Now that the holidays are behind us and spring is a long way off, it’s easy to start feeling a little down. This year — as the pandemic rages on — it’s especially important for teachers to take time for some winter self-care. Whatever your teaching situation may be, we are all under tremendous stress to do and be #allthethings for our students. It’s more important than ever to make time to take care of you, physically and mentally. Winter self-care to the rescue!
Here are 14 ideas. Use whatever works for you!
1 – do a massive brain dump of what is working for you right now and what is not. This might sound like it’s only going to cause more stress, but doing a brain dump gets all those nagging worries and anxiety out of your head and onto paper. Once it’s on paper, you can decide what to do about it, if anything.
2 – drink more water. This is such an easy habit to implement but it’s also an easy habit to forget, especially in winter when we’re not sweating to death. One of my best tips is to get a large water bottle like a Swell or a Hydroflask, fill it up in the morning, and keep it with me all day.
3 – try a new workout routine. It doesn’t have to be a big commitment like joining a gym. But finding some enjoyable way to move your body every day will make a huge difference in your mental health. I love Yoga with Adriene on YouTube. Here’s a link to her February calendar with suggestions for a short video to do each day.
4 – declutter one area. It might be a kitchen cabinet, your car, or your school bag. Just getting control of one area (and getting rid of stuff you don’t need) makes you feel better.
5 – plan a trip. Even though we have no idea when it will be safe to travel again, it’s fun to think about where you could go when you get the chance. This could be a familiar place, a place nearby, or some kind of dream trip. Making plans for the future gives you hope!
6 – think of some fun activities or mini-units you could implement in your class. Just shaking up the routine a bit by adding picture book read-alouds for Black History Month or Women’s History Month, doing some STEM challenges or adding some art activities to a unit can increase motivation and engagement for both you and your students.
7 – think of a teacher friend who could use a boost and do something nice for them. A quick note or text or email telling them how much you appreciate them goes a long way. Of course, sending a Starbucks or Target gift card helps too!
8 – buy something for yourself. It doesn’t have to be expensive. A new journal (I am loving Emily Freeman’s Next Right Thing guided journal), a candle, a book to read for fun, a sweater, scarf, pair of earrings, new yoga pants – whatever makes you happy! Have you ever tried Stitch Fix? It’s a great way to see some new items that are selected just for you, in your size and your style. You don’t have to buy them if they don’t work for you, but it’s always fun to get that box and see what’s inside!
9 – take some time to be alone and meditate every day. A few minutes makes a huge difference.
10 – start reading a new book or watching something new on Netflix or some other streaming service.
11 – cook or bake something!
12 – spend some time outside every day. Even for just a few minutes. It always helps me to get some fresh air and a fresh perspective.
13 – set a “stop time” for work every day. If you’re a teacher, I don’t have to tell you that the work is never done anyway. Decide what you will finish today or how long you will work on some project (like grading – ugh) and stick to those stop times.
14 – list 5 things for which you are grateful every single day. Even when everything seems to be going wrong, there are always good things all around us. Actually writing down your gratitude list makes you happier. You can use a fancy gratitude journal, but a post-it note works too.
What are some winter self-care ideas that are working for you?