Sustainable Energy and Joy

If self-care isn’t “it,” what is?

Those of us committed to the beautiful, difficult work of teaching must go deeper to find sustainable energy and joy from September to June, and we’ve got to start now, in July. 

I’ll begin with a few self-care anecdotes related to generations before and after me:

My 7-year-old daughters went shopping with their Aunt Kiffy a few weeks ago and came home with these cute little postcards that preached messages of self-care, like “Self-care isn’t selfish.”

I offhandedly used the phrase self-care in chatting with my mom, and she found it hilarious. As in, why does this concept suddenly need a name? 

I love and take part in many forms of self-care (as I gaze down at my fresh pedi), and I also know self-care is a Band-Aid—literally surface-level and disposable—that does very little in service of deep joy or sustainable energy. 

So, how can you use summer to cultivate deeper reserves of energy and happiness? 

Part of you might feel excited to dive back into teaching students or leading educators. Perhaps you’re eager to try new things in your classroom and meet your new students. 

At the same time, you might be anticipating the stress of the year and the exhaustion that September (and all the months until June!) will bring. 

The research indicates that healthy habits undergird wellness and happiness because they combat the damage of stress. 

That’s why NOW, the middle of summer, is the ideal time to embed a healthy, energy-producing habit into your routine. Here are just a few possibilities:

💫Begin or restart an exercise routine 🤸

💫Meditate or pray daily 🙏🏼

💫Practice gratitude 😎

💫Audit your nutrition habits 🥗

By beginning now, in September, good habits are no longer a choice but are just something you do, part of your day. You want to get yourself to the point where you aren’t deciding whether you’ll go for the run, complete your gratitude practice, or go to bed by 10. You want to do it without thinking or deciding anything—the definition of habitual. 

You know that, in September, these habits will be threatened and may have to be scaled back. That’s okay. But anticipate now what your plan will be when that happens. Are you okay with scaling back exercise from 5 to 3 times weekly? 

Here are some examples of steps to take now to set yourself up for success in the fall:

• If you want to improve your nutrition with more home-cooked meals, try doubling what you cook in the summer and freezing half of it for use in the fall. 

• If you want more time to work out after school but are always grading papers in the afternoons, take the time now to research ways to give faster, more efficient feedback to students. For example, this summer, I am reading Flash Feedback: Responding to Student Writing Better and Faster Without Burning Out, by Matthew Johnson. This will help me support teachers with this ever present challenge.

Anticipating the challenges is critical to managing your wellness once the school year starts. 

Here’s what else is critical: Discipline. 

If you want true wellness AND you want to keep teaching or leading teachers, you have to admit some truths:

💣 Being an effective educator is tough work. 

💣No one else will protect you from work taking over your life. Only you can do that. 

💣 Preserving your time, headspace, and sanity requires discipline; discipline is not easy. 

I have learned that knowing yourself and your tendencies helps you maintain discipline. My go-to resource for establishing habits that stick is Gretchen Rubin’s Four Tendencies Framework. Quiz lovers, you’ll like this!

Here are examples of where discipline and self-knowledge intersect to result in a better daily life during the school year:

🍽️ If sitting down to a family dinner each night is a source of renewal and joy for you, discipline yourself to meal plan, shop, and prep on Sundays so you are prepared. 

🖊️ If grading papers on weekends demoralizes you, put a commitment on your calendar to grade during planning periods during the week, and time yourself to be precise and efficient. 

👟 If working out is the first thing to go when you’re tired or busy, make a commitment to a friend that you’ll run together two afternoons a week, and make sure they don’t let you off the hook.

🅰️ If being a rockstar teacher is your norm, but you know you’ll be exhausted by November, analyze your approach to work and look for some places where you can exert a little less effort, but still be an excellent teacher. Think A- for yourself, not A+. 

Maintaining that discipline is more challenging when you’re tired. This is why now is the time to establish or restart healthy habits. It is also the time to anticipate the challenges and have a plan to overcome them. 

You can do this! You are worth it, and you deserve it. (Your family, friends, and students will thank you, as well!)