Self-Care
What is Self-Care?
Self-care is an important component of a teacher’s mental health, but there are misconceptions about what it is. It’s common to dismiss the self-care movement as “selfish” or “superficial.” But for teachers, self-care is so much more than breakfast in bed or treating yourself to a spa day. It’s about taking care of your health so that you’re prepared to be the best teacher you can be for yourself and your students. The definition of self-care is any action that you use to improve your health and well-being. According to the National Institute of Mental Illness (NAMI), there are six elements to self-care:
- Physical
- Psychological
- Emotional
- Spiritual
- Social
- Professional
Self Care Action Plan
Self-care can seem like a daunting task when you've already got a lot on your plate, so let's take a little time to reflect on what works best for you, and make an action plan.
More Self-Care ideas at Wellness and Self-Care
SELF-CARE ASSESSMENT
Self-Care Assessment.pdfSELF-CARE WHEEL
Self-Care Wheel 2.pdfHealthy Tips to Manage Stress
The Healthy Teacher Self-Care Planner was designed to be a quick way to keep self-care a priority and tend to the needs of your mind and body, even when the school year gets hectic. For more information go to The Whole Adventure
Self_Care_Planner_for teachers.pdfLearn to Take Care of Yourself
taking_care_of_yourself.pdfVideos created for teachers well being: 7 Videos to Help Educators Practice Mindfulness and De-Stress
Better Together Progress not Perfection
Care for the Caregiver-Parents and Teachers_Final.pdfMindfulness, Meditation, and Fitness Apps
Headspace is your guide to mindfulness for your everyday life. Learn meditation and mindfulness skills from world-class experts like Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe, and choose from hundreds of guided meditations on everything from managing stress and anxiety to sleep, focus, and mind-body health.
Enhance your life with mindfulness and Meditation. The Chakra Chime app allows you to enhance your life with mindfulness and meditation. It includes a countdown timer, interactive chime, reminder alarm, and journal.
Calm is an app for Sleep, Meditation and Relaxation
Down Dog is a fitness app available on the App Store and Google Play. It is FREE until July for students, teachers, and health care workers.
Way of Life allows you to pick "micro habits" that you can track each day, with alerts reminding you to fill in how you did (e.g. take a 10 minute walk during day, eat lunch, do mindfulness app, etc.).
Insight Timer is the number 1 free app for sleep, anxiety, and stress
Meditate easily with the Simply Being App. It allows you to choose from 4 meditation times and gives you the option to listen with or without music/nature sounds.
Breathe2Relax is a portable stress management tool which provides detailed information on the effects of stress on the body and instructions and practice exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing.
Tips for Calmness & Self-Regulation
Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley: How Teachers Can Navigate Difficult Emotions During School Closures
Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley: Stress Management for Educators
On demand meditation and yoga videos: Breath for Change
Videos created for teachers well being: 7 Videos to Help Educators Practice Mindfulness and De-Stress
Self-Care Quotes
Additional Resources for Staff
The self-care challenge for teachers, "Teachers Beat Burnout", will begin on Sunday, October 4th.
Each day of the challenge, you will receive an email with an action step towards building an effective self-care plan, including boundaries you need to set, for a balanced school year. It will cover the following:
What the most effective self-care practices are for you.
How to make those self-care practices stick during a busy school year.
What boundaries are your non-negotiables.
How to begin setting those boundaries this school year.
Books for Educators' Self-Care
Dare to Lead by Brené Brown – a must read for anyone who wants to create a courageous and truly connected culture in their school
Daring Greatly by Brené Brown – my all-time fave by Brené, this book will help you experience the power of vulnerability and change the way you live your life, teach, parent, and more
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown (are you sensing she’s my absolute fave author?!) – this was the first book I read by Brené and hugely helped me shift my unhealthy perfectionistic ways
How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi – a book that will allow your self-awareness to develop in new, powerful, and much needed ways
Radical Acceptance by Tara Brach - this book is pretty heavy but so rich with insights and opportunities for self-awareness and self-love and will leave you dropping your jaw on a number of occasions
Untamed by Glennon Doyle – this book, for those who identify as women, read like fiction to me and was hard to put down because of the continual truth bombs
We Want to Do More Than Survive: Abolitionist Teaching and the Pursuit of Educational Freedom by Bettina Love – a revolutionary read that will get you thinking about how to break down systemic barriers, create a more connected school system for your students of color, and make the kind of impact you envision
The Last Best Cure by Donna Jackson Nakazawa – this book is the reason I finally cultivated a mindfulness practice that stuck and is a must read if you have a chronic illness
Present-Over-Perfect by Shauna Niequist – this book was a game changer with helping me go into recovery from perfectionism; the book has religious undertones, so you’ll want to skip if that’s not your thing
Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily Nagoski and Amelia Nagoski – my current read with so many powerful gems that are upping my well-being game
Self-Care 101 for Busy Parents eBook by Kristi Yeh of Parent Self-Care – this eBook by a school-based mental health clinician is filled with so many great ideas that can help parents and educators alike
Goodies for Educators' Self-Care
2020 Self-Care Advent Calendar - get a daily "treat" to nourish you as you count down the days until December 25
Get on the Waitlist for the 10-week Inward Circle Educator Self-Care Journey that starts in January 2021 (and lock in current low pricing) - get supported in moving from exhausted and overwhelmed to calm, connected, and content
Personal Pep Talk Cards for Teachers - these great cards have tiny doses of encouragement and empowerment for educators
Gratitude Journal - gratitude is a powerhouse that brings us joy and resilience, and this journal is a great way to cultivate a gratitude practice
Book Light without Blue Light - enjoy cozying up with your fave book at night and get a good night's rest
SereniTEA Mug and Good Morning, I Love You Mug from Parent Self Care – use these cute mugs to start your day off with meaningful intentions
Essential Oil Set - therapeutic grade essential oils that make a difference with sleep, stress, mood, energy, and overall health without extreme costs
Yoga Mat - I love that I can turn any room into a restorative opportunity for myself