We are in the giving profession, and if you are giving all the time and don't give back to yourself you run the risk of bleeding out... and when you bleed out you have nothing left to give.
These are the paraphrased words I heard from Celia Lashlie several years ago at a Teachers Matter conference, they struck a chord then and they still do.
Self care is an act of kindness, not only for you but for the learners in your care too. Our wellbeing isn't just about us, it allows us to continue giving the best that we can in the current circumstances, whatever they happen to be at the time. I wrote my Masters of Education research on the topic of teacher wellbeing and the key finding is as follows:
Happy, healthy teachers tend to have happier, healthier classrooms where learners tend to do better academically, socially and emotionally.
We are coming to the end of what is the most unusual term I have had so far in my career. Covid-19 and all that came with it has meant that we have had to cope with stressors that many of us have never been exposed to before; some of us have had to adapt quickly to changing circumstances whilst at the same time providing calm support for others in our care. For many of us this term has had it's fair share of difficulties. As we come to the end of the term it's not surprising that many of us are a little wrung out. When all of this is considered, the question I ask myself is how can we aim to be happy and healthy as the end of the term approaches? I don't have all the answers, not by a long shot, but I thought I would share a few ideas (in no particular order) around self care that might help.
First and foremost, remember that self care is not selfish!
- drink more water- have a water bottle in your classroom if you can. Hydration is so important, I know when I don't drink enough my thinking becomes fuzzy and I find it harder to cope with stress.
- take some deep breaths- when we get stressed our breathing can become more shallow which tells our brain that we are under threat and then it increases production of adrenaline and cortisol which makes us more stressed... it's a viscous cycle. Consciously pausing to take long slow deep breaths helps tell the brain we are safe which cuts into that stress cycle.
- accept your feelings but try not to let them do the thinking for you- your feelings are yours and they are natural and normal. Our feelings give us information about what is happening in our world, how we choose to respond is where our power lies... pressing pause when you have a strong feeling to notice it and breathe will give you time for the intensity of the feeling to pass and then you can think more clearly.
- let go of stuff if you can- working out what is important to do right now and letting go of the other stuff for now can be helpful, if you are able to make peace with not doing everything! It occurred to me not so long ago that teaching really is one long endless to do list and that helped me make peace with not getting everything done.
- have a hug (if it's your thing)- when we have a hug or feel connection to someone it is said that we release oxytocin which is a hormone that reduces stress.
- take time out to be grateful- each day list 10 things that you are grateful for, you can do this with a friend, with your students, in a diary or a journal. Practicising gratitude helps us tune in to the good we have in our lives... and the more we tune in to gratitude, the more we notice that we can be grateful for.
- be playful- it is easy for us to take everything seriously but when we do it can become a heavy burden to bear, playfulness helps to lighten the load.
- contribute positively to someone or something else- when we help someone else we get a bit of a good vibe, doing good feels good. It doesn't have to be something big either, the smallest acts of kindness can make a big difference. Last week a colleague of mine came out to do half of my morning tea duty so I could enjoy a special morning tea too... it was such a kind surprise, a small thing that made a big difference.
- look after your sleep- if you can try to get to bed a little earlier... turning off screens before bed and taking time to get ready for sleep can help you get a better night's rest.
- avoid skipping meals- we can't do what we do without energy and that comes from what we fuel ourselves with. I totally get the sugar or caffeine hit when the rubber hits the road, but try to have some fruit and nuts (and other healthy choices) during the day as well. You don't have to be perfect, just remember that teaching is a high energy job and you deserve to fuel yourself regularly as well as you can. Preparing meals in advance can help you eat regularly and avoid sugar overloading.
- appreciate your learners- tell them how much you appreciate them, celebrate their successes (however small), this is an investment in the relationships that are supportive for you and your students wellbeing.
- share good news with families- if you have time flicking a short message to families with some good news can be such a boost for them, you and the individual learners... everyone gets to feel good!
- a little of what you love is a good thing- if you love chocolate then go for it, but try to savour it, really taste it and enjoy it. If you have a hobby you love is there a way you can indulge in your hobby, savouring and enjoying it for a moment or two?
- have some alone time- sometimes you just need a few minutes in your own company, sometimes you need space to concentrate; think about how you can schedule a date with yourself.
Perhaps your staff can come together to support each other as the term comes to a close:
- have a shared lunch once a week
- share a resource with others that might be helpful
- tell the funny stories from what happens in your classroom, it might brighten someone's day
- if you see something great in someone's classroom or with one of their students tell them, and tell others about the good you are seeing too
- ask for advice, most people are happy to help if they can
- say thank you to others for what they have done or do for you
- remember that most people are doing the best they can with what they have right now... offer graciousness to others if you can
Please note: If you are feeling totally overwhelmed and unwell the best thing you can do to care for yourself is to seek help, there are a range of services to support you. Please don't think you have to do this alone.
This is just a collection of ideas from one teacher to her peers. I know there are so many other things we can do to care for ourselves. Please feel free to share your ideas, we are all in this together.
Take care x
