As educators, our lives are full and we are often so busy taking care of others, there seems to be no time left to take care of ourselves. Below are some simple “practices” you may wish to consider. They are not new or fancy ideas. Sometimes we just need reminders. I hope the ideas that follow will help you remember to take time for you!

1. Start your day in a positive way. Create a mindfulness practice. Set your alarm 5-20 min before you actually have to get up to do a daily mindfulness/meditation practice before you even get out of bed.
2. Set your alarm to be an invitation to a new day. Choose an inspiring song as your alarm and change the label of your phone to reflect something uplifting: Joy, Gratitude, I’m alive!
3. Nurture yourself with water. Drink water when you first wake up and throughout the day. Have a water bottle that looks and feels inviting. Add bits of fruit or lemon in your water so that it tastes good and is good for you.
4. Choose short inspirational daily readings as a way to nurture and fill your mind with positivity and strategies for wellbeing. “The Language of Letting Go” by Melanie Beatty is one of my favorites.
5. Use your journal as a friend. Take a few minutes to check in with yourself to see how you are feeling. Once you are self aware it is much easier to self manage. Write/draw about whatever is on your mind and heart.
6. Plan meals that nourish your body, mind and spirit. Pack simple, healthy meals you enjoy eating. A small bit of chocolate you can savor can feel more indulgent and enjoyable than a whole candy bar. Be mindful to minimize processed sugar, caffeine, and other foods that change your mood and can cause you to crash.
7. Minimize the news and technology when you wake up and an hour before you go to sleep. End your day with a gratitude list.
8. Create your uplifting transition from home to school routine as well as from school to home. Do you have a theme song or playlist that lifts you up and inspires you?
9. Before greeting your students call on your inner Cookie Monster. Use positive self-talk, stand up straight and take a deep breath. You’ve got this!
10. Do exercise that you enjoy, even if that means walking the hallways at school with a friend for 10-20 minutes each day after school.
11. Feed your mind with interesting and positive podcasts. Talk to your friends and colleagues to share podcast ideas.
12. Pause for applause. Remember to take time to celebrate even small accomplishments.
13. Replace the 4 Cs of criticism, contempt, contention and control with the 3 As of appreciate, acceptance and assertiveness.
14. Be mindful of the language you use with yourself as well as others. Use the language of virtues… When you forget the lunch you made at home, instead of beating yourself up and saying. “I’m so stupid” replace shaming and blaming and invite yourself to a virtue…”Perhaps I can be more mindful and leave my keys in the fridge with my lunch so that I remember to take it with me?”
15. Create a vision board or some kind of visual to remind you of things that bring you peace and joy. Display it where you can see it.
16. Have a gratitude jar or journal. Put things in on a daily basis. When you might benefit from a lift, read what you have written.
17. PBS: Pause, breathe and smile
18. Get 6-8 hours of sleep each night. Melatonin can help you fall asleep. If you wake up in the middle of the night, listen to a guided meditation or repeat a mantra such as “love and peace, love and peace, love and peace”.
19. Being in community to share is helpful.       12 step programs such as Alanon can be helpful. Also https://www.millennium.org/forum has online sharing groups for educators.
20. It’s OK not to be/feel OK and getting professional support can be really helpful.
21. Use essential oils and aromatherapy as a way to help you relax.
22. Submerge yourself in water. Enjoy a bubble bath with candles or go for a swim.       Instead of counting laps, I swim by saying a different virtue for each length of the pool. It is very soothing.
23. Consider yoga, stretching, body work. You might consider setting an alarm throughout the day to have you and your students notice how you are feeling and do some simple stretches.
24. Take time to play. Our to do lists are never done lists. It is essential to take time each day to play, even if it means giving yourself 5-10 magical/meaningful minutes a day to walk in nature, do an art project, daydream. When we step away from being purposeful, it creates space for grace to come in. When we go back to work we are more focused and are better able to come up with solutions.
25. Use the Virtues Cards app to do daily virtues pick. It is quick and easy and can be done throughout the day. You can shake your phone to randomly select a card or look at the list for the virtue you want to reflect on at that moment. You can share the virtue card in social media or in a group chat and your friends and family can share reflect together. Visit www.virtuesmatter.com/app to access the free app with a set of 50 sample cards. To purchase the full decks for 1.99 or .99 click on the shop within the app.

For additional resources, I invite you to check out my blog posts:

“Dear Compassionate Colleague, What Do You Know About Trauma

Why Mindfulness and How to Get Started

You may also wish to read or listen to my book, The Heart of Education:  Bringing Joy, Meaning and Purpose Back to Teaching and Learning,  which you can access for free towards the bottom of my book page.

Finally, I have learned many of these strategies from my mentor, Linda Kavelin Popov, co-founder of The Virtues Project. I highly recommend her book, A Pace of Grace:  Virtues for a Sustainable Life.  Just reading a couple of paragraphs a day, just might give you the clarity you need and some space for grace that will life you up!

Wishing you much joy, meaning and purpose!

With love and gratitude for who you are and all you do,

Dara