Be the Teacher Your Students Need!

Teaching can take a lot out of you.  This Friday I came home from school and I was so drained that I think I was beginning to make myself sick.  Every day at school, you have to give so much of yourself to others that it can be depleting.  This is why we all need to be careful that we are taking care of ourselves.

I find when I am not taking care of myself, I have less energy, I have a shorter temper, and I am not living up to my full potential.

To be the best teacher you can be, you need to make sure that you’re putting yourself first.

Learn to Say No

This is my personal biggest struggle.  I want to do everything for everyone.  Some days, I work late into the evening correcting papers for the teacher down the hall who is out sick.  I run around the school trying to make sure that everyone has the right schedule because we changed it.  Sometimes, I go from classroom to classroom hand taking a teacher’s homeroom attendance because the substitute didn’t submit it correctly and the students are no longer in homeroom.  And I will admit that these all happened on the same day… last week.

Helping other people truly brings me joy.  I feel better knowing that I have done something to make another person’s day easier.  Look up Enneagram Type 2 because I am such a type two it’s scary!

But, when you are doing everything for everyone else, and you go home and you’re junk, you are doing a disservice to yourself.  I get home some nights and I make a mess, I don’t want to cook, I can’t bring myself to do anything but veg in front of the TV and then go to bed early.  And then I get up the next day, realize my house is a mess and start my day off in a negative way.

This isn’t fair to me and this is a quick way to get burnt out.

You have to learn to prioritize the important things.  Do what you can to help other people, but don’t do it at a detriment to yourself.  Before you agree to do something (or in my case offer to do something) think to yourself, “what negative impact will this have on me?”  And if you think that the negative impact is worth it, then do it! But make sure you’re saying no when you don’t think it’s worth it.

Get Sleep

Sleep is so important!  Getting 8 hours of good sleep is crucial to our physical and mental health.  Newer articles that I have read have said that sleep is more important to losing weight than working out.  While I am not a doctor and can not confirm or deny that, I enjoy a good excuse to put down my work and go to bed early!

Getting sleep I find makes me function better, my mood is better, I make healthier decisions.

Exercise

This is my least favorite of the group.  As much as I despise getting up at 5 am and sweating my butt off in front of Autumn Calabrese… it makes me so much happier in the long run.

I am not the type of person who will work out after work.  To get the workout done, I have learned that it has to be the first thing or it won’t happen.  But then not only does my body appreciate the movement, but my brain is also happier for the day because I feel like I’ve accomplished something.  It took a while to get in the groove but after 2 months of regular workouts, it has become less painful, and a part of my routine.

Working out regularly boosts my confidence because I’ve started to see gains.  But, it also boosts my energy, helps me lose weight, and just makes me feel proud of myself.

Take Time for Yourself

Like I said earlier in this post, I have been so overwhelmed and spending too much time on other people.

For me to be my best self, I have learned that I have to take a night in once in a while.  My favorite night includes tea and a Hallmark movie.  As much as I do love a good glass of wine on a self-care night, I always regret it the next day.

When I go more than a week without taking a night to just be home and recharge, I find that I am lethargic, depressed, more anxious, and have less patience.

Learn What Replenishes You

I am slowly learning which activities replenish me.  I have found that as much as I love spending time with my family, often it takes so much of my energy that it is not a replenishing activity.  Sometimes I do my best “replenishing” when I take a night at home to myself and go to bed early.

Another thing that replenishes me is a quiet night with a girlfriend.  We all have friends that balance us and the friends that deplete us.  I am not saying that those depleting friends are bad, but know that when you are at your wit’s end, that you need to call a replenishing friend and not a depleting friend.

This week when I was at the end of my rope and ready to explode, I made plans with a teacher friend. It was a simple night with apps and wine.  It wasn’t a wild night and it wasn’t anything special, but having time with that friend who just seems to know you and get where you’re coming from is what replenishes me.

Also, check out:

My Favorite Self-Care Books

5 Tips for Self-Care for Teachers