Part 3: Self-Care

The two ways that I am going to add to my weekly routine to help relax and promote self-care are taking my dog for more walks to get us both out of the house and move and to take 5-10min a couple days a week and stretch. I feel a lot better if my body is lose.

The frist practice that I will do weekly is walk outside and be cognizant of my surroundings. I find peace in the outdoors and think getting fresh air will help refresh my mood throughout the day.

The second thing I will practice weekly is focusing on only the things I have control over. One of my favorite quotes is "Control the Controllables". This allows me to put time and effort into the things that I have a direct impact on and let the other things go that I do not have control over.

The third weekly practice will be making time for loved ones and friends. Having a good work/life balance is super important for longevity in this profession.

After reading through the "Self-Care Ideas" the two practices I'd like to commit to doing each week are "doing things I enjoy" and "being in a quiet space."

First, I think it is important to do the things we enjoy because we are more than just our work. While it is important to be present and productive at work, it is also important to spend time doing the hobbies and activities that keep us motivated and excited about life. For me, this could be something as little as walking my dogs each night without my phone or music on. Since we spend so much time on computers at work, I think it is important to disconnect from time to time. 

The second practice I'd like to commit to is "being in a quiet space." I find the quiet spaces to be productive spaces for me; spaces where I can enjoy reading or simply have time to reflect on things without literal and figurative noise. 

I think “staying at home” is a good self-care for me to practice. My family often wants new things and we don’t spend enough time enjoying the tings we already have.

I also plan to “eat a healthy snack”. So many quick snacks are not healthy. I will plan on preparing containers of healthy snacks that are easy to grab and enjoy on the run.

I also started reading more books. I have found it easier to avoid arguments with my children about reading when I am modeling good behavior. It is so satisfying finishing a book. 

The two self-care practices that I intend to implement are spending time alone and setting boundaries.  I tend to be more of an introvert and after a day of working in a school-setting—as much as I love it—I need time to myself in order to reflect and recharge.  I find this incredibly doable in 20 minutes when I get home when I don’t shame myself for what I do in that 20 minutes—even if it’s something as inane as daily phone scrolling.  I also think boundaries are important.  I agree that there are times to step away from e-mail.  I personally have stopped checking work e-mail on my phone, and it’s made a huge difference.  However, I also think it’s important to set boundaries with other colleagues.  For example, f I’ve been working after school and leaving late, that may be the time to excuse myself from others wanting to pull me into another work conversation when I am already spent. 

There were several ideas that appealed to me.  The ones that I plan to devote time to are spending time alone, spending time talking with my husband, and turning off all electronics.  Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by the noise and chaos of life, both at work and at home, that I would like to devote more time to enjoying the quiet!

The best part about lists like the one provided is the chance to look at self-care tips that we may have dropped the ball of. 

I already make sure to take 5min to myself, find quiet places, and find comfort in my pets. 

I appreciated most the reminders to set boundaries, be OK with saying now, and to take my own advice regarding self-care. 

If we treat these practices as temporary, we will have temporary results. 

1.       Setting boundaries- teaching is overwhelming. There is always work that needs to be completed- something needs to be graded, a parent needs to be called, and so on. However, it is important that I put boundaries in place that allow me to still get my job done, but also enjoy my time outside of school. Over the last few years I have gotten better with setting boundaries, but I still often answer parents at all hours of the night and take more work than I would like home to work on.
2.       Asking for what I need- being in a new building with new staff it is often difficult to find the confidence to step up and ask for what I need. I am starting to find my footing and plan to continue to advocate for myself and my students by asking for what I need, as well as making sure they are getting what they need at all times.
  3.       Laughing with friends- it is important to make sure that I have positive relationships both inside my school building and outside of my school building. Laughing is one of the best ways to relieve stress and feel better after a long day. I am would love to work on laughing more with friends, and move away from always talking about work.

I'm very pleased with the efforts I've made over the past year or so with regard to my own self-care. Both my spiritual and emotional/relationships have drastically improved. The area I need the most improvement would be my physical health. I used to be very active, but have since slowed down quite a bit. Even thought I'm limited in what I can do, I need to find low impact exercise that won't add to my current circumstances. Walking, yoga, and more consistent times to eat through the day are simple things I can truly commit to.

Just about all of these activities are ones that I either already do, or would like to incorporate into my daily life. 

Those that I want to start with and commit to are:

Physical - Get a massage.  I know that this always helps me and I would like to do more of it. 

Emotional - Reconnecting with old friends.  This is one thing that I need to get better at myself, especially being a Mom of young children and living through a pandemic the last few years. 

Professional - Eat lunch with other teachers.  I need to make a point to step away from my desk and not work while I eat. 

Physical - Committing 3-4 days a week to physical exercise. This can be a mix of following along with my favorite YouTube workout videos or to running/walking. Perhaps signing up and training for a 5k or half marathon to keep me motivated! I should NEVER use having too much grading or lesson planning to do as an excuse to not exercise. 

Emotional/Relational - Although this might be difficult to maintain weekly, I would like to bake desserts to share with others. Food is the best conversation starter and can be shared with my family, friends, colleagues, and students (of course following CDC and health department guidelines). Baking to me means I am doing something I enjoy and taking a break from professional obligations. The best part of baking is that there is always a reward/delicious treat to enjoy after investing time and effort into the process. 🎂🧁🍩🍪

Physical: Working Out. Like many have said, the practice of working out/training our bodies does more for us than just improve our physicality. For me, training in running and lifting has been good for my mental health, not just with releasing the happy chemicals but also for giving me an activity that is specifically set for "me".

Emotional/Relational: Reconnecting with old friends. I am grateful to have met many people in my life and there are some friends who I do not keep in touch with as much but who help me fill my cup by giving me encouraging words and for giving great advice and sympathy when needed.