Teacher Appreciation: Appreciating yourSELf all year round.

As we end Teacher Appreciation Week 2022, those of us that are in education know that if there needs to be a week for appreciation, that the profession is not having its needs met all the other weeks in the year.

Things like:

• Liveable Wages and professional pay
• Having a voice in decision making at all levels 
• Manageable workloads
• Respect for our expertise
• Respect for our personal and mental wellness
• Access to resources 
• Fully furnished classrooms including supplies

How do we begin shifting the mindsets of our communities, ourselves, and the people we serve into supporting the community at large (which includes education)?

This is a BIG question with many answers.

I say…

START WITH YOURSELF

The best way to make ripple effects out to others is to start appreciating yourSELf (and others) using the 6 areas of Self Nurturing.

I’m going to remind you of the 6 areas and give you 1 way you can show appreciation to yourself or someone else.

PHYSICAL SELF: How you nurture your body inside and outside.

Taking care of your physical self in a healthy way gives you a HUGE return on your time, money, and effort investment. When you feel well inside and out, your ability to handle things well increases.

Appreciate your physical self:

Move your body. Even if for 1 minute to stretch, march, dance, whatever…get moving!

SOCIAL SELF: How you nurture your relationships to self and others.

Having healthy relationships and boundaries with others (and your devices/social media) keeps you grounded and focused on what really matters.

Appreciate your social self: 

Send a text to someone important to you that says Hi! Thinking about you today!

For yourself-put your device on silence for 30 minutes during the day.

SPIRITUAL SELF: How you nurture your sense of connection to a higher power.

Understanding there is more to the world than what is happening with you helps with perspective. Whether you pray, go out in nature, or volunteer, there is value in placing your mind on something other than what you are going through or need to do.

Appreciate your spiritual self:

Volunteer to help someone or an organization. It can be as small as helping a neighbor with a task that they can’t do themselves.

For yourself-put on some calming music and close your eyes. Breathe in for 4 and out for 4.

YOUR SURROUNDINGS: How you nurture your environment around you.

What your space looks like and who you associate does play a role in your well-being. Excess clutter disrupts and distracts what the brain is taking in. This can lead to overload on the brain because of how much it needs to process to determine what it is that is important in the moment. This affects your students as well.

Appreciate your surroundings:

Do a 10 minute tidy. Determine 1 area to focus on. Set a timer for 10 minutes. When timer is up, be done and be ok with whatever you got done.

EMOTIONAL SELF: How you nurture your feelings.

Honoring your emotions and feelings while allowing them to move through without staying too long can help you handle situations that are charged with emotions.

Appreciate your emotional self:

Journal about your feelings. It can be in a notebook or on a post-it. I feel _____ because _____. I want to feel _______. I can do _______ to feel this way.

PROFESSIONAL SELF: How you nurture your work/life commitments.

Knowing what your commitments and priorities are is the first step in knowing what boundaries would be best for you to set. For example, if it’s important for you to workout after school, then leaving school on time is a boundary. 

Appreciate your professional self: 

Choose a boundary for your SEL. Set and name your alarm to match the boundary needed at that time. 

NEXT STEPS:

These are starting ideas. Whatever you start with, make it simple and focus on 1 area to start. Want support in deciding where to start? Join my FREE weekly email coaching group to get tips, reminders, and more ideas to live to your fullest potential while continuing to teach.