we must make efforts to try to take care of our physical health because if we are physically ill, it will obviously affect our emotions, many times we must disconnect from some situations that affect us to positively prepare ourselves to prepare our activities to clear up doubts and calmly handle all of them. the questions or insecurity that our students handle by e-mail or WhatsApp. ...

Dear colleagues, the situation we face is not easy, but we can solve it because we were trained to face challenges in any field, fostering self-confidence at all times, which allows us to believe that if we can advance in the difficulties that arise in the worst of times. the scenarios and assume our responsibility for health and seek the necessary help to face this unknown world for many

The constant development of digital technologies and the Internet has caused us to live in a digital context based on connections. The way of learning has changed and, therefore, the way of teaching.
Knowledge is networked and the teachers must be the ones who accompany the students in their learning process. Technology alone does not guide; For this reason, the work of the teacher is today more important than ever, an issue that forces us to take care of our health, which unfortunately seems destined to be deteriorated in the teaching community since in this sense it becomes more complicated

This new situation that has determined a negative effect on many teachers in some nations forces us and requires us to be attentive and start working in favor of these manifestations of: anxiety, Insomnia, Irritability and increased appetite since the proper functioning of these emotions that Obviously they have had a negative effect on the mental health of the teachers, the success of our health and that of our family and students depends on the good development of us and well-being of the entire social group

We cannot face any positive situation when there are negative emotional manifestations in our health and if we as teachers express it, we are not prepared to promote learning in students because emotions are contagious.

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Emotional contagion is explained by mirror neurons in our brain that are involved in empathy. What neuroscience is discovering is that by observing the actions of another person, the same area of the brain is activated that would be activated if we were performing that action ourselves. In other words, the same neurons fire when we perform that action or simply observe it. It is as if this neuron adopts the other person's point of view.

From this it follows that emotions are highly transmissible and immediately affect other people who are in our environment, which implies that our students are a reflection of our emotions by capturing every detail and negative or positive orientation for their mental and social development. as for your learning

Bibliographic references: Emotional intelligence, teacher's website