3 Reasons Why a Teacher's Self-Care Plan May Fail
Self-care is one of the first things that tends to get dropped by teachers during a busy school year.
This happens even though most teachers will tell you that regular self-care helps them to show up as a more energized, more positive, and more present teacher.
A teacher may even express feeling guilty or disappointed or frustrated that they aren’t regularly making time for self-care because it seems like such an easy thing to do—after all, it’s just taking care of yourself, it should come naturally, right?
So why is self-care one of the first things to get dropped?
In this week’s video in our Beat Burnout Facebook group, I shared 3 obstacles between teachers and their self-care routine that I’ve come across in my private health coaching practice.
I share these obstacles with you so that you are aware of them, and aware of some things you can do to overcome them before they can hinder your self-care goals.
Before we get started, I want to let you know that The Teacher Wellness Academy is currently open for enrollment! This program was created specifically to help you overcome all three of these obstacles so that self-care can stay a part of your life during a busy school year. As you watch and read, I hope you will consider joining this supportive community.
You can watch that video here:
For my readers, here are 3 obstacles that stand between a teacher and their self-care goals:
Obstacle #1: Lack of Clarity
Do you know what self-care works for you? Like, what really works for you (i.e. makes you feel better, more energized, and less stressed, etc.)? Not everyone knows that right off the bat. But knowing exactly what your self-care plan is for the school year tends to lead to teachers, well, doing it. The Teacher Wellness Academy walks you through exactly how to choose self-care that is specific to YOUR needs and helps you turn those self-care goals into clear-cut daily habits. But whether you join us or not, I highly recommend having some sort of specific plan where you know with clarity what you want to include for your self-care each day.
Obstacle #2: Lack of Support
Simply put, we live in a culture at large that is obsessed with work and productivity. That alone presents one obstacle to regularly planning in breaks for your needs. Then think about your micro-culture at school - are other teachers prioritizing their self-care or are you consistently in the presence of others who are overworking themselves, and maybe even getting praised for it? Self-care seems like its such an individual thing, but we are highly impacted by the people around us. If your community is modeling an unhealthy work-life balance, that can be a very legitimate obstacle to your ability to regularly incorporate self-care.
One of the things I love about The Teacher Wellness Academy is that it offers a neutral, supportive community, where we can talk about your wellness as a whole person, not just as a teacher, throughout the school year. But regardless of if you join, I highly recommend finding a community of people who are similarly committed to finding a healthy balance between work and self-care.
Obstacle #3: Lack of Accountability.
Most likely, no one’s checking in on your self-care goals but you. However, other people probably are checking in on your other tasks during the school year. That’s often why those other tasks take precedence, even if doing those other things comes at the cost of your health and wellness goals. It’s one thing surrounding yourself with people who have a healthy mindset towards self-care, it’s another having a group that will help you stay accountable and regularly check in on your goals. Again, The Teacher Wellness Academy regularly checks in on your self-care wins and struggles so that you can stay accountable and keep it in the mix - even when the school year gets busy.
I share these obstacles with you not to discourage you, but to raise awareness and let you know that your success with self-care this year could be dependent on:
-GETTING CLEAR ON YOUR GOALS
-FINDING A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY
-GETTING ACCOUNTABILITY WITH YOUR GOALS
You can join The Teacher Wellness Academy here.