Teachers often cite the top three barriers to practicing self-care as time, fatigue and consistency. With limited time, heightened feelings of fatigue and an inability to maintain a consistent routine, it would be tough for any teacher to establish a sustainable pattern of self-care immediately. Attempting to set one’s self up to follow a successful self-care routine will be best accomplished by starting small. Self-care doesn’t require an all-or-nothing mentality. Instead, try starting with one habit you want to change or incorporate, and remember that consistency is key. Making small differences over a long period of time has proven to be more effective than attempting to change everything all at once, especially when it comes to taking better care of one’s self. Visual cues can also serve as helpful reminders to consistently practice your chosen self-care. For example, if you want to journal every morning, set an alarm and put your journal and pen on your bedside table before sleeping. These small changes can be the motivating factor to continue practicing these habits as they form. For more information on how to continue practicing self-care in an effective way, read on to resource embedded within this post.
Teacher Self-Care 101, provided by Curriculum Associates; an organization offering educational materials designed for the k-5 reading level.
