Nine Tips for Self-Care

Retain Energy and Sparkle to the End of the Year

Have you ever gotten near to the end of the year, the middle of a term or even the first month of the first term, and wondered how you were going to continue to be the amazing, sparkly, enthusiastic and energetic teacher that you were on the first day of the year? You are not alone.

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Teacher burn-out is common, particularly in this age where we are a lot more than facilitators in the classroom: think social workers, councilors, nurses to name a few. The demands of the job are huge. We often take work home and all teachers want to do the best they can for the students in their care. This comes on top of the demands of home life. Sometimes balancing it all seems impossible and that we have to be superhuman.

There are some simple things we can do and all of them are about the self. Self- care is vital, but unfortunately, falls by the wayside. Here are nine tips that will help you to go the distance and retain the energy  and sparkle that you need to do the best you can for the students in your class.

1. Be kind to yourself. We wouldn’t talk to our enemies the way we often talk to ourselves. Watch your inner dialogue. What do you say to yourself? Is it kind? The more often you can catch the negative, the more conscious it becomes and the easier it is to set up different thought patterns.

2. Know your personal goals. We can lose sight of ourselves during a busy school year. What do you want to achieve for yourself over the course of the year? Revisit these at least monthly.

3. Breathe. Focussed breathing a few times a day will help your body to understand the environment around you is safe, and will allow you to relax as well as counter the effects of stress.

4. Plan personal space. Allocate time-out on your calendar and stick to it. Do something you love that brings you peace, such as getting fresh air, taking a warm bath, reading a good book or movie, spending time with friends, lighting a candle, meditating – just make sure you plan it in.

5. Drink water. Our bodies are between 60% and 70% water. We need water to enable the electrical circuits in our brains and bodies to fire all of our bodily systems. If you hate plain water, try adding some drops of good quality, food-grade essential oils. Aim for 6-8 large glasses a day, and even more if you exercise and or it is summertime.

6. Eat vegetation and reduce your processed sugar intake. We used to eat over 200 types of different plant materials a year. For some of us nowadays it is hard to imagine eating more than ten. Experiment and try new foods. A great time-saving hack is to make a large smoothie so you don’t have to spend hours eating your way through a huge pile of salad! You can prepare these in advance and store them in the fridge.

7. Allow yourself to relax without a crutch. When you get home from work, instead of hitting the wine, deliberately do something else to relax first, then  have the glass of wine. This will help stop the feeling of relaxation and wind-down becoming associated with  alcohol (or a cigarette or a packet of  biscuits).

8. Prepare for sleep. This can often be difficult for busy brains but the ‘power down hour’ can really help. According to Dr Michael Breus, we should split the hour before you go to bed into three blocks. For the first 20 minutes complete anything you need to get done such as tidying up, finishing making lunch for the next day, etc. For the second 20 minute block, go about your bedtime routine (clean teeth, shower, etc). For the final 20 minute  block, do something to wind down
completely like breathing exercises or reading a book – something that does not involve a screen.

9. Be organised. Know what you need to do in advance. Use a diary and plan out your time. Plan for time- consuming events in advance and refer to your diary often. At the weekend,  plan what you might prepare in the way of food for the week and do as much as you can in advance. This will save time in the mornings allowing a more pleasant and less rushed start to the day.

If you would like more information or support with any of the above, I would be delighted to help you.

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Jo McBrown


Jo McIntyre-Brown
WILDFIT® Coaching (getwildfit.com)
Fascinated by human behaviour, Jo knows that no
one does anything without reason. Her passion is to
support others to make breakthroughs in understanding
how they work so they live their best lives. Jo has a
warm, humorous, open and non-judgmental outlook.
Her experience as a coach, mentor and teacher of all
ages means she has a huge depth of knowledge and
practical tools that can be applied immediately.

Contact her at
jo@reseedyourselfcoaching.com