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Being Intentional about Self-Care

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Hey Coach,

Teaching is a high-stress career - especially these days! Do you have any tips to help teachers take care of themselves?

Sincerely,
Seeking Self-Care
Dear Seeking Self-Care,

The data agrees with you. Teaching is definitely demanding! In fact, the 2017 Educator Quality of Work Life Survey study shared some startling findings:
  • 61% of educators and school staff say their work is “always” or “often” stressful.
  • 78% of teachers run on just five to seven hours of sleep per night.
  • 58% said their mental health was “not good” for seven or more of the previous 30 days.
...and that’s all before we were in the midst of a pandemic!

We need to view self-care as more than just another item on our long list of to dos. In order to survive and thrive as an educator, you have to invest in what matters most, remembering that YOU are important! Below we offer some suggestions to help you be intentional about prioritizing self-care.

Set Boundaries

Setting boundaries is the first step to prioritizing self-care. Identify your work hours, put it on your calendar, and stick to it! That often means turning off notifications and shutting down your technology so you can focus on yourself instead of the pings and dings coming from your computer. You might find it helpful to establish a well-defined end to the workday by implementing a shutdown ritual, like the one described in this Mediacurrent blog post. It is easier said than done, but setting boundaries is crucial in order to ensure you have time to do things that refuel you, like spending time with your family, spending time outside, and getting enough sleep each night.

Celebrate the Positive

Take note of the positive moments, then hang onto them for a rainy day. This might mean jotting down your daily “wins” on a sticky note and keeping it on your bathroom mirror, keeping a folder of things that make you smile, or writing down something positive in a journal each day. For the tech-savvy, using Google Keep or Padlet allow you to jot down notes and snap photos, all stored and organized to quickly and easily revisit when you need a pick-me-up. However you do it, have a go-to place to help you celebrate the positive, even when the going gets tough.

Treat Yo’ Self!

Make a list of self-care activities that you enjoy. As you create your list, think about:
  • Your favorite hobbies
  • Experiences that make you feel relaxed
  • People who are important to you
  • Places and things that bring you joy
Keep this list handy so you have a catalog of go-to ways you can treat yourself!

Make it a Habit

Finally, take steps to make self-care a habit by scheduling time to focus on you. Add it to your to-do list, write it in your planner, set a reminder on your phone – whatever it takes to set aside time for self-care! You might even find it helpful to have an accountability partner who will remind you to prioritize your needs.

If you’re looking to learn more about this topic, listen to this episode of The iTeach Podcast, where iTeach coaches Ronald Catlin and Summaya Knight discuss the importance of self care for teachers, and read our infographic of self-care strategies for teachers!

All the best,
Coach

Contributing Coach Anna Bilyeu

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