Mostly, our minds as great teachers are occupied with thoughts of checking papers, implementing new strategies to increase students’ participation, and all stuff about education.
I take this opportunity to ask all teachers out there: How much time do you consider to relax and to exhale stress and inhale good vibes?
Can we just take a healthy bite of life? No one forbids us to do so!
Let’s pause and take a break for a while. Let’s take care of ourselves! Self-care matters! In this post, we will learn some amazing and inspiring self-care activities for teachers. As our work gets highly demanding, we need to handle the challenges the best we could, to stay on top of our work.
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<<How does teacher burnout appeal to you? Check for yourself 9 effective ways to prevent teacher burnout to sustain your effectiveness as a teacher.
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We, teachers, are movers and shakers despite our overlapping roles and responsibilities. We are sticklers for productive learning. However, let’s reflect and internalize meaningful connections for ourselves. We should not forget our own happiness as we serve everyone else.
For this, I have shared with you amazing tips on how to deal with teacher burnout. I always wanted to tell everyone that we need to pause for a while and breathe. Hence, for this goal, allow me to lay the carpet of self-care activities for teachers!
“If you feel “burnout” setting in if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself.” -Dalai Lama
As teachers, we all know how demanding our work is. If we don’t get into the detail of ourselves, we will lose balance and we get exasperated. With our roles, we can’t let that happen. As they say, we need to put our oxygen mask on first!
On top of my mind, before we dig into some teacher self-care activities, it’s good to dwell first on the basics to appreciate these actions for the self because it has often been neglected.
What is self-care?
This is anything that we do to ourselves to keep us physically, mentally, and emotionally stable. Self-care is all about maintaining all aspects of our personality in balance to keep us in good shape. It is the protection we offer ourselves especially during stressful moments of our lives.
Self-care acts are not being selfish. For one thing, we need it from time to time to improve and maintain our overall health. Its’ not good to be stressing ourselves too much. Offering ourselves a little nurturing ourselves once a week or whenever it is best will add grace to our weekdays!
Why are teachers’ self-care ideas important?
Our everyday routines as teachers are quite tough and if not handled well, will become really stressful. Considering the ill health effects of stress, we really need to practice self-care. For me, it is essential. We need to get through or else we suffer from things we can actually avoid.
Self-care should be made a habit. In this post, I offer simple yet inspiring perspectives on how to develop self-care activities for teachers. Get into them and have your total self back again!
As our existence as educators of the world is hyped-up as our responsibilities have become so overwhelming, and this is not surprising, we should learn how to value ourselves and know our worth.
Practicing self-care will not make us less efficient as teachers. When we think of ourselves from time to time will make us even more vibrant than ever!
Let’s value our worth as teachers! We can’t make useful extensions if we are exhausted. We need to thrive as teachers.
Watch the video below and get additional insights on why teachers should practice self-care activities!
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O5QIqlDxjg[/embedyt]
How do you take care of yourself as a teacher?
Here’s my fine list of 10 inspiring self-care activities for teachers.
1. Nurture yourself
How do you pamper yourself?
Treat Yourself!
I treat myself. Even though we are busy individuals, we should never forget that we are normal humans too. We need to take a break. There are many ways of nurturing ourselves. For me, fine dining gives me happiness.
Working hard as teachers is not a reason to treat ourselves harshly. Certainly, we need to nurture ourselves by treating ourselves very well.
We should offer ourselves time to rest and relax. Eating a healthy balanced diet should not be forgotten too. It’s our body and staying healthy is our responsibility!
Every once in a while, I spend a portion of fine dining as a gift to myself. Of course, I include my loved ones in this plan.
Adding spark to our menus and eating regimen will make our days less exasperating. A quality gourmet treat is not a punishment to your pocket but an elevation of your happy thoughts.
As you care much for your students, don’t forget to consider your inner self as well. Have you lacked sleep? Have you eaten poorly? Then, try to ponder: What have you done to yourself? Neglecting oneself is just like surrendering to life.
Send Positive Messages to Yourself!
My ways are simple. As I received loving and caring notes from my students especially during Teacher’s Day or on special occasions, I send myself encouraging messages too.
Yes, I send messages to myself. I tell myself “Oh You’ve been doing great!’ ‘Keep up the good work!’ It’s good that you are never being late!’ I appreciate your efforts!
It’s as simple as that and it makes me feel better!
2. Have a good night’s sleep
My weekends are mine. On Fridays, I usually congratulate myself for a fruitful week and tell myself ‘Have a wonderful weekend.
I give myself a good night’s sleep without thinking about all the unchecked outputs, the school reports, the daily lesson plans, and everything about work. The weekends make me think of my other self.
As far as I know, having enough sleep will add up to our vitality both mentally and physically. It conditions our body naturally.
