Self-Care
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Description: Self-Care Exercises and Activities- The topics provided cover ways to maintain your physical health, decrease stress, increase relaxation and equanimity, and deal with challenging emotional situations (including work situations). We invite you to find the ones that are applicable to your life and situation.
Description: The 3 R’s for Teacher Self-Care: Reflect. Release. Recharge Consider these prompts for your daily reflection: What has been a challenge for you today? What is one win or a joyful moment that you had today? Think about one person that helped you out today and send them a thank you email or text expressing your gratitude.
Description: Prioritizing your Mental Health with Summer Self-Care - Pause for a moment. Take a breath. You’ve made it to the end of a school year unlike any before. You’ve dealt with new developments, mastered new technologies, and likely found your students to be more resilient than you’ve ever imagined. You deserve this summer to rest, recover, and find new ways to further your craft as a valued educator. No matter how you are feeling, as an educator and as a person, this summer is a...
Description: 3 Self-Compassion Exercises - Self-compassion involves treating the self with care and concern when considering personal inadequacies, mistakes, failures, and painful life situations. This product contains 3 different self-compassion tools. Each tool is structured in the same way, consisting of abackground section, a goal description, advice for using the exercise and suggested readings.
Description: Here are some strategies to relax and reset this summer: Focus YouTube: One Minute Pinky-Thumb Breathing Sheetali (Rolled Tongue Breathing) YouTube: Colour Breathing Square Breathing for Stress Reduction Muscle Relaxation Progressive Muscle Relaxation Stress Management: Doing Progressive Muscle Relaxation Mindfulness Mindfulness podcasts Guided Meditations and Scripts from UCLA Mindful Awareness Research Center
Description: Boundaries: What are they and how to develop your own - Setting healthy limits, or boundaries, in our lives allows us to take care of our health and well-being. In this resource, we’ll cover different types of boundaries, how to set them and ways to communicate to others what you will and will not tolerate to protect yourself and take charge of your life. (NAMI = National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Description: Understanding the Wellness Wheel: 7 Dimensions of Wellness - The wellness wheel is a tool for self exploration that promotes the concept that balance is the key to wellbeing. When it was first conceived by Dr. Bill Hettler, he outlined six dimensions of wellness as markers to help individuals accomplish a well rounded, healthy lifestyle and live a life of value and meaning. Over time, the wheel has grown to include seven categories. Today, the dimensions on the wellness wheel include:...
Description: The Building Connections Webinar Series explores how social and emotional learning (SEL) connects to topics to strengthen the many systems that support young people.
Description: Educator Webinar: Self Care Tips for Teachers - In this digital workshop, Breathe For Change’s Founder & CEO, Dr. Ilana Nankin, will guide you through transformative wellness practices you can draw on in your daily life to sustain a personal self-care practice! Take this precious time to fill up your own cup - and learn to give to yourself the way we know you so generously give to your students and community every day. You deserve it! At the end of the workshop, we will share...
Description: Webinar: Happy Teachers, Happy Classroom - Many teachers are simply and understandably burning out! The fire and passion that once sparked for teaching are simply becoming extinguished. In this highly-engaging webinar, based on the book by the same title, educators will not only learn how to restore their passion for teaching, they will also explore 12 specific ways to look five to ten years younger, become and remain healthier, and live a longer life! This webinar has been...
Description: Making Educator Wellness a Priority: Simple Self-Care Strategies - Teaching is one of the most stressful professions. That stress can affect your health, your job satisfaction, and even the quality of your teaching. However, decades of research show that when teachers feel better, they perform better. View this edWebinar to: Hear why educator wellness is so important Gain simple self-care strategies you can use immediately to reduce stress and improve your wellness Participate in a...
Description: What is Teacher Self-Care and How to Practice It - Because teaching is such an intensive job, educators can greatly benefit from learning about activities for practicing self-care. Unfortunately, teachers may worry that taking care of themselves can lead to self-absorption and distract them from their students. However, despite the misleading title, self-care isn’t at all about selfishness. In fact, practicing self-care can be in the best interest of everyone in your classroom....
