Don’t return to school without answering these 3 wellness questions
Winter break is a powerful time for reflection.
Whenever you can give yourself permission to rest, you also give yourself a chance to gain clarity about what you need for a healthier, happier career in education.
So before heading back to school, take some time to think through the three guiding questions below. If you want to go the extra mile, grab a piece of paper and pen, and write down your answers! Change starts with getting clear.
And don’t forget! This Monday we are starting the free video series, “5 Days of Burnout Prevention + Support”. You can sign up yourself, and share with educators in your community who would benefit, here.
3 Wellness Questions to Answer Before the New Semester
I.
What are the top 3 things that made your work FULFILLING last semester? These are the things you want to intentionally keep doing - or maybe even do more of - in the semester to come.
II.
What are 3 things that you can do to make your work EASIER in the coming semester? This can be a system that works for you that you already have, or it can be something you want to start doing to make your life easier. Can you delegate or ask for help on a part of your job that causes a lot of stress? Can you set a boundary or say no to something that just feels like too much this school year?Do you want to spend less time on less important tasks? Take some time to think about how you can simplify your work.
III.
What is the 1 thing that causes you the most stress during the school year? True, this is not the most fun question, but it is arguably one of the most important. When we get stressed, it’s common to start seeing problems everywhere, and then it’s hard to remember where the stress is actually coming from. All that to say, try to pinpoint your biggest source of stress during the school year. If you are feeling up to it, consider any possible solutions to minimize that stressor. If that isn’t possible right now (or you just don’t want to think about it over your break), then know that simply pinpointing your biggest stressor can give much needed perspective so that stress is less likely to snowball on busy school days.
2 Quotes from Others
I.
“Self-reflection is the school of wisdom.” - Baltasar Gracian
II.
“We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience.” - John Dewey
1 Question For You
BONUS QUESTION: What part of being a teacher brings you the most JOY? Include more of that in the semester to come, too <3
Share our upcoming event with an educator looking for burnout solutions! (share this article or share this Facebook post with them)
Make sure to share this week’s 3-2-1 with a teacher you care about :)
Until next week,
Emily Hemmingson
Health Coach for Teachers
Founder of The Teacher Wellness Center
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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!