So, why should I deprive myself of sleep when I deserve it, too. I promise to give myself a deep sleep and I won’t break my promise.
3. Make the Most of Your Weekends
Our weekends should make us happier than ever! We need to calm down mentally and physically. Consequently, we need to find time for ourselves. Hence, we shout “Thank God it’s Friday!”
My weekends involve:
Listening to Music
“Without music, life would be a mistake” ― Friedrich Nietzsche
Absolutely, my existence on earth isn’t a mistake. Hence, I incorporate music into my life. The lines of life make me more inspired and strengthen my bond with the world in general.
“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything.” ― Plato
Music elevates my mood and it helps me process my emotions! As I listen to old songs of the time, I feel happy and relaxed. Listening to music, I know you can say this too, will improve our mental well-being and physical health.
Oftentimes, I am enjoying religious music. It makes me connected to nature and our Creator. Even in the classroom, my students usually sing songs of praise s as their energizers.
They do it with actions and I see that they love doing it. So, I just let them do it. It makes them happy and I love it too.
Listening to our favorite tunes is a means of offering ourselves an emotional boost. According to Science, having musical pleasure will help increase brain dopamine levels which are neurotransmitters that will greatly enhance our mood and give us fine experiences that will make us feel better.
Do we share the same experiences? What music genres do you like?
Read Inspirational Books
Inspiration from great minds can keep us motivated. Leafing through inspiring words of wisdom will get as a natural high.
I also find this practice helpful to my students in the classroom. The sharing of inspirational lines from the books we read is really inspiring, healing, and motivating.
In my classroom, I have it as a practice that my students should share words of wisdom to brighten up our day. When a student is explaining the lines, I noticed that the rest of the class are all ears.
So, it means they are interested in it too. Somehow, this helps us set the tone of the learning environment.
I also encourage my students to read books during their vacant time. I understand that school activities have become overwhelming for them too. A quiet time for reading will make them release tightness and distress too.
At home, I raise my personal thoughts and ignite my good vibrations by reading inspirational books. The inspiring and uplifting messages will ease out my burdens.
My love for reading is brought anytime anywhere. The life-affirming ideas will give me a good night’s sleep, will make my day, and will encourage me to live life to the fullest.
Reading helps me set high expectations for myself too. The books that I have read help me stay focused and energized. My nourishment of good thoughts helps me improve my well-being and inspires me to go on living a healthy and positive life.
Do Yoga and Meditate
Our weekdays have brought us stories of success as well as exhaustion and frustration. Don’t you think of meditating?
Yoga and meditation have amazing benefits on the mind and the body. While meditation helps us strengthen our mental sharpness and overall well-being, yoga improves our flexibility and physical strength. Both are effective means to relieve stress.
If we lack physical strength, we will limit our life’s stretches! Thus, we have to stretch out and lay simple foam roller exercises. Who says we can’t stay energized and fit without leaving our house?
I calm my mind at home. Practicing yoga in my dwelling boost my energy and helps me find my flow of positivism!
Shun Yourself from Social Media
Stay away from your phone? Can you do it once a week? Try not to update your status on Facebook. Will it make you miserable and outdated?
Let’s admit it. Some social media posts are intimidating and are mentally draining. Why put up with social media platforms once in a while?
Well, I don’t know if you are with me on this, but shunning myself from social media once in a while gives me the best opportunity to capture my innermost thoughts!
It doesn’t call us to deactivate our social media accounts. It’s just being logged off in a while!
4. Collect Positive Quotes
It is my habit of keeping positive quotes I have read. I don’t picture them on my phone. The tendency, if my gallery is full they will be deleted.
Photo by Hello I’m Nik ???? on Unsplash
Also, I take the pleasure of copying them in my journal. These words of encouragement make my day! I read them aloud to infuse good thoughts in my brain which will help me set an optimal mindset.
Keeping a great collection of inspiring quotes helps me remind myself not to quit. When I read them especially during trying times of my life, activate my positive emotions, and increases my motives to keep going.
The positive quotes I have collected are one of my life’s best tools. The good vibrations I get from the insights of wise people will enlighten me to get back on track whenever I find myself a helpless prey of teacher burnout.
As you can see, there’s always a way out. The nuggets of wisdom we get from these positive quotes will help us to overcome the roadblocks in our teaching career.
I usually print them and post them in my room. Some are beautifully framed on my table. At times, the small bits of wisdom are printed on my coffee mug. Isn’t it inspiring to read your favorite words of wisdom again and again as you take a sip of your coffee?
5. Develop a Desirable Hobby
As a teacher, I have been through the ups and downs of my career. My schoolwork completes me as a human being. However, there are times that I am certain of myself that I should have another outlet.
It’s not letting go of what I have. It is more of improving what I am to become what I wanted to become.
For me, the idea of self-care is very encompassing and limitless. It is about doing the things we like doing to resonate with good vibes and to make us feel good.