Description: Self-care for teachers: 5 strategies to prevent compassion fatigue - Educators are some of the most passionate people you’ll meet in any profession, and it’s easy to understand why. Teachers get to introduce children to concepts, people and places that will shape their lives forever. When your lesson goes well and the class is engaged and attentive, it can feel like you’re on top of the world. But teaching is also an emotionally, mentally and physically taxing job that...
Description: Explore 10 Day Mindfulness Challenge - Learn evidence-based tools and techniques that will help you stress less, focus more, and feel more calm. In this 10-day mindfulness challenge we will share a variety of practices that promote healthy management of anxiety, present-moment awareness, and overall wellbeing. The goal of this 10-day Challenge is to kickstart a mindfulness practice for those who are new to the idea and to offer new exercises and approaches for all participants, even those with...
Description: Journeling for Well-Being - Journaling can strengthen your well-being because it allows you to build intention, reflection, and mindfulness into your life. It’s fairly easy to start a habit of journaling. You don’t need a lot of time or supplies for journaling, and you can choose from many different forms of journaling to discover a journaling practice that works best for you. Here are the key well-being benefits of journaling and how to get started journaling for well-being.
Description: Headspace for Educators offers free access to K-12 (primary-secondary) teachers and supporting staff in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. Whether you’re feeling inspired to connect more with your students or you’re looking for a new way to bring calm to your classroom, Headspace can help students build healthy habits that last a lifetime. Better focus, less stress, and happier thoughts are just a few minutes away.
Description: Caring for Your Mental Health (available in Spanish) includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, make choices, and relate to others. Mental health is more than the absence of a mental illness—it’s essential to your overall health and quality of life. Self-care can play a role in maintaining your mental health and help support your treatment and recovery if you have a mental illness. About Self-Care When to Seek Professional Help What...
Description: 4 Steps to Help Teachers Reset This Summer - Reflection is a key component of professional growth for educators, but making time for meaningful self-reflection can feel all but impossible amid the flurry of the school day. The end of the year provides a great opportunity to look back on standout moments with students, reflect on challenges you’ve overcome, and celebrate a year’s worth of growth. Most teachers are exhausted by May or June, but carving out a little time for taking...
Description: Happify App - How you feel matters! Whether you're feeling sad, anxious, or stressed, Happify brings you effective tools and programs to help you take control of your feelings and thoughts. Our proven techniques are developed by leading scientists and experts who've been studying evidence-based interventions in the fields of positive psychology, mindfulness, and cognitive behavioral therapy for decades.
Description: The Institute for Mindful Leadership provides free content, located under the resources tab: Mindful Leadership Blog Videos Guided Meditations Little Books Podcasts Press
Description: As an educator, you’re constantly navigating changes and challenges. From dealing with sudden schedule shifts to managing student behavior, you have a lot to juggle each day. On top of it all, you’re trying to keep up with the needs of your students and your own life. It’s understandable if you feel overwhelmed. You may be looking for ideas on how to practice self-care — or how to find time to practice self-care.
Description: Self-care matters. If you are constantly giving your all to everyone else, you are going to eventually burn out. Please take a moment to schedule ways to nurture yourself every week. It will be one of the best things you can do to show up and show out for your students. I’ve created an infographic with a list of 50 self-care ideas for teachers and specialists to get into the self-care zone.
Description: In the video, "Getting to Know Your Brain: Dealing with Stress," test your knowledge about stress and the brain. Also learn how to create and use a “stress catcher” to practice strategies to deal with stress. I'm So Stressed Out! Fact Sheet - Is it stress or anxiety?
Description: Mindful Parenting - Parenting can be stressful. Parenting kids with special needs can be even more stressful, and it can cause anxiety, depression and marital problems. A mindfulness practice can help alleviate stress and prevent these problems. And it can make you a better parent. Mindfulness is designed to help you notice your emotions and calm yourself down in stressful situations. It includes breathing exercises, guided meditations and taking a step back from difficult situations. These...
Description: Self Care for Teachers - Taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give your students (by Dr. Jane Nelsen & Dr. Kelly Gfroerer). Make a list of the things you like to do that feed your heart, your body, your mind, and your soul. Get out your calendar and make time for yourself EVERY day. Give up all guilt about taking time for yourself, or for taking time to be with people who boost your energy and your joy. Keep a gratitude journal. Ask for help when you need it. After all, you...
