How to Make Filling Your Cup a Daily Habit (The Sacred Hour)
Filling your cup is an absolutely essential habit for anyone in a caregiving profession like teaching.
That’s right, I said habit - something you intentionally build into your everyday life for more balance. The educators I work with turn filling their cup into a daily habit through what I call The Sacred Hour.
The Sacred Hour is the daily habit of reserving ONE FULL HOUR of your day for activities that relax you, light you up, or otherwise connect you to your authentic self.
In other words, this is the protected, precious hour in which you fill your cup.
During this time, I encourage clients to give themselves space away from all work emails, screens, and work papers - or anything else that drains them. I even recommend gently practicing letting go of thoughts of work during this hour (I know this is easier said than done, but little by little it is possible!).
So what can you do during this hour? It can really be anything that sparks joy and peace in your unique life, but check out a few of my recommendations below.
3 Ways You Can Fill Your Cup During The Sacred Hour.
These ideas come from our resource “Examples of Self-Care for Teacher Stress Relief”, found in our Membership Library. Learn more about getting access to our library here.
I.
Intentional Rest. Giving yourself a total break to do as close to nothing as possible can be incredibly healing if you are experiencing a lot of mental fatigue. You may choose to pass your Sacred Hour with intentional rest like taking a nap, sitting in your comfy chair to read a relaxing book, or meditating on the sound of your breath. Getting out into nature and cloud gazing or listening to the sound of the bird and winds are also wonderful ways to rest and reset a tired mind. The idea is to give the thinking mind a break with as little stimulus as possible (this also helps to balance out the constant alertness you likely have in your classroom during the day).
II.
Creative Flow. Creative expression can be a meditative experience - where you let the thinking mind go and let free form creativity flow. It can also spark a lot of joy when you find a creative activity your soul really resonates with. Any sort of creative expression is a great option for the Sacred Hour, from music or dance to crafts or painting.
III.
Joyful Connection. One of the most important parts of your life are undoubtedly the people you love. Use the Sacred Hour to intentionally connect with the people that mean the most to you. Plan a special date with your partner, call a friend that makes you laugh, or set up a family game night during your Sacred Hour so your important relationships can continue to bloom.
2 Quotes from Others
I.
“I’m devoted to living a life of service - and I mean that with my whole heart. And that means taking care of myself.” - Adriene Mishler of Yoga with Adriene
II.
“Your job is to fill your own cup so it overflows. Then you can serve others joyfully from your saucer.” - Lisa Nichols
1 Question For You
Do you have a dedicated time each day to fill your cup? What activity would you like to include in your Sacred Hour?
Make sure to share this week’s 3-2-1 with an educator you care about :)
Until next week,
Emily Hemmingson
Health Coach for Teachers
Founder of The Teacher Wellness Center
Access Our Entire Library of Burnout Prevention Resources
Today’s post was based on the resource, “Examples of Self-Care for Teacher Stress Relief”. Use our member resources and archived webinars to build up your toolbox of stress management strategies, boundary-setting skills, and resilient mindset techniques.
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 actionable ideas each week in my popular email Teacher 3-2-1 newsletter. Each week, I share 3 burnout prevention ideas, 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!