Beating the ‘back-to-school blues’: podcast

Are you feeling stressed, physically unwell, and dragging your feet to enter the classroom? you might be experiencing back-to-school blues, a psychology expert said.

University of Queensland Professor of Clinical Psychology Vanessa Cobham said feeling gloomy at the beginning of the school year is a perfectly normal feeling, however, it can lead to more serious mental health issues if not dealt with.

"Back-to-school blues can impact teachers' work as they will feel less enthusiastic, less engaged, they will have a hard time forming a relationship with students and dealing with their workload," Professor Cobham said.

"Ultimately, in more serious cases, it can lead teachers to take on sick leave and increase the shortages."

Cobham joined Education Review to discuss what strategies schools can put into place to ease back-to-school blues in teachers and students alike.