Self care is a funny thing. Everyone says to do it, but it always takes too much time.
Take a bubble bath, they said. No time! Eat well and exercise they tell you! I barely have time to eat breakfast most days. I’m affectionately labeled Hot Mess Express in my house. I come crashing out of the house with one shoe on, a handful of random items, and mysteriously missing the one thing I went back in the house to find.
*Sigh*
So, I need something kind of simple. Here’s my busy teacher’s guide to self care:
- Give yourself 10 minutes at your desk in the morning to breathe, drink your coffee and set your intention.
- After you brush your teeth, get cozy in bed and read one page in your book (NOT ABOUT TEACHING…I’m watching you…)
- Give yourself permission to eat what you need to keep going during September-December. I’m not saying eat a tub of lard per night…but the truth is, you likely don’t have time for family cooked meals every night. If you really want to be a hero, get tapped into Hello Fresh. (Yes, that’s what I use, and if you click my code, I may
or may notget free stuff.) - Be kind to yourself, and stop taking things personally. I call this my wall. Most everything someone says to you is about THEM, not you. So, get curious about people’s motivations, and put up an imaginary wall when you are talking to difficult people. Then reflect on them later.
- Exercise, but you said I didn’t have time, you’re right. You probably don’t have time to train for a marathon, or do that 60 minute turbo workout. What you do have time to do? Walk the dog, take a quick brisk walk after work, do a 15-20 minute HIIT workout on your tv. This is for the endorphins, which help you stay positive, relieve stress, and keep you sane. This isn’t about weight loss people, this is about SANITY!
The biggest issue with teaching (and also parenting, but that’s another post altogether), is that we are taking care of people all day. Self-care for busy teachers is just about taking a moment to just be kind to yourself, and not expect perfection.
Also, it’s fine to be the Hot Mess Express sometimes, I mean, I do it every day!