It's that time of year again.
For all who are getting ready to go back to school, (or are already back) I created a "very special" Back to School Meditation for Teachers.
How can we REST?
How can I invite you to REST when there is so much important work to be done?
I’ve been reflecting on this question all week, as protests and support for Black Lives are bringing the world together.
And I believe that now more than ever, we need to be reminded that ‘radial self-care’ is an essential part of keeping the momentum of change going.
✨ Rest does not mean stop trying.
✨ Relaxation does not mean you have loosened your resolve.
✨ Self-care is not selfish or self-indulgent.
✨ Joy and play do not distract from our important work.
Activists and caregivers and the people whose work is essential to social change (read: you) need rest, relaxation, self-care, joy, and play EVEN MORE.
We must give ourselves opportunities to do whatever we need to in order to recharge our energy and restore our faith and passion. Otherwise, we burn out and are no longer capable of being of service.
So after these past months of unprecedented challenge, my invitation to you is to decide what kind of rest you need to keep going.
Teacher Self-Care: Saying Yes to Saying No
Self-care is what keeps us feeling good, both mentally and physically. When you feel both physically healthy and mentally strong, you are able function at a level that wouldn’t be possible otherwise. I’ve written before about why self-care and self-advocacy are not selfish. It allows you to effectively and resiliently support all the people in your life who are counting on you.
How, then, do we introduce more self-advocacy and self-care into our busy everyday lives when we’re so often focused on everyone else?
Self-Care is NOT Selfish
How to Cultivate Self-Awareness for the Big Game of Everyday Life
Just yesterday I was sitting on a metal stool, eating my lunch at a counter. Everything was fine, and then I got a sharp pain in my left leg that felt like a bug bite. That was manageable, but the pain caused my leg to jerk to the side, thereby whacking it on the stool leg and creating way more pain than the original sensation.
I swore like a sailor (because profanity is one of my guilty pleasures), rubbing my leg until the pain lessened adequately, and continued eating my lunch. Then, as I was finishing up, I took a swig of my seltzer and some of it went down the wrong tube, resulting in that kind of coughing that is more reminiscent of eye-watering and gagging noises than anything else.
Then the burst of rage came.
How Can Teachers Reduce Stress From the Back to School Transition
Since it’s late August, it’s time for us to get back into the swing of things at school. As I mentioned in my post earlier this month, transitions are hard, and we as educators need to be intentional about doing (or not doing) whatever is necessary to ease this transition. Here are two important areas of focus to consider.
Transitions Are Hard - Be Gentle With Yourself
This week is teacher work week.
As I write this, I am now at home after an all-day, off site professional development training with all the certified staff at my school. The details of the training itself aren’t particularly important. What is important is how I felt by the end of the day: really, really tired.
What Form of Radical Self Care Do YOU Need?
I've recently noticed a particular hashtag coming up more and more on my social media feeds: #radicalselfcare. Typically, there is a picture of someone cheerfully cooking a healthy meal, or the inviting-looking pool in which a person is about to swim some laps. This idea of boldly and aggressively taking action to care for oneself and prioritize wellness seems to be gathering momentum, and I am a wholehearted proponent of it.
Everyone is different, however, and what constitutes self-care for one person may not be the same for another.
