5 Self Care Tips For Teachers During a Public Health Crisis

As if teachers’ plates weren’t already full enough prior to COVID-19, overflowing with professional responsibilities that far exceeded work hours resulting in burnout within 5 years. I talk about this in my post, Getting Real With Teacher Burnout- 5 Ways to Beat It! Anyone who has been teaching through this public health crisis has experienced far more than their fair share of stress. I see teachers breaking down, worrying about their students’ health, their own personal health, and their family’s health, with an even heavier workload. Teaching during the Coronavirus pandemic is definitely teaching on a whole other level. This year we are all first-year teachers as we comply with the CDC guidelines in schools and classrooms while planning, designing, and transforming traditional curriculum to an online platform to engage students, as well as taking on a new role as tech support for students and families.

Self care is necessary for our mental health and well-being. All those sayings like, “you can’t pour from an empty cup,” or “you can’t take others, before you take care of yourself,” scream self care. I sent out a self care survey to my readers as a way to gauge how teachers are feeling and what kinds of self care activities they find helpful in reducing stress. Not to any surprise, the results show that about 60% of teachers are feeling super stressed.

Self care has to be a priority. Period.

Based on the survey results, the top 3 ways teachers significantly reduce their stress are:

• relaxing with both friends and family
• listening to or playing music
• exercising

Over the past few weeks of virtual teaching and the demands it has had on myself and my family, I dug a little deeper into finding actionable ways we can practice self care and manage high levels of stress. Here’s what I came up with.

 Set boundaries & stick to it!

• Take your work email off of your phone
• Plan during your planning time
• Do not respond to emails after work hours
• Take a lunch break
• Get to bed early

Recharge your battery by doing what you love! 

Self care may look different for everyone. Be sure to keep doing what you love to practice self care and reduce your stress levels.

• Engage in a hobby/interest
• Exercise- walk, run, bike ride, etc.
• Meditate, yoga, deep breathing exercises
• Spend time with others that make you feel relaxed, positive, and make you laugh
• Read, write, draw, paint, create
• Play a sport
• Get outside in nature
• Go to the spa or take a bubble bath

Stop and jot: Pause for a moment and jot down some things that you enjoy doing.

Recognize what is in your control

There are so many things that are out of our control that we must accept. We need to let these things go (sing to yourself Frozen’s “Let it go, let it go…”). I bet you can count on your hand and toes the many things that are NOT in your control. Here are a few: District schedules and curriculum, student home situations, tech troubles, opinions about COVID-19, and the list goes on and on. Take a deep breath and focus on what you can only control. This will alleviate mental stress and exhaustion.

 Take care of yourself first, then others

Sometimes it feels selfish to put ourselves first. If you are a parent, have a spouse/partner, or have other family members that need care, you may put your family before yourself. Your family needs you, I get it. BUT, if you’re not taking care of yourself how can take care of others? So, get rid of that guilty driven mindset and take care of yourself first, then you will be able to take care of others.

 Reflect

Reflection is powerful. When you reflect upon your growth in this profession and how far you have come in the time of a crisis, you’ll feel positive and encouraged to just “keep swimming.” Teachers were put into a situation that they have never been in before, stepping up to the challenges and still making a difference each and every day. Remember that you are learning. You are doing your best and you are doing enough. Reflect upon that for a while and see how your mindset changes.

The bottom line, self care has to be a priority now more than ever. 

Let that sit for a while!

Stop & Jot: Write a list of action steps that you’ll do to practice self care.

Put this list where you can see it every day: on your desk, on a bulletin board, on your fridge, etc.

Take-Home Points:

• Self care has to be a priority.
• Set boundaries and stick to it
• Recharge your battery by doing what you love
• Recognize what is in your control
• Take care of yourself before taking care of others
• Reflect

I offer a Stress Management Video Tutorial (prior to COVID-19) because I am passionate about self  care and avoiding burnout. I’ve been there, done that, and I don’t want to go back there. Let’s continue to support one another through this difficult time. We will get through this. Together.

How are you practicing self care and managing your stress while teaching during COVID-19? Share in the comments below.

Related posts:

Getting Real With Teacher Burnout- 5 Ways to Beat it!

5 Ways To Get Out of the Tired Teacher Rut

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