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

(like I do) and already own several, consider designating each to a specific time of day. For example, your blue water bottle can correlate to the morning, your clear water bottle can correlate to the afternoon, and your Colorado-flag water bottle can correspond with the evening. You then know that you have to drink the total blue water bottle by 11:30 a.m., your clear water bottle by 3:00 p.m., and your Colorado-flag water bottle before bedtime, perhaps shooting to be finished by 7:00 p.m. so you don’t have to get up during the night to use the bathroom.

      ◦ Consider infusing your water with fruit, vegetables (such as cucumber), or herbs—even lavender—if you don’t particularly like the taste of plain water. There are special water bottles and pitchers that help make this easy, or you can simply do it yourself.

      ◦ Use an app to track how much water you’re consuming. I’m partial to Plant Nanny, found at https://apple.co/2FkAnFH, myself. Visit go.SolutionTree.com/teacherefficacy to find a list with live links to different apps.

Reflect on the Week

      When and how did you incorporate healthy eating and hydration habits into your schedule this week? Which options did you choose and why?

      Did you notice any changes—subtle or major—in your mood this week?

      How did having an awareness of your nutrition choices help shape your week both professionally and personally?

      Do you plan to continue to make a focus on nutrition and hydration part of your routine? Why and how?

Week Three: Sleep (Days 11–15)

      Consider this: “for most adults, getting seven to eight hours of sleep tonight might be the most important thing we can do to improve our future physical and mental health” (World Sleep Day, n.d.). That’s from Erik St. Louis, who is co-director of the Mayo Center for Sleep Medicine. I don’t know about you, but I’m an entirely different person when I’ve had enough sleep versus when I haven’t. When I’m well rested, I can let frustrations slide off me a bit more, I am able to make food choices that match my health goals, I feel more energized even during the dreaded 3:00 p.m. slump, and I am my best self around others. Conversely, when I haven’t had enough sleep (particularly for multiple nights in a row), I’m set off by nuances, find myself drawn to carbs and sugar all day long, lack the energy and luster that I thrive on, and am somewhat unpleasant to keep company with.

      Approximately one in three adults in the U.S. isn’t getting the necessary seven to eight hours of sleep (Luyster, Strollo, Zee, & Walsh, 2012). Insufficient sleep is not only an issue in the United States, it is a worldwide health epidemic (Chattu et al., 2018). When you don’t sleep those inconvenient but necessary and glorious hours, you get sick more easily, can’t think as well, forget things, gain weight, and are more prone to car and workplace accidents (Marcin, n.d.). No, thank you!

      

This week’s invitation: Get at least seven hours of sleep per night. Every night.

      • Monday: Work to keep your bedroom quiet, cool, and dark. Use earplugs if you need to, set your thermostat to around sixty-five degrees, try a fan or noise machine, and use your curtains (or a sheet) to block out the light as much as possible (Smith, Robinson, & Segal, 2018).

      • Tuesday: Experiment with an evening snack. For some people, eating before bed can cause indigestion, but for others, a quality snack can promote a good night’s sleep. Good choices for an evening snack include milk or yogurt (if your body tolerates dairy), a banana, half a turkey sandwich, or a small bowl of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal (Smith et al., 2018).

      • Wednesday: Limit caffeine intake. Caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after consumption, so plan your last caffeinated beverage of the day to correlate with your anticipated bedtime (Drake, Roehrs, Shambroom, & Roth, 2013). I quit caffeine after 10:00 a.m.

      • Thursday: Avoid bright screens one to two hours before your bedtime. The blue light that is emitted by your phone, tablet, computer, and TV is particularly disruptive to our ability to get a good night’s sleep (Harvard Health Publishing, 2018a). Find ways to relax that don’t involve screens—read, color, draw, or take a warm bath. Listening to an audiobook or podcast, cooking, and even singing can help, too (Hirschlag, 2017).

      • Friday: Commit to waking up at the same time today as you will tomorrow. While the temptation to catch up on sleep during the weekend is appealing, the truth is that when we go to sleep and get up at the same time every day, we help set our bodies’ internal clocks and optimize our sleep (National Institute on Aging, n.d.).

Reflect on the Week

      When and how did you incorporate healthy sleeping habits into your schedule this week? Which options did you choose and why?

      After considering the impact that sleep has on your daily life, including the ways it influences your energy level, mood, and nutrition, did you notice any changes—subtle or major—by using the sleep options this week? (For example, do you reach for different foods when you’re tired? Does your mood feel more stable when you’re well rested?)

      How did focusing on your sleep habits help shape your week?

      Do you plan to continue to make sufficient and high-quality sleep part of your routine? Why and how?

Week Four: Laughter (Days 16–20)

      Laughter is the best, isn’t it? Researcher and author Brené Brown (2010) says this about it: “Laughter, song, and dance create emotional and spiritual connection; they remind us of the one thing that truly matters when we are searching for comfort, celebration, inspiration, or healing: We are not alone” (p. 118). There’s more and more research surfacing that supports the idea that laughter really is the best medicine. Some of the short-term benefits of laughter include stimulating our hearts, lungs, and muscles; releasing feel-good endorphins; relaxation; and reducing tension and stress (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016). There are also long-term effects, including improved immune system, pain relief, increased personal satisfaction, and improved mood (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2016).

      Besides all of these health benefits, just consider the last time you really laughed. My guess is that it felt really, really good to laugh. Laughter is like an instantaneous mood booster. I love to laugh! In fact, I try to find the humor in even the most stressful situations. (Wheel falls off my suitcase? Hysterical! Tripped on my morning walk? So funny! Rather than feeling frustrated and irritated, I try to choose laughter instead.)

      

This week’s invitation: Laugh, giggle, and guffaw.

      • Watch funny videos: Try YouTube videos, sitcoms, and podcasts. Everyone has preferences, but if you’re looking for new ideas, try simply searching online for funny podcasts or funniest YouTube videos.

      • Spend time with animals: One of the best perks of having a pet is watching them do ridiculous things! I giggle every time my dog rolls around in the grass in the middle of a walk or when he goes to see who’s at the front door when the doorbell rings on a TV show that we’re watching. Savor those antics, and relish in the fact that petting animals even lowers your blood pressure and boosts your immunity (Johnson, Odendaal, & Meadows, 2002).

      • Be silly: Skip around your classroom. Or hop on one foot! Do a somersault or a cartwheel. Roll down a hill. Do a silly dance. If you’re brave, do this in public; if you’re not, just close the curtains and lock the door!

      • Sing at the top of your lungs: Belt it out! Pull out one of your playlists from week one (page 10) and sing along! I love to sing in