Self care practices for teachers

As stated by the Chair of the teaching and learning department at Boston University, Eleonora Villegas-Reimers, the COVID-19 pandemic did not create issues among the teaching population such as extreme pressure, lack of well-being and improper treatment but it rather brought these issues to the surface (Ding et al, 2022). Various teachers have expressed the extreme pressure and anxiety faced during the COVID-19 pandemic while great emphasis was given to the adoption of wellbeing strategies for teachers. Online teaching and increased hours at home impacted teachers in various contexts mainly involving the lack of interaction. Since teachers are one of the most important mediums for the transfer of knowledge to future generations let’s talk about teacher well-being and how it can be applied!

Ensuring your well-being can only be achieved through the adoption of self-care practices and rituals! Self-care is defined as ‘anything you do that helps to improve your own wellbeing’ (ReachOut Australia 2023), in simple terms it means engaging in activities that will promote relaxation and bring you joy. Let’s check in more detail the six different types of self-care and what they mean:

Emotional

Recognition of your feelings and encouraging positive emotions.  Activities that will help you develop your emotional self-care  skills can be:

• Engage in supportive relationships
• Record pleasant elements of your day
• Carry out an activity that you like
• Talk about your feelings and thoughts

Physical

Engaging in activities that promote physical health and comfort. Activities that will help you to develop your physical self-care skills can be :

• Satisfying sleeping schedule
• Nutritious dense diet
• Always have a break for lunch
• Take a work after work is over.
• Regular exercise within the week

Psychological:

Reflecting on elements that might affect your psychological state. Activities that will help you to develop your psychological self-care skills can be:

• Meetings with a more experienced colleague for support
• Do not engage with work outside of working hours.
• Ensure you make up time to relax.
• Engage in activities that bring you joy.

Relationship:

Feeling supported by the relationships that you have in your life and that they positively motivate you. Activities that will help you to develop your relationship self-care skills are:

• Reserve time for the important people in your life
• Have a set time at work for arrival and when you leave
• Attend events held by your close friends and family

Spiritual:

Gaining strength from elements or beliefs of a spiritual nature. Activities that will help you to develop your workplace and professional self-care skills can be:

• Carry out reflective practices
• Go for a walk
• Visit a spiritual institution of your choice

Workplace and professional:

Ability to maintain a balance between personal and professional life. Activities that will help you to develop your workplace and professional self-care skills can be:

• Establishment of boundaries
• Enrolment in CPD programs or courses
• Engage with a ‘work support’ group.
• Arrangement of supervision meetings for support or consultation

Based on the above types of self care you can create your own self care plan based on your personal and professional context

Please note: the information provided above is based only as a guide. In cases where you need extra support or help please contact a professional.

References:

Ding, E., Arias, O., Mijares, A. T. D. T., & Molina, E. (2022, ). For better learning outcomes, we must prioritize teacher well-being. https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/teachers-well-being-and-empowerment-learning-recovery-acceleration

ReachOut Australia 2023. (n.d.). Developing a self-care plan. Teacher wellbeing | ReachOut Schools. https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/developing-a-self-care-plan

ReachOut Australia 2023. (n.d.). Teacher self-care quizzes. Teacher wellbeing. https://schools.au.reachout.com/articles/teacher-self-care-quizzes