Do not let your job stress you out!  Are you kitten me right meow? No really – you can do it, just use Pete’s technique of turning a negative situation into a positive one.  You’re going to have difficult days where you feel like you just stepped into a pile of mud, but you’re also going to have great days when all the mud is washed away.

Like Pete’s advice “it’s all good”, self talk goes a long way in diminishing teacher stress.   I love the idea of changing negative self talk into an empowering question.   If you find yourself thinking, “This class just won’t be quiet,” try changing that thought to “How can I encourage this class to be quiet?”  Or if you’re thinking “They never remember to start a sentence with a capital letter,” change that thought to “What can I do to help them remember to start a sentence with a capital letter?”  This way you’re not avoiding problems, but you are tackling them in a positive way.

Oh, and we all know that Pete loved to walk around singing his song.  Pete just might be on to something there.  Did you know studies have shown that “playing and listening to music benefits both mental and physical health?”  Listening to music can increase immunity (disease fighters), decrease cortisol (stress hormone) levels, and increase dopamine (feel good chemical).  Wow, and all for the price of a song.  No meds needed.  Try playing soothing background music in your classroom to see if you and your student reap the same benefits as Pete.

Remind yourself to sing Pete the Cat’s phrase “it’s all good”  when you’re stressed to get your groovy calm back. That’s how I roll.

Watch author Erik Litwin perform Pete the Cat I Love My White Shoes.  You’ll feel better 🙂 Really.

Some Pete the Cat items: