Mental Health in Education: Beyond Hashtags

Mental health in education has become a trending topic, buzzwords we all feel good saying, but rarely act on. Institutions post pictures of Mental Health Day activities, but behind the curated moments, the real struggles, especially those of educators, remain invisible.

No one asks the teachers how they are doing. No one stops to offer a real break, a cup of tea, a substitute class, or even a listening ear.

Leaders, if you truly care, go beyond performative gestures. Ask appreciative inquiry-based questions and really listen to the answers. Provide the small kindnesses that matter, snacks in the staff room, surprise holidays, free spa vouchers, even a simple mental health survey. Let your people know you see them.

Because when your team feels valued and supported, they’ll move mountains for you.

It’s not about showing you care.
It’s about actually caring

I read a book written by the father of Emotional Intelligence, Daniel Goleman which states how everyone of us has two minds, one that we actually use for thinking and one that FEELS!

“In a very real sense we have two minds, one that thinks and one that feels.”
— Daniel Goleman

This quote resonated deeply with me-because I’ve lived it.

There were many moments at work when I constantly receive vague instructions from a senior leader who seemed more interested in issuing commands than offering clarity. Logically, I could’ve just followed through and “ticked the box.” But emotionally, I was drained. Frustrated. Resentful. I wanted to push back, to voice my irritation—but I didn’t.

Instead, I paused and recognized that what I was feeling mattered just as much as what I was thinking. That emotional response carried insight: I wasn’t just reacting to the task, but to how I was being treated. It made me realize how often educators’ emotions are overlooked in favor of productivity.

Goleman’s quote reminded me that good leadership—and good systems—must honor both minds: the thinking one, and the feeling one.

Because ignoring the emotional landscape doesn’t make it disappear. It just makes people disconnect.

Let’s be better leaders and take care of our people!

With this article, I have taken the first of many steps, have you?

“In a very real sense we have two minds, one that thinks and one that feels.”
— Daniel Goleman