April 27th, 2018

 

Self-Care for Busy Educators and Parents

by Kimiko Shibata and Kaarina Losey

 

Do you have 2 minutes today to be kinder to yourself?  We have all heard that we can’t pour from an empty cup.  When we care for ourselves as educators or parents, we have more to give others, and are able to be more responsive and less reactive to the stressors that we encounter in our lives.  Regular self-care can prevent burn-out, compassion fatigue, and a variety of other health concerns.  

Common teacher and parent barriers to self-care:

“I want to engage in self-care, but I don’t have time.”

“I want to engage in self-care, but I can’t justify the cost.”

“I feel guilty taking time to do things for myself.”

Make your own self-care kit to keep at home or school to model mindful self-care for your students or your own children.  Some frugal ideas:

  • plastic flower–reminder to sniff in to “smell” the rose and breathe out through the mouth
  • pom pom and straw for controlled breathing: blow a pom pom across the table slowly using your breath
  • scrunchie to stretch, or stress ball to squeeze
  • hardcover book to place on your stomach to practice “stomach breathing” (raise the book with your stomach while lying down)
  • oil/water/glitter/glue sensory/calming bottle for focal point
  • dollar store sand timer  
  • mat or towel from home to lie or sit on for yoga, stretching, or meditation

Do you have 5-10 seconds?

  • breathe deeply and focus on finding three things for which you are grateful before getting out of bed
  • breathe deeply and focus on finding three things for which you are grateful before falling asleep
  • as you wash your hands after using the bathroom, slow down the process and focus on the feel of the water on your hands, the smell of the soap, the sound of the tap turning on and off
  • do a car stretch while you’re sitting at a traffic light
  • do a few calf raises while waiting in line at the grocery store
  • keep a bottle of water in your workspace and in your car.  Take a sip whenever you sit down, to stave off dehydration-related issues (kidney stones, urinary tract infections, dry skin, headaches, digestive issues)
  • breathing (3 part breath, lifting and expanding ribs instead of only belly breathing).  

Do you have 2 minutes?

Examples of stretches:

* hip flexor stretches in your chair (one leg pretzel across your lap, straighten back and lean forward)

* shoulder rolls

* neck stretches

* cross arm stretches

* hold chair and tilt in chair

* spinal twist in chair

* relax your jaw, drop your tongue off roof of your mouth

* arm and back stretches behind the chair

Do you have 5-10 minutes?

  • park as far away as you can from the school or the grocery store, and get in a quick walk
  • use meditation podcasts

*  meditation oasis

Do you have 20 minutes?

  • request or trade for outdoor yard duty so that you have a reason to be outside in the fresh air and sunshine, walking/moving (do laps around your designated area–great for maximizing supervision and teacher presence on the field, and a great way to get in extra steps)
  • do a few laps around the school in the morning before school starts
  • if you have a room with a closing door to use in a school, close the door, turn off the lights, and use a meditation / yoga app during a break or before school
  • instead of discussing a student with a colleague while sitting inside the school, ask to walk outside the school to get your ideas and blood flowing
  • do an exercise set from a free physical activity app

 

Create Inner Peace Zazen – Google Play Zazen Lite – iOS Anxiety Free: iCan

Take a Break Meditation Oasis iSleep Easy – Google Play iSleep Easy

Headspace Calm Oprah&Deepak Breethe – iOS

Breethe – Google Play Relax Melodies

TEACHERS can get full access to the CALM app premium content for FREE: https://www.calm.com/schools

Do you have 30 minutes?

  • walk outside or walk inside (hint: keep a pair of running shoes and a pair of cheap dollar store headphones in your trunk at all times so that you can take advantage of unexpected time between appointments, visits, etc for walking outside or at one of our FREE TO USE community walking tracks)
  1. Waterloo Rec Complex Track –6am to 10pm

101 Father David Bauer Dr., in Waterloo. The indoor track is on the second floor. Go up the stairs to the right of the main entrance and follow the hallway to your left or use the elevator to the left of the customer service desk on the main floor. The phone number at the Waterloo Memorial Recreation Complex is 519-886-1177.

     2) Kitchener Walking Track: Lyle S. Hallman Walking Track, above the hockey rink in the Activa Sportsplex, 135 Lennox Lewis Way, Kitchener, ON N2C 2V1, Free to the public daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Gratitude/Perspective/Mindset/Positive Psychology:  

We see/notice more of what we choose to focus on.  If we train our brains to focus on the positives (gratitude journals, reading and posting positive and uplifting things on social media, avoiding staff room negative talk, promoting positive talk about students and colleagues), we will begin to notice more positives in all areas of our lives.

Try this Awareness Test –see what your brain focuses on!  How can you look for more of the change that you want to see in your own life?  

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” -Melody Beattie

Affirmations Grateful 30 Days of Gratitude

For additional mindfulness resources, please check out this Mindfulness Resources Guide.