Why You MUST Prioritize Self-Care as a Teacher
As teachers, our to-do lists seem endless. We have to plan lessons, attend professional development, prepare for IEP meetings, attend grade-level meetings, and grade homework. Additionally, we have to be coaches, mediators, counselors, advocates, mentors, motivators, nurses, referees (and teachers!) to our students.
Many teachers don’t get everything done during work hours and end up bringing their work home. This takes away from time with families as well as personal obligations. When teachers take work home, they have less time to attend their children’s sports games, go to the gym, cook dinner, clean the house, do laundry, and put the kids to bed. It’s exhausting!
Does this sound like you?
Oxygen Masks
Sometimes we find our value in how much we accomplish in a day. Many of us have a tendency to sacrifice ourselves and put others first. While this is an admirable goal, we must put our own oxygen masks on first before we can effectively help others. Our mental health has a huge impact on how well we can help others, and our emotional state rubs off on the people around us.
When we’re drained, the people around us feel it.
Who’s Having a Bad Day?
I have had many “bad days” as a teacher. These are the days when nothing is going as planned, and my whole class seems to be acting out.
At first, I wonder why all of my students are having a rough time on the same day, and I get frustrated with how many problems come up. However, if I take a moment to truly evaluate my classroom, I realize that it’s not my class who is having a rough day at all – it's me!
My students are out of control because I don’t have the energy or patience to control them! I’m worn out and emotionally spent. Without my usual level of patience, I don’t respond to my students as well as I normally do. Instead of working through something with them or calmly but firmly setting expectations, I get into power struggles and escalate situations.
Sometimes a class seems to be having a bad day when it’s actually the teacher who’s having a rough time.
Bad Day at School, Bad Day at Home
Bad days like this aren’t usually contained in the classroom. If you are mentally exhausted, emotionally spent, and overdue for a break at work, your relationships at home usually suffer too.
After a rough day at school, it’s harder to be there for a partner or children. If you’re already overwhelmed at school, it is difficult to have anything left to give when you get home, even though our families should be our priority!
Invest in Yourself, Invest in Others
If what I just described sounds like you, you need to take the time to invest in yourself – your own mental health. As a teacher (and likely as a spouse and parent) you already have so many hats that you wear. It may seem like self-care is just one more thing you’re adding to your plate.
However, it’s only when you take care of yourself first that you can truly invest in others.
It’s only when your bucket is full that you can fill other people’s buckets without going dry.
It’s only when you’ve taken care of your mental health that you can be there for your students.
Just 5 Minutes
I attended a PD session a few years back that was focused on teachers’ mental health. It was on a weekend, and I was already irritated that I had to extend my work hours for the week.
The speaker told us to take 5 minutes to find a quiet space around the room and massage lotion onto our arms, hands, and fingers.
I was stressed coming into the training, but that 5-minute massage really helped me reset mentally. I was able to be in the moment, breathe in the scent of the lotion, and enjoy the feeling of the massage. I felt my forearm muscles relax, then my whole body, and then my mind.
Sometimes this is all you need (and all you have time for!) in the middle of the day to address self-care.
Self-care can also mean a spa day with the girls or going out to eat with friends. It can be a manicure done at home and choosing your favorite color to put on your nails. Self-care looks like allowing yourself to get a healthy treat at the grocery store or taking 15 minutes to take a walk outside.
Find self-care strategies that work for you. Then, give yourself the freedom to take the day, an hour, or just 5 minutes to invest in yourself and reset your mental health.