Читать книгу 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators - Tina H. Boogren - Страница 8

Introduction

I don’t know about you, but here’s how things typically work for me: I read a compelling article or new research that gets me fired up to begin a new plan—an exercise regimen, a diet plan, an organization method, or a new appliance (hello, Instant Pot)—and I am fired up for a few weeks and then, against all hope and desire, the new plan slowly drifts away and I revert to my original habits, lamenting another failed attempt at changing my life.

That is, that used to be typical for me. It has been over three years since I turned my life around through an intentional, deliberate focus on self-care, happiness, and well-being. Three entire years. On that realization, I’ve spent considerable time contemplating why this time is different, why I’m not back where I started, and how I was able to truly change my life in such meaningful ways.

Here’s what I know for sure: self-care and the pursuit of personal well-being and happiness is an intentional practice. A daily, deliberate, mindful practice. This pursuit is a constant and continual work in progress. It’s not something that someone simply checks off a list and forevermore changes things. It’s not a place you get to just so you can slack off and reap the benefits for an extended period of time. It’s so much more difficult (but rewarding) than that. It’s also not commercial or consumer based. Well-being is not found in an app or a pill or a vacation or a wine glass (although those distractions can certainly feel good for a little while). We have to do the work. Every single day. That work is all about three things.

1. Developing a deep, keen understanding of our own needs

2. Checking in with ourselves throughout each day

3. Responding to our individual needs with targeted action

This targeted action is individual. Just because something works for your brother or your friend or the teacher next door doesn’t guarantee it will work for you. It’s personal—very, very personal.

In my 2018 book, Take Time for You: Self-Care Action Plans for Educators, I outlined a framework that educators can use to begin their own self-care journeys. It is the same process that I used to start my own path toward wellness. And now, after that initial work, I’m committed to staying on track. One way I stay on track is by recommitting to the work every single day. I do this by journaling every morning and setting goals for that day as well as outlining my vision for the future. I’ve also continued keeping up with the latest research and experimenting with different strategies that I learn about through that research. This book is a result of that continued work. If you read Take Time for You, my hope is that this book, 180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators, will help you recommit and stay on your path.

You may recognize a few of the themes from Take Time for You, but the individual strategies are fresh. You can incorporate them into your already established plan, thinking of them as self-care hacks—bite-sized actions that may have a huge impact on your overall well-being and happiness. If you haven’t read my previous book, that’s OK; you can jump right into this one and start your exploration now. I am so glad you’re here, no matter where you are on your own personal journey.

Since I became intentional about my self-care, happiness, and well-being, I’ve learned so much. I’ve given myself permission to take care of my whole self so that I can truly live my very best life as an educator, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. I’ve never felt better than I do right now, as a middle-aged woman. Does this mean that I’ve been perfect with my self-care practices and commitments? Absolutely not. I still have days where I forget to drink enough water or get enough sleep, and sometimes I miss the moment because my face is buried in my phone. But I’ve been on more than I’ve been off. Where I once struggled to stay motivated and keep promises to myself, I now put myself first. I know that reading that statement can feel uncomfortable, but hear me out.

As educators—and parents, partners, friends, and children to adult parents—we often put everyone else’s needs before our own. It can feel selfish and uncomfortable to turn the tables and put ourselves first. Trust me when I promise you it’s worth it. I am a significantly better educator, wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend now that I’ve learned what I need, what I don’t need, what makes me feel good, and what doesn’t. I am now able to present my very best self to those I serve and those I love. You can get you there, too; that’s precisely why I wrote this book.

Why Self-Care Is Crucial for Educators

I aim to share what I’ve learned with you, my fellow educators. Whether you are a classroom teacher, administrator, instructional coach, paraprofessional, school counselor, school social worker, special educator, or any other educator, I am your fiercest advocate. I see you sacrificing your own health and well-being for those you serve (whether it’s your students, your staff, or your communities), and I see how it’s hurting you at times.

I’ve been fortunate enough to work with educators in every position, in nearly every state in the United States and many provinces in Canada. I interact on social media with educators in countries like Australia and South Africa. I’ve learned so much about myself through those interactions, but I’ve also learned about you. I know that we are more alike than we are different from one another. I know the incredible number of hours you spend preparing lessons, creating professional development sessions, grading papers, communicating with parents, attending events, coaching and sponsoring, evaluating, meeting, PLC-ing with your professional learning community, and heading committees, clubs, and events. I admire you for that—but I also worry. I worry because I know that if you continue putting your own needs and happiness at the bottom of your to-do list, it will be to the sacrifice of something else—your family, your health, or your students. I want better for you. You want better for you.

Research shows that 93 percent of teachers report “high levels of job-related stress” (Riley-Missouri, 2018). Think about that. This means that only 7 percent of teachers do not feel stressed out. Seven percent! That’s horrifying. Additionally, so many students enter school with significant needs stemming from trauma; educators face the very real risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress (also known as compassion fatigue). Secondary traumatic stress looks like isolation, depression, difficulty focusing, aggression, anxiety, insomnia, excessive drinking, and changes in appetite (Gunn, 2018). Not only is this a concern for our educators, but it’s a serious problem for our students as well. Students with stressed-out teachers have more behavior issues, and those students have lower overall achievement (Riley-Missouri, 2018). Our goal as educators is to make a difference in the lives of our students—both academically and social-emotionally. We cannot do that if we aren’t taking care of ourselves.

