None of us would ever have expected our work life to be what it is turning out to be. None of us knows what is going to happen — will we go back to school this year? Will we see this year’s students again? How long is this social distancing/staying home thing going to last?
With all of the changes, it’s more important now than ever to look out for your own self-care and mental health.
“Self-care is never a selfish act – it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer to others.”
-Parker Palmer
Here are 14 suggestions. Use what works for you. Please share any of your own tips!
1 – Stay hydrated. Drink half your bodyweight in ounces of water every day.
2 – Eat nutritious food. I don’t know about you, but I can often be found “stress eating” because of all the uncertainty. To counteract it, I’m trying to eat 8-10 servings of fruit and vegetables every day and trying to avoid any junk food until I’ve gotten the healthy stuff in me first! (It’s not always working, but I’m trying.)
3 – Get enough sleep, whatever that means for you. For me, it means six to seven hours of sleep at night and maybe a brief nap in the afternoon. Get the rest you need.
4 – Get some form of exercise every day. With gyms being closed and with family being home, you might have to get creative. Even getting outside for a 30-minute walk might be your best option. If you’ve never tried the 7-Minute Workout, now might be a good time!
“Love yourself first, and everything else falls in line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.”
~Lucille Ball
5 – Speaking of getting outside, that is one blessing of this whole disaster. At least it’s spring and the weather is good for getting outside. So get some sunshine and fresh air every day, maybe several times during the day. I find that it clears my head and helps keep me from feeling down or discouraged.
6 – Watch the news but in small doses.
“Breathe. Let go. And remind yourself that this very moment is the only one you know you have for sure.”
~Oprah Winfrey
7 -Write down three things for which you are grateful every day. Right now I am grateful for the beautiful signs of spring, warmer temperatures so that I can walk outside and be comfortable, and more time with my family.
8 – Look for humor everywhere. I am loving and appreciating all the tweets and Instagram posts from parents and celebrities, proclaiming their respect and admiration for what teachers do every single day! If you need a quick pick-me-up, check out some of these funny posts from Bored Teachers.
9 – Stop and breathe. Whenever you feel anxious or stressed or discouraged, just stop. Close your eyes and breathe deeply for one minute, or longer if you have the time.
10 – Read whatever makes you feel better. While you might want to use this time to catch up on reading education books or more “serious” books, there is also nothing wrong with reading lighter, more “beach read” types of books.
11 – Watch whatever makes you feel better. Right now, I am watching anything that has a more upbeat message or a happy ending — nothing dark or disturbing. Great news for all of us Hallmark Movie Channel fans — Hallmark is bringing back its marathon of Hallmark Christmas movies! Read more HERE.
12 – Try to develop some sort of schedule or routine that works for you. That gives you some feeling of control, which is important when all of us are feeling like there is no control over this situation. Even if you don’t follow it to the letter, just having a plan will make you feel better.
13 – Spend a few minutes alone every day. That sounds funny since we’re all about “social distancing” right now, but spending a lot of time in relatively close quarters with your family can be stressful. When/if you find yourself “on edge”, make an excuse to go lie down, go take a bath, go for a walk, whatever you need that will help you to reset and get yourself back under control.
“… If you feel “burnout” setting in, if you feel demoralized and exhausted, it is best, for the sake of everyone, to withdraw and restore yourself.”
~Dalai Lama
14 – If your own kids are at home with you, build your routine around a routine that will work for them. When you get downtime, they get downtime (even if it involves more screen time than you usually allow). When you are working, they should be “working” on something (school assignments, puzzles, reading, drawing, etc.).
I hope these tips will be helpful to you. I would love to hear your ideas! Stay strong and take care of yourself during this stressful time.
Great tips here!