180 Days of Self-Care for Busy Educators. Tina H. Boogren

to your particular school year (as school calendars vary by district, state, and province). I’ve included only weekdays, which allows for some grace, some wiggle room, on the weekends for you to catch up or simply rest.

      Each week, I present a new theme, invitation, and options for self-care activities that are based on the latest research. Some weeks are open to choosing strategies that speak to you, and some weeks are more structured, based on the particular theme. For the weeks that are more open, select one or two options that appeal to you—circle or highlight them directly on the page—and try them for five days. You can also write down your own ideas in the book’s margins if you have another idea related to that week’s theme. These invitations help you put curated research into action. When you’re implementing doable daily tasks, you’re making self-care a habit in a way that works for you. Very few strategies work for all people, and so part of this exploration is learning more about yourself.

      Along the way, I’ll share some of my own experiences and offer reflection questions at the end of each week to help you think through what worked, what didn’t, and why in order to nudge you toward a life that makes you excited to jump out of bed each morning. Blank Notes pages at the end of each of the four chapters and the generous margins throughout give you room to record your overarching ideas, revelations, goals, and reflections directly in the book.

What Works for You

      You’ll note that I’ve labeled each chapter according to how most educators tend to feel during those particular months: Surviving the Season of Sacrifice (the first nine weeks), Dealing With Disillusionment (the second nine weeks), Finding Balance (the third nine weeks), and Finishing Strong (the final nine weeks; Moir, 2011). When we get a new school year started, we typically find ourselves in the season of sacrifice, where we work longer hours and adjust to the challenges of a new school year. We’re often sacrificing time with our families and friends and foregoing workouts and sleep in an attempt to tackle everything school related.

      During the next three months, we’re typically in the throes of the dreaded disillusionment phase. Here, we’re in the most challenging nine weeks of the school year. We’re exhausted and struggling to keep our heads above water, student behaviors feel particularly difficult, and our emotions may be getting the best of us. Often we fall ill during this time of year, and for many of us, the weather starts to turn cold and the days offer fewer light hours. Once we return from winter break, we typically move into the season of balance, feeling more in control of our school responsibilities and less like we’re drowning. Here we feel like we’re on solid ground and are in a bit of a groove. Finally, during the final nine weeks of school, our aim is to finish strong. Here, even though we’re dealing with state testing, spring fever, and the pressures that come with the end of the school year, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel and we’re determined to close out the school year in a meaningful way.

      If you discovered this book during the middle of the school year, that’s great, too! You might jump into the corresponding chapter that matches how you’re currently feeling, work your way to the end of the book, and then go back and start at the beginning of the next school year. Do what feels right to you.

      You can do this work individually or you can team up with a single colleague or a group that can lovingly hold you accountable to the work. Partnerships like this are popular because “knowing that we will check in with someone … keeps us on track, even when things get hard” (Levin, 2018). You know yourself best, so consider if it’s better to tackle this work on your own or if having someone else to talk to and check in with is the way to go. Also, remember that you always have a choice. If joining these invitations every week feels burdensome, allow yourself more time. There is no right or wrong way to do this. If you miss a week, it’s absolutely OK. Grant yourself some grace and jump back in as soon as you can.

      By working through this book in whatever order feels right, you’ll begin learning how different blocks of time in the school year impact you personally. You’ll learn strategies, tips, and hacks that help you survive the toughest times and that help you fully enjoy the moments where you are less stressed out and feeling good. The only way you can mess up is by not trying. Because you’re here, reading this sentence right now, I know you’re ready to give this a chance. I’m here beside you, cheering you on, throughout your entire journey. I encourage you to do some reflecting before starting your journey.

      Take a moment to consider your current level of satisfaction when it comes to your self-care. On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you place yourself in terms of how you currently feel? Why?

      Are there changes you want to make? What is your reason for wanting to make these changes?

      What currently brings you joy in your life?

      Who can support you on your journey? What does support from this person (or these people) look like?

      What is your greatest hope in doing this work?

      Are you ready? Take a deep breath. Let’s do this!

       CHAPTER 1

      Surviving the Season of Sacrifice

      Beginning this book probably marks the start of a new school year for you. If that’s the case, happy new year! For these first nine weeks, we’re going to explore opportunities related to our most basic physiological needs and also explore invitations that help us feel energized and truly alive as these will help set us up for success for the following weeks. Starting a new school year is filled with long days and lots of stress, whether you are a classroom teacher, instructional coach, administrator, paraprofessional, or any other position. Welcoming students and staff, adjusting to a new schedule, meeting families, and setting up your learning environment take time—hours that often come at the sacrifice of your own family, personal needs, and healthy habits. This year is going to be different, however. This year, you’re going to glide through the first nine weeks with energy and newly discovered pockets of time that you never knew you had!

Week One: Music (Days 1–5)

      Quick! What’s your favorite song? What artist or genre gets you up off your feet (or at least tapping your toes)? Music is such a powerful tool to help us quickly change our moods. Research shows it “can reduce anxiety, depression, blood pressure, and pain as well as improve sleep quality, mood, memory, increase some cognitive functions, enhance learning and concentration, and ward off the effects of brain aging” (Hampton, 2016).

      I finally decided that it was totally and completely worth it to pay the subscription cost to the streaming music website Spotify (www.spotify.com/us) because I use it every single day. I create playlists for everything I need: to get me going in the morning, to calm me down, to focus when I’m working, to use during my workshops with educators, to get me pumped up while I’m working out, and to remind me of special times or events (such as my wedding song and those I associate with vacations or milestones). I love turning up the music loud in the morning and I love putting my earbuds in at the airport, creating a soothing soundtrack for the hustle and bustle going on around me. I am so incredibly grateful for the power of music.

      

This week’s invitation: Put the power of music to work for you.

      • Monday: Create a go-to good-mood playlist. Use iTunes (https://apple.com/itunes), Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/music?hl=en_US), Spotify (https://spotify.com), Pandora (https://pandora.com), Amazon Music (www.amazon.com), or whatever other tool you have to create a five- or ten-song playlist that’s guaranteed to put you in a good mood.

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