3 Rules for Choosing the RIGHT Self-Care
For me, when school days got busy, my self-care plan started to feel like a drag. I didn’t have the energy for it, and I definitely didn’t have the motivation.
It turns out I was doing self-care all wrong!
I was choosing the wrong activities. and I know that because even the thought of self-care stressed me out. It didn’t feel good when I did it, and I still felt tired afterwards. I’d be left thinking: “Isn’t self-care supposed to make you feel better??”
As you will see below, I believe the answer to that question is OF COURSE. What I teach my clients today is if self-care isn’t helping you lower stress and feel better in mind, body, and spirit, then there’s something wrong with your self-care plan.
Below, check out my 3 go-to rules that I use and share to help determine the best self-care for each of us.
3 Wellness Ideas to Choose the Right Self-Care for You
I.
Self-care should feel good while you’re doing it. One mistake I see people make when choosing self-care is they go too hard. Maybe they go from very little movement to five Crossfit sessions a week. Or they go from eating mostly processed food to a juice cleanse. Or they go from 3 hours of TV after work each day to banning all television. As you might imagine, all three of these scenarios would be pretty big shock to the body. You’d likely be sore or hangry or bored, respectively. Imagine instead, for example, that the person with little movement started going on short rollerblading outings that fill them with joy - They’d be much more likely to stick with it long-term AND it would help relieve stress from the day, don’t you think? My advice: If you notice something you are doing for self-care doesn’t feel great when you’re doing it, drop it; If you notice something rejuvenates, de-stresses, or fills you with joy as you do it, keep it around.
II.
Self-care should be something you look forward to. You know something is wrong with your self-care plan if you are dreading it. My advice here is to ask if you need to change the plan altogether or just switch it up for the day. As an example, if you realize you don’t actually like the yoga class your friend keeps inviting you to, start going to a dance class you love instead (once classes start opening again). Or maybe you’re already doing dance, but today you just don’t have it in you - that’s okay too! Some days we are more tired than others, and a nap or time with a friend might be what we need more than the dance class. First, make sure you are choosing appropriate self-care for YOU, and then be flexible with that plan because our bodies might just need something different in a given moment.
III.
Self-care should leave you feeling good afterwards. I mentioned above that going too hard (and feeling sore or hangry) is no good for self-care. But another common mistake I see is people confusing self-care with self-indulgence. Having a junk food extravaganza might feel great in the moment (and is, I think, fine every now and then), but chances are you do not feel great afterwards. Same goes with social media sprees or Netflix binging - Might feel good in the moment, but then not so great after an hour (or hours) go by staring at the screen. Pay attention to how your self-care is making you feel afterwards, and adjust to find something that helps relieve stress even after the activity is completed.
2 Quotes from Others
I.
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” - Jean Shinonda Bolen
II.
“It’s so empowering to say ‘this isn’t serving me’ and walk away in peace” - Unknown
1 Question For You
What is something you want to start doing and stop doing for self-care after reading the criteria above?
If you enjoyed that, please share this post with other teachers who may benefit!
Until next week,
Emily Hemmingson
Health Coach for Teachers
Creator of The Teacher Wellness Center Membership Community
ON JUNE 1ST, JOIN US FOR: “Build Your Summer Self-Care Plan”
STAY CONNECTED WITH OUR TEACHER 3-2-1 NEWSLETTER
Thank you for taking a moment to join me, and for giving yourself a moment to consider your needs this school week. You can get more actionable ideas in my popular email Teacher 3-2-1 newsletter. Each week, I share 3 of my teacher wellness tips, 2 quotes from others, and 1 wellness question to think about. Thousands of teachers are already subscribed. Enter your email below to join the community!