Best Tips and Ideas for Teacher Self-Care this Summer
Hey there teacher friend! How are you doing?
No really, how are you?
Because at the end of the school year, it can be a hard push to get to the finish line. You have about a million things to wrap up and finish before the last day and usually this means staying late, working in the evenings, and putting your own needs at the bottom of the to-do list.
But now that school is out and summer is here, it’s time for you to recharge and practice a little (or a lot) of teacher self-care. Because goodness knows that you deserve it!
Now, your self-care should not only be during your summer break. We want to be practicing self-care year round, but in the summer we have a bit more time to reflect and try out some new self-care practices that we can take with us into the next school year.
So again, self-care is YEAR ROUND, but this post is specific to your summer break. ☀️
What is Teacher Self-Care?
Teachers do so much for their students and often the one person they end up neglecting is themselves. Your self-care deserves to be a priority.
Self-care is simply taking actions to protect one’s own well-being and happiness. Self-care can be little or big actions, but what matters is that you are practicing them daily, which will help prevent burnout.
The 5 Pillars of Self-Care
The term self-care is thrown around a lot these days, but true self-care is a daily practice, not just a random massage or relaxing bath. And although these things aren’t bad- in fact they can be a part of a self-care practice, but there’s a lot more to self-care than that.
There are 5 pillars that make up self-care: spiritual, physical, emotional, relational, and mental. We want to focus on protecting and nurturing each of these areas.
We also want to make sure that our very basic needs are being met: drinking enough water, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep, before we add anything else to our self-care regime.
Self-care ideas
There are a million ways you can practice some self-care, and what works for one person may not work for another. So try and think about what lights you up and what fills your cup up. And remember, try and show self-care in each of the 5 pillars.
So an example of this would be: meditation or prayer (spiritual), getting some exercise (physical), journaling (emotional), spending time with loved ones (relational) and learning a new skill (mental).
Need some ideas for self-care? Don’t worry, I got you! Straight from the Wellness Center at University of Illinois Chicago, this fun graphic shows simple and easy ways for you to show yourself some self-care this summer:
Some other self-care ideas for summer are:
1.) Have a picnic
2.) Put on a summer music playlist
3.) Look for summer events going on in your community
4.) Practice yoga outdoors
5.) Enjoy a cold drink
6.) Try grounding: Put a blanket on the grass and lay down while looking up at the clouds
7.) Do a spa day (you can even do one at home, take a bath, do a face mask, or DIY pedicure)
8.) Go exploring: take a hike or explore a new city
9.) Check out your local farmer’s market
10.) Relax by a pool, lake, or ocean or any other body of water
Final Thoughts on Teacher Self-Care
These are just a few simple ways you can start to practice some self-care this summer. Start these habits now, so you can carry them over into the new school year!
Looking for more ways to enjoy your summer break?
Reading a good book is a great way to show yourself some self-care and it’s also a fabulous way to enjoy your summer vacay! Check out my blog post on the Top 5 Best Beach Reads for Teachers to get your summer reading on!
