Self-care Playlist for Teachers

Though I’m an English teacher, I begin every semester by showing my students a graph. A line moves along a timeline of months, beginning with a high point that spikes a bit, levels, and then plunges down, hitting a low point around November for Fall, and April for Spring. Then, the line moves upwards, leveling off. But it never reaches the beginning high point. This graph, I explain, outlines students’ energy levels, in general, throughout the semester, and I explain that it’s important to pay attention to these levels in order to move successfully to the end of the semester.

Over time, I’ve realized that this is not just a map of my students’ energy, but also my own. It’s vital that I pay attention to my own energy graph: I’ve grown up and worked amongst dedicated human service workers, and I know that burnout is very real. Many people I respect and admire have suffered burnout, which the Mayo Clinic defines as “ — a state of physical or emotional exhaustion that also involves a sense of reduced accomplishment and loss of personal identity.” Because burnout is so common in my field, and has been for many years, I wish that, as a new teacher, I had been taught, not only how to prepare organized lesson plans on sound pedagogical theory, but also how to care for myself in this very demanding job.

Burnout can arrive from a multitude of factors outside one’s control, and this is not to say I will not one day suffer it. But I am interested in the part that is in my control: the habits I can form to help me run the long game, or at least get through May.

Thus, I was inspired to share what helps me near the end of the semester, when I am most tired. Here are some ways I care for myself at the year’s finale, taken from the advice I give to students.

Teacher Self-Care Playlist for May

1. Strategically slow down. This is a hard one, but arguably, the most important. I take a moment at least once a week — usually Sunday evening — to intentionally think about where I can creatively simplify, like shortening an assignment on the professional side, or a doing an express workout so I have more time to savor my dinner. I am often doing something more than I need to be doing either personally or professionally, and it amazes me how much I need to scale back this time of the year.
2. Start summer reading list. I started reading Bridgerton. I’m not yet convinced that Julie Quinn is the next Jane Austen, but her work is still tonic for my times. Rather than scroll my phone and e-mails in downtime, it’s energizing to read a section of a novel, preferably in print or audio so I’m taking a break from all that online reading.
3. Increase time in nature. In this season, especially as the weather is getting nicer, I redouble my effort to take my computer outside, or walk to the grocery store rather than drive. Any way I can slip outside and see the trees and the sky is mentally stabilizing.
4. Take time to mentally let things go. My critics, both inner and outer, will rage, especially as the semester draws to a close. I am learning to metabolize anything worthwhile, and let the rest go. I am also learning to stick with letting stuff go when I catch myself picking it back up. For me, this often takes place while I practice step 3. I developed a personal mantra to help with this, and that is: “what if you didn’t worry about it?”
5. Make time for play. I find putting my phone down and taking out the cat feather makes for very rewarding in the downtime. Drawing is also a way I play. The image above is one such example of my play as it’s how I feel sometimes and it’s cathartic and even fun to release those feelings.
6. Revisit some proud moments. I was watching a YouTube video by Brene Brown, and she cited Maya Angelou’s notion of identity: to paraphrase, Maya believed that she belonged to herself and to no one else. I try to return to this habit of thinking especially if the critical voices are louder than usual. There’s always something I can find that makes me proud of myself. Some days I have to look a lot harder than others, but it’s always there.
7. Make a good celebration plan for the end. After each large assignment, I tell students, as part of the process, to make a celebration plan to reward their labor. For me, celebration plans can range from larger things like a trip to the beach to small things like an extra glass(es) of wine on the patio. No shame: I do what makes me happy, and it’s a wonderful way to get closure.

A colleague of mine once suggested bathing in a tub of cheese was a form of self-care.

This is not an exhaustive playlist by any stretch, but these are seven core areas that help me to connect with and care for myself during this time of year in particular. This in turn makes me more present for the people I serve at school, and love at home. You may add or subtract or finnagle this list. As I discovered as I began to follow the advice I gave students, maybe the best advice you can follow is your own.