Avoid burnout and renew your passion for teaching with these 40 self-care strategies for teachers.

Teaching can be demanding, and unless you create time to care for yourself, you run 
 the risk of burning out. Each day at school, you pour yourself into your job mentally, 
 emotionally, and physically. You must continually switch tasks, think on your feet, 
 and be “on stage.” As an <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/all-about-education-jobs" target="_blank">educator</a>, 
 you care deeply for your students and 
 think about them much of your time. It can be tempting to make teaching a 24/7 job.

For a moment, picture yourself on one of your worst days. 
Perhaps it’s nearing the end of the school year, and you haven’t had a day off in many weeks. 
 You’re exhausted, overworked, frazzled and maybe even hungry. What kind of 
 experience are you giving your kids? How well are you able to convey the material? 
 How’s your <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/blog/classroom-management-transitions" target="_blank">classroom management</a> 
 going? What happens if a student needs your help or a conflict arises?

Now, picture yourself on one of your best days. 
Let’s say it’s the first or second week of school, and you’re ready to go! 
You’re refreshed, renewed, 
 well-rested, and charged up, and you’ve even packed a healthy lunch and 
 snacks to get you through the day. How does this situation compare for 
 your students? Are your lessons more engaging? Does your classroom energy 
 reflect your own sense of peace and calm? Is it easier to deal with challenges 
 and obstacles? 


We’ll just guess you’re answer is YES!
<h2>Self-Care Is the Solution</h2>
 That wonderful sense of ease and renewed energy you feel at the start of a 
 new school year is available all year long. You only have to practice self-care 
 in order to tap into it! 


In the event of an airplane emergency, we are instructed to put our 
 oxygen masks on first and THEN put on a child’s mask because we cannot 
 possibly be available to help anyone else if we don’t first help ourselves. 
 Self-care is not selfish. It is vital to care for others.


In an episode of The Harvard EdCast, <a href="https://www.gse.harvard.edu/ideas/edcast/20/12/prioritizing-self-care-practice" target="_blank">Prioritizing Self-Care in Practice</a>, 
 Harvard Graduate School of Education lecturer Jacqueline Zeller, Ph.D., says, 
 “Self-care isn't just good for the educator, but also for the students. 
 Understanding that link between self-care and professional effectiveness 
 can help people understand it's not selfish,” Zeller says. “It helps 
 educators think more objectively about situations, keep more professional 
 boundaries. It helps us set good examples for our students.” 



 Because <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/education/future-teacher" target="_blank">teachers</a> 
tend to focus on others, they may find it particularly 
 difficult to focus on themselves. If you’re struggling to put yourself first, 
 it may help to remember that’s how you can best serve others – not only your 
 students but also your family, friends, colleagues and those who care for you. 


<h2>What Exactly Is Self-Care?</h2>
In “Self-care: A Concept Analysis,” published in the 
 <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34631992/" target="_blank">International Journal of Nursing Sciences,</a> 
 self-care is defined as 
 “the ability to care for oneself through awareness, self-control, 
 and self-reliance to achieve, maintain, or promote optimal health and well-being.” 



 The concept of self-care is not new. Socrates is believed to be the first to 
 teach about “care of the soul.” Plato took Socrates’s idea further, 
 “Taking care of oneself will be to take care of the self insofar as 
 it is the subject of a certain number of things: the subject of instrumental action, 
 of relationships with other people, of behaviour and attitudes in general, and the 
 subject also of relationship to oneself” (<a href="https://community.thriveglobal.com/self-care-is-so-much-more-than-a-fad/" target="_blank">Thrive Global</a>).



Self-care is a highly individualized concept. 
 What constitutes as self-care for one person can be vastly different for another.

 <h2>40 Self-Care Tips for Teachers</h2>

 Since self-care is not one-size-fits-all, it’s important to consider what it means 
 to you. Self-care strategies can be small actions you incorporate into your daily 
 routine or more substantial activities you take time off to engage in. To determine 
 what works for you, brainstorm a list of self-care strategies that would work best 
 for you and keep the list posted in a visible spot. Here are some self-care activities 
 to get your ideas flowing:
 

<ol style="margin:30px;">
 <li> Practice breathing exercises. </li>
 <li> Take a walk. </li>
 <li> Go to the gym. </li>
 <li> Read a book. </li>
 <li> Brew a cup of coffee or tea. </li>
 <li> Put on comfy clothes. </li>
 <li> Play a board game with a friend or family member. </li>
 <li> Watch a movie. </li>
 <li> Leave work at school. </li>
 <li> Soak in a bath. </li>
 <li> Debrief with friends. </li>
 <li> Eat healthy meals. </li>
 <li> Indulge in a treat. </li>
 <li> Create a “lesson plan” for self-care. </li>
 <li> Listen to calming music. </li>
 <li> Tune into your favorite podcast. </li>
 <li> Sit outside during sunrise or sunset. </li>
 <li> Take a hike in the woods. </li>
 <li> Visit the beach. </li>
 <li> Go for a swim. </li>
 <li> While at school, be sure to take restroom breaks. </li>
 <li> Avoid eating at your desk. </li>
 <li> Join or create peer support groups with your colleagues. </li>
 <li> Attend professional development workshops to renew your passion for teaching. </li>
 <li> Learn something new. </li>
 <li> Streamline your classroom procedures to reduce stress. </li>
 <li> Don’t check your emails on the weekend. </li>
 <li> Sit by a fireplace. </li>
 <li> Go camping. </li>
 <li> Bowl, skate or sing karaoke with friends. </li>
 <li> Get enough sleep. </li>
 <li> Practice meditation, tai chi or yoga. </li>
 <li> Have a family picnic. </li>
 <li> Power down your devices and take a tech break. </li>
 <li> Drink enough water. </li>
 <li> Take up a new hobby like gardening, crochet, or birdwatching. </li>
 <li> Practice gratitude. </li>
 <li> Keep a journal. </li>
 <li> Set and maintain boundaries. </li>
 <li> Get help from a counselor or therapist if needed. </li>
</ol>


What other ways can you think of that can help you relax and destress? You 
 may come up with tried-and-true activities or think of something new. 
 No matter what self-care strategies you use, you’re bound to feel better 
 after making some time for yourself! By putting the oxygen mask on yourself 
 first, you can manage the stressors of teaching, enhance your personal well-being, 
 and continue to deliver the best possible education for your students! 


Would a new and exciting teaching job rekindle your passion for education? 
 Explore Cross Country 
 <a href="https://www.crosscountry.com/education" target="_blank">teacher jobs</a>.

Self-Care for Teachers: Put the Oxygen Mask on Yourself First