Sunday, September 25, 2016

Self Care for Teachers

*I’m writing this post because I need to start truly putting it into practice myself.*

I am a little overwhelmed, and it is only the middle of September. I find that while I will be first one to check on other’s needs, I often times neglect my own needs. For teachers especially, when you focus on and spend so much time meeting the needs of others, you forget to meet your needs. But the reality I face is very simple: I can’t be the best for my students and do what is best for them when I am tired, overwhelmed, unfocused, and not motivated.

Over the past few days and weeks, I have been trying to find ways to better care for myself, and I have found five things that I’m going to live by when it comes to Self Care.

  1. Week day just for you: Monday nights are very important to me. Sometimes events need to happen on Mondays, but I keep that one night a week open for things just for me. Mondays are always crazy and just to have the start of the week to chill and focus for the rest of the week is so important. Plus this is also when Dancing with the Stars and The Bachelor/Bachelorette happens. All important things. So if I agree to meet you on a Monday, know you are very special too me!
  2. Find your TRIBE: My friends and family are my tribe of people. Having a group of lean on and gather support from is so critical. I am so thankful for the love and advice they give me. Plus, we have fun! Yay fun!
  3. Learn to say no: This is a hard one for me. I’m working on it; just remember, sometimes you might think you are the right person for the job, but someone else can do that job too.
  4. Ask for help when you need it: This is another one I am working on. I can’t do it all, and I need help sometimes; there is nothing wrong with delegating tasks. Also there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking help by talking to a professional. Sometimes people need that next step. Seeking help is never a sign of weakest in my book.
  5. Walk away from the unimportant: I’m in this season now. I love my family/PLN that I have grown since I started participating in the #oklaed Sunday chats. However, lately those chats have left me more overwhelmed than refreshed and started to cause some stress. For me I need a little break. I’m not saying my Sunday night Twitter chat is a bad thing or unimportant (I will start chatting again), but for right now in this season I need to walk away. I think just a few weeks without participating will only enhance my experiences when I return.
  6. Remember your passion and calling: I have been called to teach. This is all I have ever wanted to do with life. Impacting the lives of children is far more important than any amount of stress in my life. I need to remember and remind myself daily that it is and will be worth it. My why for this job is far greater than my stress.

What works for me might not work for you--and that is okay--but please take time to take care of yourself. If you aren’t at your best, your students can tell, and they will pick up on that as well. Just be you, and be the best you that you can be.

2 comments:

  1. A funny thing happened to me this summer. I gave my leadership team a lecture about taking care of their own needs and sharpening their swords and all of that good stuff. All the while, I was getting sick. Long story short, I spent six weeks starting at the end of June with a PICC line in my arm taking IV antibiotics 3 times a day. I missed a crazy amount of work in July.

    We really do have to listen to our bodies. Great post, as usual!

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    1. I had to go and reread what I wrote during my lunch today because I was finding myself getting way stressed out about something dumb! Thank you for reading and commenting!

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