Taking Care of Yourself as a Teacher

When you are a teacher, it is easy to lose sight of your own needs. It took me until Spring Break of my third year in the classroom to realize I hadn't been taking care of myself my entire career as a teacher. If I took time off over the weekend to sleep or visit family or go hang out with friends, I felt guilty. I celebrated the first time I went into a store and did not leave with something for my classroom or students with a Facebook post and some delicious Mexican food. This was well into my second year of teaching, and I still remember it vividly.

If you are about to become a teacher, or have been a teacher for years, don't fear. This is not a rant about how hard teaching is or all the burdens we take on in that role. This is a post about the ways you can take care of yourself as a teacher. Or as a human person. Some of these things might seem like common sense, and if they are things you already do, Hooray! Keep doing them! My hope is that I will give you some new ways to take care of yourself during the school year, and every day outside of it as well.

Take Care of Your Health

• Eat healthy snacks throughout the day.
• Stay hydrated.
• Use the restroom when you need to! (Ask another adult to watch your class if you have to. Do the same for others if they ask you.)
• Take vitamins.
• Wash your hands, wipe down desks and doorknobs, and use hand sanitizer if soap isn't available. Do this religiously!
• Get enough sleep. Schedule time for this if you have to. Set alarms on your phone to remind you that it's time for sleep. Sleep is important!!

Take Care of Your Emotional Wellbeing

• Write (poetry, blog, diary entries, letters, etc.)
• Read good books (and not just books about teaching!)
• Go out with friends. Try to go out with friends who aren't teachers occasionally!
• Make something (cookies, cakes, food, bread, paintings, drawings, pottery, etc.)
• Watch TV and movies.
• Go for a walk/run/bike ride.
• Meditate
• Go to a counselor regularly (this job is hard, so let someone else help!)
• Talk to friends and family who aren't nearby
• Keep a journal at school and document the "moments of win," no matter how small they may seem.
• Make positive phone calls home and send good notes home with students.
• Set a work schedule and stick to it. If school lets out at 4, stay until 5 and work. After 5, if it's not finished, you'll get to it tomorrow. If you've scheduled 3 hours for work on Saturday, you only get those 3 hours. After that time is up, you have to go do something else.

Remember

• Never feel guilty for taking care of yourself first! You cannot be an effective teacher if you are sick or tired or stressed out all the time.
• Mistakes will be made. Learn from them and move on. Do not strive for perfection, strive for "better than yesterday."

What are some things you do to take care of yourself? Share them below in the comments!