TL;DR:
- Find your balanced lifestyle.
- Take care of yourself first before taking care of others.
- Aspire to be your best self.
3 Strategies to Embrace Yourself This SPRING: Self-Care
Are you ready…
Finally, that moment where you can countdown for spring break, the last break of the school year where you know the final term is around the corner. And it’s fun ending the year with a smile.
I wanted to share some insights on some new things you can try out this spring break as an educator…
Strategy #1: Take care of yourself first.
There is much research that proves that if you take care of yourself as an individual, then you can take care of everyone else no matter what the situation is. The analogy is the air mask on the airplane: you are always told to put yours on first prior to helping another so that you can help others. Put yourself first since you have taught through 3 years of a pandemic, and I can tell you that it has not been easy to do. But we are survivors, and we can do it. Embrace the journey and the spring break to reengage with things that you love to do.
- Be inspired.
- Do things with care.
- Find inspiration in your list of must-do items.
- Have time for your family.
- Enjoy finding new things to do.
Strategy # 2: Create mindful moments for yourself.
When creating mindful moments, I always think about learning style preferences so that I can embrace expanding and learning a new learning style while doing things for myself; and that is the advice will share with you this spring.
Kinesthetic Learning
- Try out a new workout routine.
- Hike.
- Take dance lessons.
Visual Learning
- Create a vision board to plan out your goals.
- Scrapbook.
- Blog about a topic you are passionate about.
Auditory Learning
- Listen to new podcasts!
- Watch documentaries.
- Listen to audiobooks on the go!
Strategy #3: Take care of yourself.
Enjoy your downtime by doing things you love to do with loved ones. Sometimes we need to give ourselves permission to have a quiet day to come back ready to take on the whole world. We deserve it.
Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing.
-A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)
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This spring break…journal for fun. How does that feel as you reflect on your spring break?
The importance of self-care is something we can all reflect upon in our profession. I would love to teach forever and ever. In order to do so, you have to take the moments one day at a time and embrace your life and circumstances.
According to research from M. Lawler’s article, “What Is Self-Care and Why Is It So Important for Your Health,” self-care is:
- Taking care of our emotional self and being able to pause life and take time for ourselves. I’m planning a new backyard design at home.
- Taking care of our physical self such as eating healthy, exercising, balancing sleep, and handling stress. This is a balancing act. It is for all of us.
- Taking care of our spiritual beliefs. Have a gratitude journal or board, meditate, and have a faith or belief system to follow.
Yours in Education,
Nilmini
References
https://braveacorn.com/airplane-oxygen-mask-analogy-for-self-care/
https://www.everydayhealth.com/self-care/
About Nilmini Ratwatte-Henstridge
Nilmini Ratwatte-Henstridge teaches in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. She was born in Sri Lanka and immigrated to Canada with her family. As an elementary school teacher who is passionate about equity, social justice, and human rights in education, she enjoys teaching the younger generation to be global-minded citizens.
Discovering the world by connecting with others is an opportunity that we have today in our society today and she loves meeting new people! She is always learning while traveling to understand the inter-connectedness of this beautiful earth we live in! Nilmini LOVES cooking great meals, watching movies, and the latest fashion trends! Family and friends are close to her heart as she looks forward to balancing social media and navigating professional learning communities in education to network globally this year!