Description: Emotional Wellness Toolkit - How you feel can affect your ability to carry out everyday activities, your relationships, and your overall mental health. How you react to your experiences and feelings can change over time. Emotional wellness is the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times. Flip each card below for checklists on how to improve your health in each area. Click on the images to read articles about each topic. You can also print the...
Description: Explore the Social Wellness Toolkit - From the time you’re born, your relationships help you learn to navigate the world. You learn how to interact with others, express yourself, conduct everyday health habits, and be a part of different communities from those around you. Positive social habits can help you build support systems and stay healthier mentally and physically. Flip each card below for checklists on how to improve your health in each area. Click on the images to read articles...
Description: Why Self-Care Is Essential to Parenting What you will learn: What are the symptoms of caregiver burnout? What can parents do to take care of themselves? What is “respite care” and how can parents find out more about it? ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center They assist and promote the development of quality respite and crisis care programs, help families locate respite and crisis care services, and serve as a strong voice for respite in all forums. How Parent Support...
Description: Mental Health Disorders and Teen Substance Use What you'll learn from this article: Why is substance use more dangerous for teens with mental health disorders? Why do teens with mental health disorders use substances? Why does substance use make a mental health disorder worse? Experts note that to encourage teens to reduce or stop substance use, it’s important give them other coping strategies to manage their problems without turning to substances.
Description: Free SEL Tool for Educators: Improve Your Optimistic Thinking - Optimistic thinking impacts many areas of our lives, including work performance, productivity, motivation, sense of purpose, stress levels, and more. Now, more than ever, educators need to tap into their optimistic thinking and goal-setting skills to increase their resiliency, well-being, and positive outlooks. Check out their Free Optimistic Thinking Guide to get research-based, practical resources to enhance your social-emotional...
Description: Teacher retention is a serious concern for many districts and the COVID-19 pandemic has placed additional pressure on districts to ensure the right mental health support and professional development is in place. In fact, 33% of teachers are somewhat or very likely to leave the profession within the next 12 months, compared to only 8% prior to the pandemic. This report outlines the key factors leading to attrition in today’s environment and research-based strategies schools can implement to...
Description: Principles of Effective Time Management for Balance, Well-being and Success - The principles provided are derived from research on time management, motivation theory and much experience working with university students. Think of time management techniques as tools to help you do what you value the most. Make these tools into an expression of your values—what’s most important to you—not just a schedule to get more stuff done. Try to keep these principles in mind as you schedule...
Description: Breaking Down the Issue Burnout and demoralization are meaningfully different forms of work dissatisfaction that each affect teachers’ ability to do their jobs and influence decisions to remain in the profession. System and school conditions contribute to or buffer against demoralization and burnout in ways that directly affect the lives of both teachers and students. Evidence is growing that the pandemic has increased demoralization and burnout among many teachers. This article also...
Description: Support Staff Social-Emotional Well-Being - The majority of teachers experience ongoing mental and emotional stress as part of such a demanding job. But teachers who work with students exposed to trauma are at greater risk of compassion fatigue and burnout as a result of hearing about students’ experiences and dealing with the negative effects. Destigmatizing mental health needs and emotional exhaustion and creating formal structures to support teacher well-being are critical to the...
Description: Podcast: Putting Self-Care into Action to Prevent Burnout in the Helping Professions - Burnout is a topic that hits close to home for me as an SLP of 15 years. In some ways, I think I started to feel that burn even before I got my CCC’s. Why are we and others in the “helping professions” so much more likely to experience burnout than others braving the workforce? This week, burnout expert, Dr. Julie Slowiak, shares her own personal experience with overwhelm and under-joy in the...
Description: Developing a self-care plan - A self-care plan can help you enhance your health and wellbeing, manage your stress, and maintain professionalism as a worker with young people. Learn to identify activities and practices that support your wellbeing as a professional and help you to sustain positive self-care in the long-term. This will help you to: understand self-care develop your self-care plan put your self-care plan into action.
