,Some days I don’t “shine bright” in my classroom. Some days teaching is harder than others. This post is dedicated to teacher self-care top tips. We get so caught up in the everyday tasks required for teaching that some of us forget to be mindful about what we need to stay our strongest.
Now I am not trying to mislead anybody, I am an ordinary art teacher and I am no health guru, but we all know that proper nutrition and sleep are hugely important as a teacher. I am a veteran teacher which means I have been blessed with a lot of good and bad “sleeps” and wake-ups! Sometimes we all fool ourselves into believing we actually DO have superpowers and can push through like a mule.
Haven’t we all had those days when the students run circles around us?!
It’s like my students have sensors and “just know” it’s a day that they can get away with messing around! On a serious note, my students suffer when I am not on my game. Tired, and grumpy teachers are no fun to hang out with and I hate it when that grumpy person is me! Unexpectedly, my students are very forgiving and seem to give me many second chances!
Think of this information as a “self-check” to consider your at-work self-care habits.
- Sleep is a Top Priority. Lack of sleep leads to many health risks but a few of the effects most difficult to deal with as a teacher are:
- memory loss
- anxiety
- weakened immune system
- depression
- irritability and impatience
- loss of enjoyment in teaching
- greater risk of teacher burn-out
A few sleep tips that have worked for some people are:
- Check your bedtime routine. Do you have a set bedtime…like 9:30? Read to relax. No screen time. (We all know adding a warm bath is magical!) Sleep in cool pajamas in a cool room.
- Consider Melatonin if you feel it is right for you. Tablets that dissolve are convenient.
- Consider a Back-to-Sleep product. I wake up in the middle of the night regularly. Taking a dissolving mini-dose of melatonin and herbs is just the right thing to help me doze back into a sleepy haven. However, if you can’t fall back asleep then get up right away and try a cup of sleep tea.
- Make sure you don’t have sleep apnea issues. The sleepfoundation.org has more information about this topic. If you wake up with sinus headaches, wake up in the middle of the night frequently, snore loudly or feel unrested, even after sleeping all night, it might be time to find out more information about getting a sleep study.
- Revise your morning routine at home. Do your hair and quick make-up before work! Sleep in an extra 15 minutes and get to work before your students see you! LOL! Accumulate an extra 2 hours or more of sleep each week!
2. Diet Affects Emotions and Energy. Choose the foods that work to strengthen you… not what is cheapest or easiest. Invest in your health.
- Take time to choose homemade lunches, snacks, and dinners on the weekends. School lunches might not be the right choice for adults.
- Cook in batches and pack it ahead of time or just make sure you have containers ready to pack it in the morning. Grab-n-go works.
- Experiment with food plans and diets that are sensible, nutritious, and include real food.
- Teacher stress packs on pounds due to stress eating and for some, alcohol in the evenings to relax and unwind. (Kind people leaving donuts in the lounge doesn’t help either!) For me, stress-eating led to yo-yo diets that made me tired or grumpier. Follow Hippocrates’ advice: ‘Let thy food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food’…
Example foods to deal with your daily teaching situations:
Mood Lifters; nuts, seeds, beans, lentils, seafood, dark hot chocolate, bell peppers
Fatigue fighters: leafy greens, coconut milk-based soups, sweet potatoes, flax, blueberries
Immunity: garlic, avocado, citrus, bell peppers, chicken
Energy and Focus Teas: Green tea, black tea, Yerba Mate, peppermint (helps get rid of a headache too!), ginger tea, and Chamomile (stress relief too!)
Great lunch ideas and Prep on Sundays:
Pre-cut a compartmentalized tray of cut veggies to make fast veggie wraps on the go. Wash and shred your lettuce. store it in a baggie with a sheet of paper towel to keep it fresher all week! Make a favorite crock pot soup for lunch all week! Pre-cook chicken breasts for fast dinners when you get home.
- Greens salad or protein wrap with peppers, beans, avocado, shrimp, and seeds (Energy)
- Turkey and avocado wrap with cucumber, bell peppers, tomato, spinach, seeds, olive oil, and sea salt in a protein tortilla with an orange (immunity & mood)
- Chicken soup with turmeric (stress relief and immunity)
- Find a “real food” diet that makes you feel great. Meditteranean? Plant-based? Maybe try out a Low carb diet for weight loss and high energy. According to Dr. Axe, Keto- alkaline is said to be beneficial too!
3. Remember to drink water!
The school schedule puts teachers at risk of dehydration! We don’t have time to run to the bathroom between classes! Right?! Keep a water bottle on your desk. Keep bottled water and herbal teas in your classroom too. I actually have to deliberately plan water breaks and set a timer to remember to drink my water! I have figured out that I have 5 opportunities to drink water without it causing too much inconvenience!
1. First thing in the morning when I get up,
2. Halfway through the class period right before my plan time,
3. 30 minutes before lunch,
4. After school
5. The drive home.
4. Find ways to have fun.
- Work on your own interests and skills. Even when you feel like you are “too busy” taking a class or learning something new is revitalizing and uplifting. The positive results carry over to the classroom!
- Re-charge your creative spirit! Make time to create small artworks that don’t take a lot of time. Rock painting is a fast creative activity that can give you a quick boost. (Here’s a fun Painted Angel Rocks tutorial and post about the wellness benefits of rock painting!)
- Spend time with people and pets that you love. Somewhere I heard that when you pet your dog and he shakes it is because he absorbed negative energy from you and released it. I don’t know if it is true but it’s a cool thought!
- If you already are fatigued, choose to avoid people that drain you for a while.
- It’s an act of self-care and love to say “No” to extra work.
- Hang with colleagues and be silly once in a while. Meet after work. Walk together. Try to find time to build some relationships within your building. (As an art teacher, this is the very hardest tip for me! My to-do list is endless! I honestly don’t know how my colleagues find time to do this but I know it is so important!)
- Create a time wall. After work is your time. Reserve an evening or two for yourself and your family. Grading CAN wait.
- Take mini-vacations on the weekend or create a mini-spa vacation at home.
- Add exercise to your life if you have not already established a routine. Quick walks combined with a quick lunch can boost mood and energy!
Most of this information is not new to you. However, sometimes a reminder of healthy habits can be a gentle push in the right direction. We ask our students to “make good choices” but we need to remember to make our own good choices too!
Stay well! I wish you a great school year, happiness, and good health!
