Do you need to teach yourself some self-care?
Wellbeing and self care have never been more important. With increasing pressures on all fronts, it’s vital that teachers guard their own wellbeing. Refresh yourself, rediscover yourself and reassess your priorities …
Sometimes teachers don’t know where to start. Here are 5 quick teacher self-care tips to kick start your summer break.
1. Disconnect
Take a break from Twitter, TikTok and all the rest. Switch off the socials (irony very much noted).
We live in a world where everyone else seems to have it sussed. Leading to heighten emotions, anxiety and a whole host of ‘I’m not good enough’. Many of us teach students the dangers of too much time scrolling and the many exaggerations of the internet. Perhaps it is time for us to listen to ourselves!
Step back, and take notice of the positives in your real world.
A break from our devices can go a long way to help recentre ourselves on our true priorities. Many smartphones now come with the ability to set limits on apps (for those of us who couldn’t face going cold turkey).
2. Reconnect
Now you have disconnected, you will feel your mind and time begin to clear. Use this time to reconnect with those important people in your life.
Teaching, like many professions, demands a lot from you; emotionally, intellectually and physically. Term-time sees us often neglect some of our relationships or prevents us from developing new ones.
Call that friend, arrange that date, and book that cooking class you always wanted to try!
3. Clear the Clutter
Whilst minimalism as a way of life might not appeal to you, clearing out the clutter can calm your mind and increase your wellbeing. Our spaces can often reflect our state of mind.
A clear space can give you a fresh break from the year past.
Start with the room you are going to spend the most time in. If that’s too much, start clearing your desk at work before leaving for summer (In September, you will be glad). Look at everything you have as you sort through … Have you used it in the last few months? Does it bring you value? Does it bring you joy?
If the answer is ‘No’, stick whatever it is into a box for the charity shop or sell the items online; someone else will find the value or joy.
4. Give yourself a break
Take a holiday. Take a holiday from your everyday life.
You don’t have to spend a fortune, or even go anywhere for that matter. Book a time to relax; set yourself an afternoon, a day, a week. In that time do what you would want to do on holiday. You can involve the whole family if you want; there’s something novel about taking a holiday in your own house.
Prepare your favourite food and drinks the day before. Dig out your familiar dog-eared book. Choose your holiday outfit. And then it’s as simple as heading into the garden, the local park, beach or tourist attraction.
The trick is to act as if you are on holiday. All the benefits of a holiday, non of the getting up for a 6 am flight!
5. Find the balance
The biggest goal for your wellbeing is to seek balance in your life. Allow time to disconnect, reconnect, clear your space and take a break. Balance your priorities with a focus on you and those people and things you care about.
Remember
- Refresh yourself
- Rediscover yourself
- Reassess your priorities.
Teachers often make terrible students. We know it all and we’ve seen these strategies and these policies before. Please do yourself a favour, and teach yourself some self-care. Come September, you will be thankful.
Self-care is so important! Especially as educators, we focus so much on taking care of others and often forget to give ourselves a break. Your post is a great reminder of what steps I can take to rebalance myself while I’m always from school. Thank you!