Description: Stress. It makes your heart pound, your breathing quicken and your forehead sweat. But while stress has been made into a public health enemy, new research suggests that stress may only be bad for you if you believe that to be the case. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal urges us to see stress as a positive, and introduces us to an unsung mechanism for stress reduction: reaching out to others. (14:16 minutes)
Description: This Warm Line is a peer-run service for residents of Virginia. They offer this support line for individuals, family members, and other concerned parties who would like someone to talk to, or who request community mental health resources, or who have specific questions about their recovery journey. The peers who answer this Warm Line listen with compassion and provide non-judgmental support. The peers at MHAV are not licensed professionals, medical providers, or legal advisers. MHAV’s...
Description: This Virtual Calming Room is a place for students, families and staff to find tools and strategies for managing emotions and feelings and building our resilience. This site includes: Sounds and Music Guided Meditations Visual Relaxation Support Yoga Live Animal Cameras Coloring & Creativity Mindfulness Exercise Smartphone Apps Puzzles & Games SCUSD Resources
Description: Try some or all of these practices to experience a greater sense of well-being and resilience. Mindful Breathing for Adults Brief Body Scan Self-Compassion Break for Adults Loving-Kindness for Adults How Would You Treat a Friend? And more . . .
Description: K-12 Staff Well-Being Check-In Toolkit - Download this toolkit and learn how to better support your district's employees by: Understanding the state of teacher and staff mental health Monitoring employee well-being Increasing employees’ sense of purpose Providing tiered support
Description: What is Mindfulness? Mindfulness is the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us. Mindfulness is a quality that every human being already possesses, it’s not something you have to conjure up, you just have to learn how to access it. The Types of Mindfulness Practice While mindfulness is innate, it can be cultivated through proven techniques. Here are some...
Description: Institute for the Advancement of Family Support Professionals - The Institute offers Family Support Professionals everywhere the opportunity to learn new skills and grow their careers. Through engaging, online modules and a personalized learning map feature, professionals take charge of their growth and advancement.
Description: One powerful mindfulness practice for noticing and meeting your needs is called “Knowing Your S.T.U.F.” This is an acronym that helps one notice four elements of emotions and move into constructive problem-solving. Taught by Psychologist Joel Minden, S.T.U.F. stands for Sensations, Thoughts, Urges, and Feelings. When you take a few minutes to step back and acknowledge these levels of your emotional experience in the present moment, you engage the executive brain and naturally develop...
Description: Promoting Staff Well-being includes: Staff Wellness Staff Mental Health Staff Physical Health Adult Immunizations
Description: Self-care and the Four R's of Resilience - One helpful way to practice Self-Awareness Self-Care is to nurture a regular habit of checking in with yourself around The Four R’s of Resilience: Rest, Relaxation, Replenishment, and Release. These categories speak to four foundational pillars of personal wellness relating to sleep, stress relief, diet, and exercise. Positive outcomes are boosted when we intentionally foster these areas in our lives either individually or by buddying up or...
Description: Find Recorded Webinar Series: Self-Care and Compassion for the Educator- The Northwest Mental Health Technology Transfer Center (MHTTC) and the Northwest PBIS Network are collaborating to bring you a FREE, 3-part webinar series presented by WellEducator, LLC. NWPBIS is partnering with Dr. Renee VanNorman of WellEducator, LLC to bring you the most up to date research, suggestions, and exemplars on how to build wellness, and respond to life's challenging moments (in and...
Description: Practicing Self-Care and Professionalism People who take care of others often put their own needs last. Does that sound familiar? Caring for yourself is important for your health and wellness, and it is directly related to your ability to care for others and succeed at work. Although you can’t avoid all stress, too much stress can make it hard to provide care for others, especially infants and toddlers who depend on your physical and emotional availability. Taking care of yourself...
Description: The purpose of this brief is to provide recommendations to district and school leadership teams on how the components of Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) can be used to prioritize staff health and wellbeing.
Description: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Virginia provides YouTube videos with yoga instruction covering a variety of topics, including: Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Children: What Is Yoga? Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Children: Why Do We Do Yoga? Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Teens: What Is Yoga? Yoga Ed. x NAMI Virginia: Chair Yoga for Teens: Why Do We Do Yoga? And more...