Additionally, when teachers are stressed or not fully engaged when they’re at work, students feel it (Granata, 2014). Teachers are the biggest influence on student engagement; research proves that (Gallup, 2014; Martin, 2006). When at least one teacher makes students feel excited about their futures, or when students feel their school is committed to their strengths, they are thirty times more likely to be engaged in their work at school (Gallup, 2014). To positively impact students, educators must be excited and engaged themselves. To feel that excitement and engagement in their work, educators must take care of themselves. Research shows there is a “strong connection between the personal and professional wellbeing of teachers and have reasoned that there cannot be real professional development without personal development” (Day & Leitch, 2001; O’Connor, 2008, as cited in Spilt, Koomen, & Thijs, 2011, p. 461). Consider the type of teacher you’d like your own child, niece, or nephew to have? Do you want those children to have a teacher who isn’t taking care of him- or herself, or do you want a teacher who is well rested, energized, and excited to be at work every day?

School administrators have high stress levels, too. Twenty percent of principals report feeling overwhelmed (Riley, 2018), and principals report more burnout than the general population. They have more trouble sleeping and are at higher risk of depression (Robinson, 2018). School and district leaders can help create a school’s culture by modeling healthy behaviors themselves, heading wellness initiatives, and supporting self-care groups within the school community. As building leaders, you set the tone. Modeling the behaviors for teachers works the way teachers must model the behaviors they want to see in their students.

This book is an invitation. I invite you to explore your own habits and practices so you can see what it feels like to put yourself at the very top of your own to-do list. I want you to consider how taking care of yourself actually better equips you to take care of your own students, staff, and family. I want you to experience how it feels to be the best version of yourself and to see with your own eyes how that makes you an even better educator. I invite you to play around with some new strategies, routines, methods, and ideas in order to see just how good you can actually feel.

How This Book Is Organized

Because most schools cycle themselves around nine-week segments, I’ve done the same here. Therefore, there are four main chapters, and each contains nine weeks. While this book is organized according to a traditional school year, you can jump into week one at any time. If it helps, label the table of contents according to your particular school year (as school calendars vary by district, state, and province). I’ve included only weekdays, which allows for some grace, some wiggle room, on the weekends for you to catch up or simply rest.

Each week, I present a new theme, invitation, and options for self-care activities that are based on the latest research. Some weeks are open to choosing strategies that speak to you, and some weeks are more structured, based on the particular theme. For the weeks that are more open, select one or two options that appeal to you—circle or highlight them directly on the page—and try them for five days. You can also write down your own ideas in the book’s margins if you have another idea related to that week’s theme. These invitations help you put curated research into action. When you’re implementing doable daily tasks, you’re making self-care a habit in a way that works for you. Very few strategies work for all people, and so part of this exploration is learning more about yourself.

Along the way, I’ll share some of my own experiences and offer reflection questions at the end of each week to help you think through what worked, what didn’t, and why in order to nudge you toward a life that makes you excited to jump out of bed each morning. Blank Notes pages at the end of each of the four chapters and the generous margins throughout give you room to record your overarching ideas, revelations, goals, and reflections directly in the book.

What Works for You

You’ll note that I’ve labeled each chapter according to how most educators tend to feel during those particular months: Surviving the Season of Sacrifice (the first nine weeks), Dealing With Disillusionment (the second nine weeks), Finding Balance (the third nine weeks), and Finishing Strong (the final nine weeks; Moir, 2011). When we get a new school year started, we typically find ourselves in the season of sacrifice, where we work longer hours and adjust to the challenges of a new school year. We’re often sacrificing time with our families and friends and foregoing workouts and sleep in an attempt to tackle everything school related.

During the next three months, we’re typically in the throes of the dreaded disillusionment phase. Here, we’re in the most challenging nine weeks of the school year. We’re exhausted and struggling to keep our heads above water, student behaviors feel particularly difficult, and our emotions may be getting the best of us. Often we fall ill during this time of year, and for many of us, the weather starts to turn cold and the days offer fewer light hours. Once we return from winter break, we typically move into the season of balance, feeling more in control of our school responsibilities and less like we’re drowning. Here we feel like we’re on solid ground and are in a bit of a groove. Finally, during the final nine weeks of school, our aim is to finish strong. Here, even though we’re dealing with state testing, spring fever, and the pressures that come with the end of the school year, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we’re determined to close out the school year in a meaningful way.

If you discovered this book during the middle of the school year, that’s great, too! You might jump into the corresponding chapter that matches how you’re currently feeling, work your way to the end of the book, and then go back and start at the beginning of the next school year. Do what feels right to you.

You can do this work individually or you can team up with a single colleague or a group that can lovingly hold you accountable to the work. Partnerships like this are popular because “knowing that we will check in with someone … keeps us on track, even when things get hard” (Levin, 2018). You know yourself best, so consider if it’s better to tackle this work on your own or if having someone else to talk to and check in with is the way to go. Also, remember that you always have a choice. If joining these invitations every week feels burdensome, allow yourself more time. There is no right or wrong way to do this. If you miss a week, it’s absolutely OK. Grant yourself some grace and jump back in as soon as you can.

By working through this book in whatever order feels right, you’ll begin learning how different blocks of time in the school year impact you personally. You’ll learn strategies, tips, and hacks that help you survive the toughest times and that help you fully enjoy the moments where you are less stressed out and feeling good. The only way you can mess up is by not trying. Because you’re here, reading this sentence right now, I know you’re ready to give this a chance. I’m here beside you, cheering you on, throughout your entire journey. I encourage you to do some reflecting before starting your journey.

Take a moment to consider your current level of satisfaction when it comes to your self-care. On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you place yourself in terms of how you currently feel? Why?

Are there changes you want to make? What is your reason for wanting to make these changes?

What currently brings you joy in your life?

Who can support you on your journey? What does support from this person (or these people) look like?

What is your greatest hope in doing this work?

Are you ready? Take a deep breath. Let’s do this!