It is not about forcing ourselves the enjoyment of others. Remember, we are taking care of ourselves here. Hence, it’s good to take a peek at our hobbies.
Since self-care is limitless, different activities will work out for different people. As long as it’s keeping in touch with ourselves, then there’s no reason us holding ourselves taking a bite of the habitual slice we have.
Despite my busy schedule, I always find time to cook delectable meals for my family. It is my enjoyment to prepare food and I don’t view it as a chore nor a necessity. It’s being done for enjoyment!
As my kids, taste my creations and they love them, it gives me satisfaction and happiness! This really makes me feel good. Cooking has been my way of releasing discomfort at work. The slicing of ingredients boosts my positive thoughts.
Smelling the aroma of my perfect creation is really an experience to behold! Really, the best recipe gives me self-care.
6. Commune with Nature
Sit outside and breathe fresh air! Have you thought of moving closer to nature? The singing of birds will bring significance to our well-being.
Photo by Simon Migaj on Unsplash
As I spend hours on our porch, I talk through my thoughts and thank God for making me exist and for making me dare to live fully.
Then, I take a walk in the garden and experience nature’s magnificence. It’s a wonderful step away from my worries and workloads.
Feeling the gentle breeze touching my skin makes me inhale more patience for work.
Being outdoors will open new avenues for appreciating life. The kind of work we have is really tough and complicated at times.
Communing with nature will help us appreciate our efforts of being a good influence on our students. It helps us realize that what we are doing makes God happy.
Have you spent some time with nature? As we get into the natural environment, we will experience the delight nature brings. Also, nature has the exceptional power of improving our mental and physical health.
7. Think of Good Memories
Good memories will help us improve our vitality. As we get more inspired by the good things that happen to us we usually reverberate it to others.
From my readings, I got inspired by the line “Memories are timeless treasures of the heart”. The awesome and sweet memories we have with our students will help us rekindle our being as teachers.
It is a fine reminder that our life is being spent well. Helping them to grow as responsible individuals is really worthwhile.
I know that my students have a share of unforgettable moments too. I let them say it! This is my way of connecting to them.
Even though I get stressed at times with their behaviors, I still appreciate the thought that these young people have made me stronger as a person and as a teacher.
8. Organize Your Space And Your Things
Being organized will exude positive energy too. Our cluttered space will make us more stressed. The scattered pens, colored papers, and other materials for our visuals scenario in the classroom can cause discomfort. And the best solution? Try to clean up your space, organize your things, and give your space a new look.
A clean and organized room will have a delightful effect on our minds and body. Cleanliness is next to godliness! Of course, who would like to stay in a messy room?
The piles of papers on the floor can make us look terrible. Indeed, it will add up to our tough days in school. How would you consider getting organized?
It has always been one of the best options for me to increase my productivity as a teacher. Arranging my things will keep me notified where exactly my things are and it’s contributory to my efficiency. Being orderly will be reflected in other aspects of our life too as a teacher.
9. Spend Quality Time With Family
Being so worked out at school, have you thought of creating moments with your family?
Bonding with our kids will help us forget our tensions. As we listen to the laughter of our children, we will notice the big smile on our faces.
Family bonding time gives us more time to interact with our children and loved ones. It will ease out our kid’s tensions to especially if they are already studying. They need an outlet too just like us.
Giving your personal time with your family will bring you closer to them. Asking them how they are will make them feel valued and loved.
10. Visit a Friend
The week’s work is tedious. If visiting a close friend will ease out your life’s struggles then why not include this interest in your heart?
A face-to-face chit-chat with a friend is a lot more different from exchanging moments over the phone. Moreover, bonding with your friend will help eliminate frustrations.
As we maintain healthy friendships we are also enriching our lives. Our experiences in school whether good or bad are worth sharing. A good friend can boost your energy and can help reduce stress.
Take time scheduling this self-care idea once in a while and reach out to our friends!
You’ll find this video helpful.
In Consolidation…
Teacher stress has become prevalent. But, it should not consume us. As teachers, we need to fight stress in a subtle way possible. Now, let’s consider what’s unstressful!
When we are desperate for work-related stuff, we should not ignore it because it will hinder us from achieving our fullest potentials as teachers. Then, if we have no control of all the negativity around us, we experience emotional pressure and it is recurring. It’s a vicious cycle!
Self-care is not about pleasure-seeking acts. Definitely, it’s not at all self-indulgent! Self-care activities for teachers are about promoting our wellness and our total well-being!
Remember, if we don’t have desirable outlets of frustrations, we will dive into the pit of worries and anxieties and it’s never healthy. Our self-care ideas should have lasting effects so we will become more effective teachers!
We want to hear from you too. Leave a comment and let us know your ways of rejuvenating yourselves as teachers.
So, how do you take care of yourself?
